Question

Give an account of the repressive measures adopted by the Government to supress the Quit India Movement.

Answer 1

The arrest of Gandhi and the Congress leaders led to mass demonstrations throughout India. Thousands were killed and injured in the wake of the Quit India Movement. Strikes were called in many places. The British swiftly suppressed many of these demonstrations by mass detentions; more than 100,000 people were imprisoned. At many places houses were burnt by the police, huge amounts of fines were realized from the people. Women and children were assaulted. There were firings on as many as 538 occasions by the police and the military.

The entire Congress leadership was cut off from the rest of the world for over three years. At many places houses were burnt by the police, huge amounts of fines were taken from the people. By November 1942, the official figures revealed 1,028 as killed and 3125 as seriously wounded. The figures no doubt were very less and the real death was much more. The movement revealed the people’s fighting spirit and their laying for freedom. This movement thus served as an eye-opener to the British Government about India’s attitude to imperialism.