Sunday, August 30, 2009

Bangladesh, Quit India Movement

M.K.Gandhi
In an article, published in Harijan on 19 April, !942, Gandhiji, for the first time, suggested that in orderly and timely British withdrawal from India would be better for the safety and interest of both . He openly declared that there was an end of all ideas of co-operation and friendly understanding between Britain and India, which Subhas Bose had persistently tried to make the congress adopt this policy, but failed.

Jawaharlal Nehru

Now, it was the general view of the Congress except J.Nehru who held very strongly that in any case India must fight with Britain against Fascism. But Gandhiji was firm in his present attitude and told Azad in unqualified terms that if the Japanese Army ever came into India, it would come not as enemy of India but enemy of British. He also told Azad about the "Quit India Movement " for the first time on 5th july, !942. and actually on 14th July,1942, at Wardha Congress Working Committee took the resolution of Quit India Movement.

Abul Kalam Azad

Quit India resolution :

On 14 July 1942, the Working Committee passed a long resolution, generally referred t held at Haripurao as the Quit India resolution. It renewed the demand that British rule in India must end immediately and reiterated the view that the freedom of India was necessary not only in the interest of India but also for the safety of of the world and for the ending of Nazism, Fascism, Militarism and other forms of Imperialism, and the agression of one nation over another.

Let us recall the last sentence of the lecture delivered by Subhas Chandra Bose in his Presidentioal address at Haripura Congress held at Haripurain Feb 1938.

We are, thetrefore, fighting not for the cause of India alone but of humanity as well. India freed means humanity saved.

We say that what Subhas thought in 1938, Congress took four years more to conclude. Hence we could have earned our freedom at least four years earlier.