Intention

Overall intention

The overall intention of Mahatma Gandhi in “Quit India” is to incite the Indian people to resist British rule in a non-violent way so that India can gain independence.

Gandhi’s speech was successful in realising its purpose. The speech launched the “Quit India” movement, calling for the immediate end of British rule in India. Five years after the speech, India gained its independence, however, Gandhi’s intention of unity did not materialise, as the territory was divided into India and Pakistan. In the first part of the speech, Gandhi intends to re-establish his credibility as a central figure of the independence movement and to set an example to the Indian people. He appeals to ethos and constructs a sense of trustworthiness and authority that allows him to speak on behalf of the Indian National Congress and present their policy: “But under the Congress scheme of things, essentially non-violent as it is, there can be no room for dictatorship” (ll. 31-32). He highlights that non-violence has been a constant principle of the Congress since its foundation: “From its very inception the Congress based its policy on peaceful methods, included Swaraj and the subsequent generations added non-violen...