New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday paid tribute to the freedom fighters who took part in the Quit India Movement led by Mahatma Gandhi, saying their courage united countless Indians in the struggle for independence.

“We remember with deep gratitude all those brave people who, under the inspiring leadership of Bapu, took part in the Quit India Movement. Their courage lit a spark of patriotism that united countless people in the quest for freedom,” Modi wrote on X.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge also marked the occasion, noting that the movement, launched in 1942 with Gandhi’s “Do or Die” call, infused new enthusiasm into the fight against British rule.

“In 1942, the Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi, with his invaluable mantra ‘Do or Die,’ initiated the Quit India Movement against British rule, which infused new enthusiasm into the fight for independence. Under the leadership of the Indian National Congress, countless Indians took to the streets during the Quit India Movement, writing an unforgettable saga in history,” Kharge said on X.

“On August Revolution Day, we pay heartfelt tributes to all the freedom fighters who sacrificed their lives for the country’s independence,” he added.

The Quit India Movement, or Bharat Chodo Andolan, was started by Gandhi on August 9, 1942 during the Second World War, demanding an end to British rule in India, according to the Ministry of Culture.

The ministry notes that the movement was significant because it made clear to the British that continuing to govern India was untenable, forcing them to consider an exit strategy. The protests, largely non-violent, were accompanied by Gandhi’s call for “an orderly British withdrawal from India.”

On that day in 1942, at Mumbai’s Gawalia Tank ground, Gandhi issued his famous “Do or Die” call to the nation. The anniversary is observed annually as August Kranti Day.

 

 

ANI inputs