Which of the following presents the main phases of the Quit India Move

Which of the following presents the main phases of the Quit India Movement ?

1. Strikes, boycotts, and picketing in urban centres

2. Widespread attacks in rural areas on the many symbols and means of colonial rule and authority, e.g. railways, telegraph lines, and Government buildings

3. Formation of Home Rule leagues

4. The ‘Karnataka method’

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

1 and 2 only
2, 3 and 4
1, 2 and 4
1 and 4 only
This question was previously asked in
UPSC CAPF – 2015
The correct option is C.
The Quit India Movement (1942) unfolded in several phases:
1. The initial phase, immediately following the arrest of major leaders, was marked by widespread strikes, hartals, and protests in urban centres (Statement 1 is TRUE).
2. As the movement progressed and faced severe repression in cities, it spread to rural areas and became more radical. This second phase involved attacks on symbols of British authority and means of communication, such as railway lines, telegraph wires, police stations, and government buildings (Statement 2 is TRUE). This was an attempt to paralyse the government machinery.
3. The formation of Home Rule Leagues occurred much earlier, during the First World War (1916), led by figures like Annie Besant and B.G. Tilak. It is not a phase of the Quit India Movement (Statement 3 is NOT TRUE).
4. The later phase saw the emergence of underground activities and the formation of parallel governments in various parts of the country, such as Ballia, Tamluk, Satara, and pockets of Karnataka. The ‘Karnataka method’ refers to such underground activities and alternative structures of governance in Karnataka during this period (Statement 4 is TRUE).
Therefore, the main phases or characteristics of the Quit India Movement are represented by statements 1, 2, and 4.
The Quit India Movement was unique due to the absence of top leadership (all were arrested early on), making it a spontaneous and largely decentralized mass uprising. The violence was often directed against government property and infrastructure. The parallel governments established in some areas demonstrated the populace’s determination to overthrow British rule and create alternative structures.