Question

With reference to the Quit India Movement, answer the following:

Why did Congress pass the Quit India Resolution? How did the government react to it?

Answer 1

The Congress passed the Quit India Resolution on 9 August, before dawn, Gandhiji and all other important nationalist leaders were arrested. Congress was banned. The news of these arrests, even before the movement began, shocked the nation. A spontaneous, nationwide movement of protests arose; there were demonstrations, hartals, and processions. Leaderless and without any guidelines, the Quit India Movement took different shapes in different parts of the country.
The government came down heavily on the people. They were lathi-charged and fired upon. The brutality of the police enraged the people. They reacted violently. Police stations, post offices, and other government buildings were destroyed. Railway, telegraph, and telephone lines were disconnected. The army was called in to crush the revolt. Over 10,000 people were killed in police and military firing. The movement was savagely crushed within a very short period of time.