Introduction
The Quit India Movement was a milestone in the history of India's struggle for freedom. The freedom fighters of Bihar and Jharkhand had played a heroic and remarkable part in the people's spontaneous revolution of 1942-43 against the British rule. Almost in each Thanas of Bihar, there was a thrill of inspiration and a spontaneous response to Mahatma Gandhi's call for crusade "Do or Die" and for ridding the country of the foreign domination.
With the opening of the year 1942, the logic of world events was inexorably driving the country to the path of the great revolution of 1942. On the 7th December, 1941, by attacking Pearl Harbour, Japan crippled the United States Pacific Fleet. On the 10th December, the Prince of Wales, an unsinkable British battleship and others were lost by the British Pacific Fleet. Hong Kong fell to the Japanese late in December 1941. Thus Japanese approach to the borders of India, naturally produced grave consternation and panic throughout India.
From 9th to 22nd February, 1942, General Chiang Kai-shek, accompanied by his wife visited India for the purpose of impressing the Congress leaders to co-operate with the allies against Japan. On the 10th February, Jawahar Lal Nehru had discussion with Chiang Kai-shek at New Delhi. On February 18, Marshal and Madame Chiang Kai-shek called on Gandhiji in Calcutta. On March 7, Rangoon fell. Japan was knocking at the gates of India. Afterwards Churchill woke up to the grim reality of the Indian situation. After four days the premier announced in the House of Commons on the 11th March, 1942 regarding the Cripps Mission as the British War Cabinet's emissary to India.
Sir Stafford Cripps, a Lord Privy Seal, a member of the British War Cabinet and the Leader of the House of Commons came in the Mission in India from 23rd March to 12th April, 1942. But his proposal was proved abortive as Mahatma Gandhi described it as "a post-dated cheque on a crashing bank.
The lightning speed of Japanese success and the recurring British reverses filled the people a satisfaction born out of England's injustice to popular demand. Naturally a feeling rose to overthrow the foreign yoke at this opportune moment. This was the background to the unpremeditated, unplanned and leaderless popular upheaval in 1942. The failure of Cripps Mission (23 March-12 April, 1942) in removing the Constitutional deadlock coupled with the rapid approach of the Japanese menace at the very door of India as after heavy air-raid on Vizagapatam and Coconada on 6th April and on Trincomalee early in the morning of 9th April during Cripps' stay in Delhi had produced a feeling of frustration and excitement in the heart of the people. The unusual situation prevailing in the country led Gandhiji to declare in April "The orderly and timely British withdrawal from India". The statement of Gandhiji was the genesis of the "Quit India Movement". The demand of British withdrawal began gradually to catch the imagination of the nation. Its substance was finally adopted in a resolution of Jawahar Lal Nehru by the meeting of the Congress Working Committee and the A.I.C.C. held at Allahabad from the 29th April to the 2nd May, 1942.
The Working Committee of the Congress met at Wardha from the 6th to 14th July, 1942. On 14th July, 1942, it passed a long resolution generally referred to as the "Quit India" resolution. It renewed the demand that "British rule in India must end immediately. However, if this appeal fail, a widespread struggle would inevitably be under the leadership of Gandhiji.
Meanwhile the Government of India and the Provincial Government in Bihar had been already busy in devising plans "to suppress any attempt to be working in the interest of the enemy and whose activities they hold to be prejudicial to the defence of British India or the efficient prosecution of the war". In June 1942 the Government of Bihar framed a new Defence of India Rule 27A. Accordingly, the Bihar Government forwarded to the Divisional Commissioners, District Officers and the I.G. of Police on the 18th July, 1942, a list of the more active members of the Forward Bloc in Bihar. The list contained the name and address of the 15 members of Forward Bloc.
On Wednesday the 5th August, 1942 the Working Committee of Congress met in Bombay and passed the momentous resolution, later known as the "Quit India" Resolution repeating with all emphasis the demand for the withdrawal of the British power from India "as its inalienable right to freedom and independence". The Committee resolved "to sanction the starting of mass struggle on non-violent lines on the widest possible scale under the guidance of Mahatama Gandhi.
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