UPSC Prelims 2011 · GS Paper I

Question 54: History and Culture

Which one of the following observations is not true about the Quit India Movement of 1942 ?

aIt was a non-violent movement

bIt was led by Mahatma Gandhi

cIt was a spontaneous movement

dIt did not attract the labour class in general

AnswerThe answer is (b).

The Quit India Movement began on 8 August 1942 with Gandhi's call of 'Do or Die'. But Gandhi and the entire Congress leadership were arrested on 9 August, before any programme could be given, so the movement was carried forward by local and underground leaders and ordinary people. It was largely spontaneous and leaderless, so the observation that it was led by Gandhi does not hold for how it ran. Organised labour largely stayed away.

Why each option is right or wrong

(a) Gandhi's call was for a non-violent struggle, so the given answer treats this as true.
(b) Right, as the untrue observation: the leaders were jailed at once, so Gandhi did not lead it on the ground.
(c) True: the movement was largely spontaneous after the arrests.
(d) True: industrial workers in general did not join it.

Worth knowing: Option (a) is also arguable, since violence and sabotage broke out widely, but the given answer marks (b) as the untrue observation.

Explanation: written by UPSC Grade, not by UPSC.

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Source: UPSC, Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination 2011, General Studies Paper I, Series A. The paper on upsc.gov.in.