freedom for the Muslim elite to run the
government the way they wanted. From
1942 to 1945, most Congress leaders
were in jail. The League made use of the
time to build its base among the people.
By 1941, Japan had started expanding into South East Asia. This was clear
threat to Indian territories as well. The British wanted Indian people to support it in
the war against Japan. In March 1942, Prime Minister Churchill was persuaded to
send one of his ministers, Sir Stafford Cripps, to India to try and make a compromise
with Gandhi and the Congress. But these talks failed after the Congress insisted
that the Viceroy should first appoint an Indian as the Defence Member of his
Executive Council.
After the failure of the Cripps Mission, Mahatma Gandhi decided to launch his
third major movement against the British rule. This was the “Quit India” campaign.
This campaign began in August 1942. Although Gandhi was sent to jail, other younger
activists organised strikes and acts of sabotage all over the country. The young
men and women left their colleges to go to jail in very large numbers. Socialist
members of the Congress, such as Jayaprakash Narayan, were particularly active
in the underground resistance movement. In several districts, such as Satara in the
west and Medinipur in the east, “independent” governments were declared. The
British responded with a lot of force, yet it took them more than a year to suppress
this rebellion.
The Communist Party of India, in the meanwhile, decided to support the British
war effort. It was alarmed at the attack on the Soviet Union by the Nazis. It realised
the danger at a world level and called the war a People’s War. On the contrary,
Gandhi felt that Indians would be able to handle Japan on their own after the British
leave India.
The initial victories of Japan against the Americans and Europeans created a
strong impression on the people in India. Firstly, it seemed that the European
colonialists would get defeated very soon. Secondly, Japan was an Asian country
and could stand up against the European colonialists. Indians felt that they too can
stand up and fight against Britain decisively. The myth that the British race was
superior than others was destroyed in the minds of people.
Subhash Chandra Bose wanted to take up the opportunity created by the
difficulties of the British. He said that India’s independence was of utmost
importance and we should take the help of the Japanese to throw out the British.
He went secretly to Germany and Japan and collected an army of Indian soldiers in
1942.