As all prominent leaders were arrested before the formal launch of the Movement, people in large number came out to join and lead it
A s all prominent leaders were arrested in the early morning of August 9, 1942 the Quit Movement was left leaderless. This opportune setting of having ‘leaderless movement’ gave rise to several unsung heroes who went into oblivion due to the Congress leaders’ prejudice and sycophancy towards the Gandhi-Nehru family.
Matangini Hazra during the Movement was shot thrice on the forehead and eventually died chanting “Vande Mataram” during a procession. The British considered her too dangerous as she had ability to influence the masses. She is known as Gandhi-buri in Bengali.
Parbati Giri of Odisha was just 16 when she led the Movement in Odisha. She was at the forefront of organising various rallies in the state and was even imprisoned for two years. Her remarkable struggle against the colonial masters is now a popular Odiya folk lore.
Known as ‘Birbala’ in Assamese, Kanaklata Barua was shot dead, while leading a national flag procession during the movement.
‘The secret Congress Radiowoman’ Usha Mehta went underground during the Movement, and within 15 days set up a radio station that had left Britishers quizzed as they were not able to locate her whereabouts till 88 days.
Aruna Asaf Ali unfurled the tricolor at Gwalior Tank in Mumbai amidst police brutality and live firing by armed forces. Having a 5000 rupees reward on her arrest, she effectively coordinated the movement, while being underground from the British.
Role of Sucheta Kriplani as secretary of Congress’s women wing in amassing women support during the movement cannot be ignored. While being underground she ensured that Congress message should reach out to women in particular through handbills and circulars.
Another remarkable yet unheard feature of this movement was the fact that it led to creation of ‘Parallel Governments’ in many parts of India.
Ballia in Uttar Pradesh formed Independent Government under the Chittu Pandey, often eulogized as ‘Tiger Pandey’ or ‘Sher-e-Ballia’ during the Movement.
Satara in Maharashtra is known to have formed a National Government. That parallel government from 1943 to 1946 was called ‘Prati Sarkar’ and was led by Nana Patil, popularly known as ‘Krantisinh’. It is said that “Parallel government movement was a guerrilla type of struggle, and it operated in over 150 villages with solid peasant support”.
Tamluk in West Bengal had an independent government called “Tamralipta Jatiya Sarkar” led by ‘Satish Chandra Samanta’ of voluntary group ‘Vidyut Vahini’. History reads “Jatiya Sarkar (1942- 1944) as really active and robust since it set up Police Stations, Military Departments, Courts and even a system for revenue collection” – all independent of British.
Talcher in Odisha had an Independent Government run by “Lakshman Naik” in 1942. Naik who was devoid of any education and belonged to rural roots was successful in providing visionary leadership to the people of Talcher by establishing a “Peasant-Labour” Government against the forced labour, autocratic rule and exploitive forest laws of the British.
Naik today is remembered as Odiya folk hero and is a godly figure among the Vanvasis of South Odisha.
— Divyansh Dev
