Question

Read the given source carefully and answer the questions that follow:

Quit India Movement The failure of the Cripps Mission and the effects of World War II created widespread discontentment in India. This led Gandhiji to launch a movement calling for complete withdrawal of the British from India. The Congress Working Committee, in its meeting in Wardha on 14 July 1942, passed the historic ‘Quit India’ resolution demanding the immediate transfer of power to Indians and quit India. On 8th August 1942 in Bombay, the All India Congress Committee endorsed the resolution which called for a non-violent mass struggle on the widest possible scale throughout the country. It was on this occasion that Gandhiji delivered the famous ‘Do or Die’ speech. The call for ‘Quit India’ almost brought the state machinery to a standstill in large parts of the country as people voluntarily threw themselves into the thick of the movement. People observed hartals, and demonstrations and processions were accompanied by national songs and slogans. The movement was truly a mass movement which brought into its ambit thousands of ordinary people, namely students, workers and peasants. It also saw the active participation of leaders, namely, Jayprakash Narayan, Aruna Asaf Ali and Ram Manohar Lohia and many women such as Matangini Hazra in Bengal, Kanaklata Barua in Assam and Rama Devi in Orissa. The British responded with much force, yet it took more than a year to suppress the movement.

1. How did the failure of the Cripps Mission contribute to the launch of the Quit India Movement? (1)
2. Why was Gandhiji’s call for the ‘Quit India’ considered historic? (1)
3. Explain the role of women in making the Quit India Movement more inclusive. (2)

Answer 1

1. The failure of the Cripps Mission, along with the negative effects of World War II, led to widespread disappointment throughout India. This led Gandhiji to see that only a movement calling for the British to withdraw completely could solve the situation.
2. It was historic because it urged the rapid transfer of power to Indians and featured Gandhiji's famous “Do or Die” speech, which inspired a nonviolent mass movement on a grand scale.
3. The movement became more inclusive through the active and diverse participation of women across different regions. For example:
   • Aruna Asaf Ali was a prominent national leader during the struggle.
   • Regional participants were Matangini Hazra of Bengal, Kanaklata Barua of Assam, and Rama Devi of Orissa. Their involvement showed that the movement was more than just for politicians; it was a genuine mass battle involving ordinary people from all parts of society.