Circumstances

The “Quit India” speech was held by Mahatma Gandhi in front of the All India Congress Committee on 8th of August, 1942. It was held in a park in central Bombay (now Mumbai). The speech strengthened the resolution for independence passed by the Indian National Congress and launched the Quit India movement, a programme of mass resistance that demanded the end of the British rule in India.

The Quit India resolution was the result of a three-year-long confrontation between the All India Congress Committee and the British government. This confrontation had been ongoing since the outbreak of the Second World War, when Viceroy Linlithgow confirmed India’s participation in the war without consulting with the Indian National Congress.

In 1939, the Congress addressed a series of questions to the British government about the outcome of the war, India’s position in the war, and India’s freedom. However, these queries were dismissed and the Congress leaders were deeply disappointed. Nevertheless, they were also reluc...