User:Lbcc.wiki/Quit India speech

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Summary

The Quit India speech is a speech [was given] made by Mahatma Gandhi (hyperlink) in support of Indian independence and the removal of British control on the 8th of August 1942, on the eve of the Quit India movement (hyperlink). He called for determined, but passive resistance and civil disobedience based on the principles of satyagraha that signified the certitude that Gandhi foresaw for the movement, best described by his call to Do or Die. His address was issued shortly before midnight at the Gowalia Tank Maidan (hyperlink) park in Bombay (present-day Mumbai) (1), which has since been renamed August Kranti Maidan (August Revolution Ground). However, almost the entire Indian National Congress (hyperlink) leadership, and not merely at the national level, were put into confinement by the ruling British government less than twenty-four hours after Gandhi’s speech under the grounds of the Defense of India Rules (9). A greater number of Congress leaders, therefore, were to spend the rest of the war in jail. The Quit India speech is commonly referred to as the unifying call to action in pursuit of Indian independence during WWII-wartime India.

Background

In August 1942, Mahatma Gandhi (hyperlink) was at the centre of the Quit India campaign (hyperlink), a national protest movement based on “satyagraha” (literally, “truthful request”) (1) whose aims included the ending of British rule in India and the establishment of Indian sovereignty (4, p.6) through nonviolent resistance and peaceful violation of laws (1). The growth of the movement, largely driven by factors of economic exploitation (4, p.6), culminated in a struggle between Indian nationalists and British imperialists, ultimately leading to the Quit India Movement of 1942 (hyperlink).

This period of WWII had brought about the demand for the creation of a central, national Indian government, a demand that had elicited a popular nationwide response but which ultimately went ignored by the ruling British government (2, p.4).

In support of the Indian independence movement, the political party INC, or (Indian National Congress) (hyperlink), under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi (hyperlink), delivered “The Quit India Call” on August 8, 1942 (2, p.1). The speech, delivered in the midst of WWII, called for an end to British control as a means of ensuring the future of the war and the success of freedom and democracy (4, p.36) for India. The Congress’s initial response to the war, a policy of individual civil disobedience, developed into the larger Quit India Movement of 1942, characterized by wider civil disobedience that was suppressed by the government with “unforgiving repression” (10, p.269).

Gandhi’s address, commonly referred to as the Quit India Speech, was made on the occasion of the main organizational wing of the INC, the AICC’s (All India Congress Committee), approval of the Quit India Resolution (1). The resolution, approved in the concluding session of the AICC’s meeting at Bombay (4, p.43), authorized Gandhi to take whatever actions he deemed necessary to “force the British out of the country” (3, p.217).

Purpose

Following the unilateral decision of the British government to bring India into WWII, the 1939 resignation of Congress ministries led to a chain of events that were responsible for Gandhi's speech and the beginning of the Quit India Movement (1), a movement that expedited the Indian independence process.

Gandhi set out in his speeches to maintain the unification of India’s diverse religious and ethnic groups, although to limited success. The increasing divide in the early 1940s between the separatist factions of the Hindu and Muslim majority populations meant that much of Gandhi’s Quit India speech directly addressed their conflict and hostility (1).

The ratification of the movement by Gandhi and the AICC on August 8th, 1942 meant the adoption of the Quit India resolution and the ensuing Quit India satyagraha which followed (6, p.181). This symbolized a drastic departure from the peaceful and nonviolent Gandhian methods of protest that had previously prevailed, and to a considerable extent, worked to legitimize adherence to revolutionary and destructive actions which emphasized the role of youths and the core values of bravery, daring, and sacrifice (4, p.1). Gandhi’s mantra of “do or die” (5, p.55-56) as embodied in his speech, remain important tools for interpreting his vision of non-violence and satyagraha (6, p.182), and its evolution alongside the pursuit of Indian independence.

Speech Meaning/Content

The Quit India speech was delivered in Hindi to begin, followed by a shortened English version (1). Throughout the speech Gandhi affirms his widely known commitment to non-violent protest and that this movement would follow in the same fashion (10). The speech begins by Ghandi outlining his intentions to gain independence for India to the All India Congress Committee (hyperlink). Gandhi makes two crucial points in this part of the speech; a resolution based on “ahimsa” and expressing no hate towards the British. During the first part of the speech Gandhi reassured that their struggle was for India’s independence not a fight for power. One in which he proclaimed that “there had never been a more democratic struggle for freedom in world history than India’s” (10).

After the resolution was passed, Gandhi presented the second part of his speech. Addressed to many Indian subgroups, such as … Gandhi outlines what the resolution asks of their participation in the movement (5).

The third part of the speech was presented in English, in which Gandhi directly addressed the Western world. This third portion of the speech clearly described how the resolution called for the freedom from British Rule in India in such a format that the West would understand. This third section also stated that the overthrow of British Rule would commence immediately. It also provided the most specific image of a unified India and provided a sketch of how the events would play out. The English portion of the speech concluded with what would become the mantra of the entire Quit India Movement - “Do or Die.” (5). Ironically, this idea came from a poem titled “Charge of the Light Brigade '' written by Lord Tennyson to honour British soldiers who had fought in the Crimean War (6). Gandhi had had a fascination with this phrase, using it several times in many addresses he made to commemorate Indian soldiers (6) such as … He then made it the mantra of the Quit India Movement.

Audience

A wide variety of sources estimate there to have been between forty thousand and one hundred thousand people in attendance to listen to Gandhi's Quit India speech (5). The first group that Gandhi addressed directly was the Muslim population of India (1). Gandhi speaks to the Muslim population in his speech to inspire “a unity of hearts and a joint effort by Hindus and Muslims in the fight for freedom.” (1). Ghandi believed that the freedom of India would benefit all Indians as a collective, and that religious differences should therefore be put aside for the benefit of the movement toward an independent India (1).

Another group that Gandhi addressed in his speech was the committee members that voted on the Quit India Resolution. Gandhi acknowledged all members for their commitment to the voting process and thanked them for participating, both those who voted for and against the resolution (1).

Gandhi spoke directly to several groups within the speech including “journalists, princes, landlords, soldiers, government officials, and students” (1). He called on these groups to stand in solidarity through non-violent protest against British rule. In opposition to previous speeches, Gandhi did not ask these groups to halt their work and classes but rather to continue, with the mentality and action of free subjects and social groups in passive resistance (1).

Impact/Consequence

Gandhi’s speech caused a grand reaction from both the people of India and the British government. Following the Quit India speech, the citizens of India reacted in “mass upheaval of unprecedented dimensions.” (2). The speech ultimately led to the passing of the Quit India Resolution by the All India Congress Committee, as well as the re-enactment of the non-violence and noncooperation policy (4). The British government took the speech in a threatening manner and thus unleashed terror and destruction on India (2). Just hours after the speech, Gandhi and other prominent Indian leaders were arrested by British authorities, all of whom were later released (1). During his speech, Gandhi insinuated a message to his colleagues in case he was arrested. He also gave the speech thinking that doing so may delay or stop his arrest entirely when he said, “After last night's speech they will never arrest me” (3).

There was widespread belief from the people that India had achieved freedom from the British after hearing Gandhi’s speech, which was not true. Following the speech there was uproar from civilians in support of the movement. This was in conjunction with the backlash from the British government, resulting in widespread violence despite Gandhi’s non-violence policy. For the months that followed the Quit India speech, the country was ravaged in violent outbursts. For 2 years, “208 police stations, 332 railway stations, and 945 post offices or telegraph lines were damaged or destroyed” (1).

The switch from Hindustani to English was strategic in sending a message. The transition in language provides imagery of a united front as well as being able to inform the western world of their struggle for independence. The stark contrast in language within one speech brings focus to who Gandhi is addressing in the speech. Not only does it provide clarity to who he is addressing but it also is an invitation to a wide variety of groups to be his audience (5). The inclusion of more than one language, regardless of what languages were used, brings even more emphasis to Gandhi’s philosophy of the Quit India Movement; the strongest India is a multicultural India. Switching languages within the speech draws attention to the importance of different groups within India and the “ethical values of different communities, especially those that have been impacted politically and are forced to speak multiple languages.” (5).

Reception/ Initial Response

Later on the evening of the Quit India Speech and the Congress’s ratification of the Quit India Resolution, Gandhi and many associated members of the Congress such as …  were arrested and imprisoned by the government under the grounds of the Defense of India Rules (hyperlink) (9). In addition, press coverage surrounding the speech was heavily limited, with the publishing of any part of Gandhi’s speech, support of the Congress’s call to action, and reporting on the British government’s response to suppress the movement all made forbidden (9) to press coverage.

The swift ban on press reporting of the speech and Gandhi’s last message meant that neither posed any immediate danger to the British ruling government (8, p.14). The arrests of members of the AIWC and AICC also concluded with the failure of transmission of both the speech and resolution to the public, leading to initial conclusions that the government’s tactics had prevailed early on in controlling the press and confining Congress leadership, ultimately leaving the movement “directionless at its inception” (8, p.14).

Lasting Legacy

Gandhi’s mantra of “do or die”, as expressed in his speech, was ultimately successful through efforts of the underground press (9). Acting as the unifying call to action for a campaign of civil disobedience, the Quit India movement spread far across the Indian subcontinent and had lasting effects from August 1942, the formal inception of the movement, until September 1944 (9), nearing the final stages of WWII.

Britain’s response to the movement has been analyzed as one of the most significant parts of the Indian independence movement. The events of the Quit India Movement in 1942 had worked to persuade the British to leave India without first having established various measures of continued British control, measures which effectively acted as safeguards and which had “previously been demanded as a condition of withdrawal” (3, preface) from the Indian subcontinent.

Bibliography:


 * 1) Jha, Sadan. 2010. "Mahatma Gandhi’s Speech To The All India Congress Committee: Document Analysis." Milestone Documents in World History.
 * 2) Shukla, Vivekananda.1989. Rebellion of 1942: Quit India Movement. H.K. Publishers & Distributors, Delhi; New Delhi.
 * 3) Hutchins, Francis G. 1973. India's Revolution; Gandhi and the Quit India Movement. Harvard University Press, Cambridge.
 * 4) Sharma, Shivani. 1990. Quit India Movement. Department of Political Science Aligarh Muslim University (India).
 * 5) Schiler, Karen Elisabeth. 2010. "A Movable Ethos: How Ethics and Rhetoric can Imagine and Invite New Publics." ProQuest Dissertations Publishing.
 * 6) Parel, Anthony J. 1997. “Gandhi's ‘Quit India’ Speech, 1942.” Chapter. Gandhi: 'Hind Swaraj' and Other Writings. Cambridge Texts in Modern Politics. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 181–87.
 * 7) Greenough, Paul R. 1999. “Political Mobilization and the Underground Literature of the Quit India Movement, 1942-44.” Social Scientist, vol. 27, no. 7/8. 11–47. https://doi.org/10.2307/3518012.
 * 8) Boissoneault, Lorraine. 2017. “The Speech That Brought India to the Brink of Independence.” Smithsonian.com, Smithsonian Institution.
 * 9) Traboulay, David M. 1997. Mahatma Gandhi's Satyagraha and Non Violent Resistance. City University of New York (CUNY) CUNY Academic Works.

Side box

Photo?

Date: August 8th, 1942

Venue: Gawalia Tank Maidan Park

Location: Bombay (Mumbai), India

Coordinates

Type: Speech

Participants: Mahatma Gandhi