- The Second World War commenced in September 1939 with Nazi Germany invading Poland as part of Hitler’s expansion plans.
- Without consulting the National Congress or elected members of the central legislature, the Government of India swiftly joined the war.
- Congress leaders insisted on India’s declaration of independence or, at the very least, the transfer of effective power to Indian hands before active participation in the war. The British Government rejected this demand, leading to the resignation of Congress ministries.
- In October 1940, Gandhi called for a limited Satyagraha involving selected individuals.
- By March 1942, Japan’s rapid advances included the occupation of the Philippines, Indo-China, Indonesia, Malaya, and Burma, bringing the war to India’s doorstep.
- Faced with the proximity of conflict, the British Government urgently sought active cooperation from Indians in the war effort.
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Cripps Mission
- In March 1942, the British Government sought cooperation from India by dispatching a mission led by Cabinet Minister Sir Stafford Cripps.
- Cripps articulated the British policy goal in India as the “earliest possible realization of self-government.”
- Despite this objective, detailed negotiations between the British Government and Congress leaders failed to materialize.
- The breakdown occurred as the British Government rejected the Congress demand for the immediate transfer of effective power to Indians.
- The mission’s efforts to secure agreement on India’s self-government aspirations faced an impasse.
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Quit India Movement
- The All India Congress Committee convened in Bombay on August 8, 1942, passing the renowned ‘Quit India’ Resolution, proposing a non-violent mass struggle led by Gandhiji for India’s independence.
- On August 9, Gandhi and other Congress leaders were arrested, leading to the Congress once again being declared illegal.
- The arrests sparked nationwide protests, with strikes, demonstrations, and expressions of public anger unfolding across the country.
- The government responded with severe repression, including the muzzling of the press, lathi charges, firing upon demonstrators, and even aerial bombings.
- Despite the intense resistance, the government successfully quelled the 1942 movement, resulting in a short-lived episode known as the Revolt of 1942. After its suppression, political activity within the country remained minimal until the end of the war in 1945.
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Azad Hind Fauj
- Subhas Chandra Bose, having escaped India in March 1941, sought help initially from the Soviet Union, which later joined the allies in June 1941. Consequently, Bose turned to Germany.
- In February 1943, Bose departed for Japan with the objective of organizing an armed resistance against British rule, collaborating with the Japanese.
- In Singapore, Bose established the Azad Hind Fauj (Indian National Army or INA) with the assistance of Rash Behari Bose, a veteran revolutionary.
- Prior to Bose’s arrival, General Mohan Singh, then a captain in the British Indian army, had initiated steps towards forming the INA.
- Renamed Netaji by INA soldiers, Subhash Bose inspired his followers with the battle cry ‘Jai Hind.’ The INA, aligning with the Japanese army, aimed to liberate India, but with Japan’s collapse during 1944-45, the INA also faced defeat, and Bose tragically died in a plane accident on his way to Tokyo.
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