Quit India Movement — Modern Indian History

Q.1

WBCS Prelims 2021

Who among the following freedom fighters did not belong to revolutionary (militant) nationalism ?

A. Veena Das

B. Santi & Suniti

C. Matangini Hazra

D. Kalpana Datta

Explanation

Why Correct: Matangini Hazra was a Gandhian freedom fighter known for non-violent protest, not revolutionary nationalism. She led a procession during the Quit India Movement and was shot dead by British police in 1942.
Distractor Analysis: Veena Das was a revolutionary involved in the Chittagong Armoury Raid case. Santi and Suniti were schoolgirl revolutionaries who assassinated a British district magistrate in 1931. Kalpana Datta was a revolutionary who participated in the Chittagong Armoury Raid and later became a communist leader.
Takeaway: Revolutionary nationalists like Bhagat Singh, Chandrashekhar Azad, and Surya Sen believed in armed struggle against British rule, while Gandhian leaders like Matangini Hazra followed non-violent civil disobedience.

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Q.2

WBCS Prelims 2019

Where did the congress working committee first accept the idea of Quit India Movement ?

A. Wardha

B. Benaras

C. Calcutta

D. Delhi

Explanation

Why Correct: The Congress Working Committee formally adopted the Quit India resolution at Wardha on 14 July 1942.
Distractor Analysis: Benaras hosted the 1934 Congress session where socialist ideas gained prominence. Calcutta was the site of the 1928 Congress session demanding Dominion Status. Delhi is where the final All India Congress Committee ratified the resolution on 8 August 1942.
Takeaway: The Quit India Movement was launched on 9 August 1942 with Gandhi's 'Do or Die' speech at Gowalia Tank Maidan in Bombay.

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Q.3

WBCS Prelims 2018

Who described the Quit India Movement (1942) as by far the most serious rebellion since 1857?

A. Viceroy Lord Linlithgow

B. Franklin Roosevelt

C. Chiang Kai Shek

D. Winston Churchill

Explanation

Why Correct: Viceroy Lord Linlithgow, in his official report to the British government, characterized the Quit India Movement as the most serious rebellion since the 1857 Revolt.
Distractor Analysis: Franklin Roosevelt was the U.S. President who pressured Britain to grant Indian independence but did not make this specific assessment. Chiang Kai Shek led Nationalist China and supported Indian independence but did not issue this statement. Winston Churchill opposed Indian independence and dismissed the movement as a minor disturbance.
Takeaway: Linlithgow's tenure (1936-1943) saw the implementation of the Government of India Act 1935, the resignation of Congress ministries in 1939, and the Cripps Mission failure preceding Quit India.

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Q.4

WBCS Prelims 2017

On the eve of which movement Mahatma Gandhi gave the slogan "Do or Die"?

A. Khilafat movement

B. Naval Revolt

C. Quit India Movement

D. Dalit-Harijan movement

Explanation

Why Correct: Mahatma Gandhi delivered the "Do or Die" speech on August 8, 1942, launching the Quit India Movement demanding immediate British withdrawal from India.
Distractor Analysis: Khilafat movement was a 1919-1924 pan-Islamic campaign supporting the Ottoman Caliphate. Naval Revolt refers to the 1946 Royal Indian Navy mutiny against British officers. Dalit-Harijan movement describes B.R. Ambedkar's efforts for Dalit rights and Gandhi's term for untouchables.
Takeaway: The Quit India Movement's "August Kranti" began on August 9, 1942, with mass arrests of Congress leaders including Gandhi, Nehru, and Patel.

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Q.5

WBCS Prelims 2016

Who was the Viceroy of India when the Quit India Movement started in 1942 ?

A. Linlithgow

B. Wilington

C. Wavell

D. Minto

Explanation

Why Correct: Lord Linlithgow served as Viceroy of India from 1936 to 1943, presiding over the launch of the Quit India Movement on 8 August 1942.
Distractor Analysis: Lord Willingdon was Viceroy from 1931 to 1936, preceding Linlithgow. Lord Wavell succeeded Linlithgow in 1943 and dealt with the Bengal famine of 1943. Lord Minto was Viceroy from 1905 to 1910, during the Morley-Minto reforms.
Takeaway: Linlithgow's tenure also saw the outbreak of World War II in 1939 and the Cripps Mission in 1942, which failed to secure Indian support for the war effort.

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Q.6

WBCS Prelims 2013

Where in 1942 was the ‘Swaraj Panchayat’ set up ?

A. Tamluk

B. Contai

C. Cuttak

D. Puri

Explanation

Why Correct: The Swaraj Panchayat was established in Tamluk, Purba Medinipur district during 1942-44 as part of the Quit India Movement's parallel government.
Distractor Analysis: Contai is another subdivision in Purba Medinipur district but not the site of this specific panchayat. Cuttack is the capital of Odisha, associated with different historical developments. Puri is a coastal city in Odisha famous for the Jagannath Temple.
Takeaway: The Tamluk National Government, also called the Tamralipta Jatiya Sarkar, functioned from September 1942 to August 1944 with its own courts, police, and tax system.

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Q.7

WBCS Prelims 2009

Mention the date of 'Quit India Movement'

A. 8th August, 1942

B. 9th September, 1945

C. 10th August, 1951

D. 14th February, 1955

Explanation

Why Correct: The Quit India Movement began on 8 August 1942 when the All-India Congress Committee passed the Quit India Resolution at Gowalia Tank Maidan in Bombay.
Distractor Analysis: 9 September 1945 marks the beginning of the Indian National Army trials at Red Fort. 10 August 1951 has no major significance in India's independence movement. 14 February 1955 is unrelated to India's freedom struggle.
Takeaway: Gandhi delivered his famous 'Do or Die' speech launching the movement, which led to immediate British suppression with mass arrests of Congress leadership including Nehru, Patel, and Azad.

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Q.8

WBCS Prelims 2009

Who called for “Do or Die” ?

A. Subhas Chandra Bose

B. Mahatma Gandhi

C. Surendranath Banerjee

D. Anandamohan Bose

Explanation

Why Correct: Mahatma Gandhi delivered the "Do or Die" speech on August 8, 1942, launching the Quit India Movement, demanding immediate British withdrawal from India.
Distractor Analysis: Subhas Chandra Bose led the Indian National Army and gave the "Give me blood, and I shall give you freedom" call. Surendranath Banerjee was a moderate leader who founded the Indian National Association. Anandamohan Bose was a social reformer and first president of the Indian National Congress.
Takeaway: The Quit India Movement began on August 9, 1942, after Gandhi's arrest, with the slogan "Do or Die" becoming its rallying cry.

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Q.9

WBCS Prelims 2004

Who was the ‘Sarvadhinayak’ the Tamralipta Jatiya Sarkar?

A. Ajoy Mukherjee

B. Satish Chadra Samanta

C. Sushil Chandra Dhara

D. Narendra Dev

Explanation

Why Correct: Satish Chandra Samanta served as the Sarvadhinayak (supreme leader) of the Tamralipta Jatiya Sarkar, a parallel government established in Tamluk, Midnapore district during the Quit India Movement.
Distractor Analysis: Ajoy Mukherjee was a Chief Minister of West Bengal and freedom fighter. Sushil Chandra Dhara was a revolutionary and member of the Tamralipta Jatiya Sarkar. Narendra Dev was a socialist leader and academic, not directly associated with this local government.
Takeaway: The Tamralipta Jatiya Sarkar functioned from 1942-1944, issued its own currency, and maintained law and order in the region during British rule.

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Q.10

WBCS Prelims 2002

"Do or Die" was the Slogan of the ______ movement.

A. Non-Cooperation

B. Khilafat

C. Civil Disobedience

D. Quit India

Explanation

Why Correct: Mahatma Gandhi gave the "Do or Die" slogan on August 8, 1942, launching the Quit India Movement, demanding immediate British withdrawal from India.
Distractor Analysis: Non-Cooperation Movement used "Swaraj is my birthright" and boycotted British institutions. Khilafat Movement focused on protecting the Ottoman Caliphate and allied with Congress. Civil Disobedience Movement employed "Purna Swaraj" and salt satyagraha.
Takeaway: Gandhi's other famous slogans include "Swaraj in one year" for Non-Cooperation and "Do or Die" exclusively for Quit India.

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Q.11

WBCS Prelims 2001

Who was the director general of National Government in Tamluk?

A. Ajoy Mukherjee

B. Sushil Dhara

C. Satish Chandra Samanta

D. Biren Sashmal

Explanation

Why Correct: Sushil Dhara served as the director general of the Tamluk National Government, a parallel government established during the Quit India Movement in Midnapore district of Bengal.
Distractor Analysis: Ajoy Mukherjee was a Chief Minister of West Bengal. Satish Chandra Samanta was a freedom fighter and Congress leader from Midnapore. Biren Sashmal was a revolutionary and member of the Tamluk National Government but not its director general.
Takeaway: The Tamluk National Government functioned from 1942-1944 with its own courts, police, and tax system, making it one of the most successful parallel governments during the independence movement.

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Q.12

WBCS Prelims 2000

In which month did the Quit India Movement begin?

A. July 1942

B. August 1942

C. September 1942

D. October 1942

Explanation

Why Correct: The Quit India Movement began on August 8, 1942, when Mahatma Gandhi gave the 'Do or Die' speech in Bombay, launching mass civil disobedience against British rule.
Distractor Analysis: July 1942 was when the Congress Working Committee passed the Quit India resolution. September 1942 saw intensified British repression and arrests of leaders. October 1942 marked the height of underground activities and parallel governments in some regions.
Takeaway: The movement's immediate trigger was the failure of the Cripps Mission in March 1942, which offered limited dominion status post-war.

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