Read the passage and answer the questions:
Quit India Movement
After the failure of the Cripps Mission, Mahatma Gandhi decided to launch his third major movement against British rule. This was the "Quit India" campaign, which began in August 1942. Although Gandhiji was jailed at once, younger activists organized strikes and acts of sabotage all over the country. Particularly active in the underground resistance were socialist members of the Congress, such as Jayaprakash Narayan. In several districts, such as Satara in the west and Medinipur in the east, 'Independent' governments were proclaimed. "Quit India" was genuinely a mass movement, bringing into its ambit hundreds of thousands of ordinary Indians. It especially energized the young who, in very large numbers, left their colleges to go to jail. However, while the Congress leaders languished in jail, Jinnah worked patiently at expanding their influence. It was in these years that the League began to make a mark in the Punjab and Sind provinces when it had previously had scarcely any presence. In June 1944, with the end of the war in sight, Gandhiji was released from prison. Later that year he held a series of meetings with Jinnah, seeking to bridge the gap between the Congress and the League. In 1945, a Labour government came to power in Britain and committed itself to granting independence to India. Meanwhile, back in India, the Viceroy, Lord Wavell, brought the Congress and the League together for a series of talks.
Which movement was genuinely a 'mass-movement', where hundreds of thousands of ordinary Indians participated?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 4
The correct answer is Option (4) → Quit India Movement
‘Quit India’, launched in August 1942, was genuinely a mass movement, bringing into its ambit hundreds of thousands of ordinary Indians. It especially energised the young, who left their colleges in very large numbers to go to jail.
Note: This passage is taken from the NCERT chapter ‘Mahatma Gandhi and the Nationalist Movement’, almost word for word, from the section ‘Quit India’. One paragraph of the book has given five questions here; read every section of the chapter with the same care.
NCERT (2026-27): “4. Quit India … After the failure of the Cripps Mission, Mahatma Gandhi decided to launch his third major movement against British rule. This was the ‘Quit India’ campaign, which began in August 1942. Although Gandhiji was jailed at once, younger activists organised strikes and acts of sabotage all over the country. Particularly active in the underground resistance were socialist members of the Congress, such as Jayaprakash Narayan. In several districts, such as Satara in the west and Medinipur in the east, ‘independent’ governments were proclaimed. The British responded with much force, yet it took more than a year to suppress the rebellion. ‘Quit India’ was genuinely a mass movement, bringing into its ambit hundreds of thousands of ordinary Indians. It especially energised the young who, in very large numbers, left their colleges to go to jail.…” |