While addressing the 24th session of the Hindu Mahasabha at Cawnpore (now Kanpur) in 1942, Savarkar outlined the strategy of the Hindu Mahasabha of co-operating with the British rulers in the following words: ‘VEER’ SAVARKAR LED HINDU MAHASABHA JOINED HANDS WITH THE BRITISH RULERS TO SUPRESS IT In this connection, shocking documents are available. The Hindutva camp not only opposed QIM but also provided multi-faceted and multi-dimensional support to the British rulers in suppressing this historic mass upsurge. However, what role the then Hindutva camp-consisting of the Hindu Mahasabha and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh -played in the QIM is under wraps for reasons unknown. But it is well documented that despite CPI’s call for keeping aloof from QIM large number of Communist activists participated in it. Most of us know that the then Communist Party of India opposed the QIM thus betraying a great phase of mass upsurge in the history of the freedom struggle. It is to be noted that after declaring Congress an anti-national and unlawful organization, the British masters allowed only Hindu Mahasabha and the Muslim League to function. Even before that a terrible massacre took place in Mysore where the armed forces of Mysore Raja who was very close to Hindu Mahasabha and RSS shot dead 22 Congress activists for saluting Tricolour. Innumerable patriotic Indians were shot dead for the crime that they were holding Tricolour publically. Many national leaders went underground and continued their struggle by broadcasting messages over clandestine radio stations, distributing pamphlets and establishing parallel governments. Hundreds of civilians were killed by police and army of the British rulers and their henchmen native rulers. The contemporary official documents confirm that over 100,000 arrests were made which included the total top leadership of Congress including Gandhi, mass fines were levied and demonstrators were subjected to public flogging.

The British swiftly responded with mass detentions on August 8th itself. Since then August 9 is celebrated as August Kranti Divas. It was to begin on August 9 as per Gandhi’s call to ‘Do or Die’ in his Quit India speech delivered in Mumbai at the Gowalia Tank Maidan (renamed as August Kranti Maidan) on August 8. QIM also known as ‘August Kranti’ (August Revolution) was a nation-wide Civil Disobedience Movement for which a call was given on Augby the Bombay session of the All-India Congress Committee. On the eve of 80th anniversary of the glorious Quit India Movement 1942, we must evaluate the anti-national role of the Hindutva flag-bearers (who shamelessly claim to be the original nationalists) in India’s anti-colonial freedom struggle.

Share on WhatsApp Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Telegram Share on Reddit Share on Email