Quit India Movement and Kakori Train Action: Freedom Struggle Legacy

Subject: GS 1: Modern History

Context: On the anniversaries of the Quit India Movement and Kakori Train Action, national leaders paid tribute to the freedom fighters and recalled their courage, sacrifice and contribution to India’s independence struggle.

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About Quit India Movement

• Background: The Quit India Movement was launched under Mahatma Gandhi’s leadership on 8 August 1942 at the Bombay session of the All India Congress Committee, demanding an immediate end to British rule.
• Central Slogan: Gandhi gave the historic call of “Do or Die”, urging Indians to make a decisive effort for independence.
• August Revolution: The movement is also known as the August Revolution because of its launch in August 1942 and its widespread impact.
• Immediate Trigger: The failure of the Cripps Mission to offer a satisfactory constitutional arrangement during the Second World War intensified Indian dissatisfaction.
• Nature: The movement witnessed mass participation, strikes, protests, underground activities and parallel governments, making it a major mass movement of the freedom struggle.
• British Response: The British responded with mass arrests, censorship and repression. Major Congress leaders, including Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, were arrested.
• Significance: Despite repression, the movement demonstrated the massive popular demand for independence and showed that British rule could no longer continue without widespread resistance.

About Kakori Train Action

• Background: The Kakori Train Action took place on 9 August 1925 near Kakori, Uttar Pradesh, and was carried out by revolutionaries associated with the Hindustan Republican Association.
• Objective: The revolutionaries targeted government funds being transported by train to finance the revolutionary movement.
• Major Revolutionaries: The action was associated with Ram Prasad Bismil, Ashfaqulla Khan, Chandrashekhar Azad, Rajendra Lahiri and their comrades.
• Martyrdom: Ram Prasad Bismil, Ashfaqulla Khan, Rajendra Lahiri and Roshan Singh were executed, becoming enduring symbols of revolutionary nationalism and sacrifice.

Contemporary Relevance

• National Interest: Their legacy reinforces national unity and integrity, reflected in Article 51A(c), which calls upon citizens to uphold the sovereignty, unity and integrity of India.
• Self-Reliance: The freedom struggle’s emphasis on Swadeshi and self-reliance resonates with Atmanirbhar Bharat and the Directive Principles under Article 39(b), which promote the distribution of material resources for the common good.
• Nation-Building: The sacrifices of freedom fighters inspire patriotism, public service and responsible citizenship, reflected in Article 51A through duties relating to national unity, harmony and excellence.
• National Heritage: Remembering the freedom struggle promotes respect for India’s composite cultural heritage, as reflected in Article 51A(f).
• Scientific and Modern India: The transition from the freedom struggle to nation-building also aligns with Article 51A(h), which encourages the scientific temper, humanism and spirit of inquiry and reform.

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Conclusion

The Quit India Movement and Kakori Train Action represented distinct yet complementary strands of India’s freedom struggle. Their enduring legacy lies in courage, sacrifice, nationalism, self-reliance and commitment to nation-building.

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