An appeal to the Highest Tribunal

In august 1942 the all-India Congress Committee met in Bombay and was presided over by maulana Abul Kalam Azad. Again the demand to set up a provisional government was made.

“We can no longer back our people from exercising their will”, Gandhi said, “Nor can we go on eternally submitting to the imperialist policy. The time has come for the English to go. Civil servants, army officers. Government officers all of them should quit India”.

The ‘Quit India ‘resolution was drawn up and passed by the meeting for presentation to the government. Jawaharlal moved the resolution and Sardar Patel seconded it.

The resolution also announced the starting of a mass struggle on the widest possible scale.

Winding up the meeting Gandhi said, “I have pledged the Congress, and the congress has pledged herself that she will do or die.”

The government did not wait for the mass movement to begin. Overnight Gandhi was arrested, and also many other leaders in various parts of India. Gandhi was interned in the Aga Khan palace in Poona. Mahadev Desai, Kasturbai, sarojini Naidu and Mirabehn were also taken there.

But with the leaders in jail. India did not remain idle.” Do or die’ was taken up by the people. There were mass movements everywhere. And there was a great outburst of violence throughout the country. People started destroying government buildings and whatever else they considered to be symbols of British imperialism.

Shortly after his detention in the Aga Khan Palace, Gandhi suffered a grievous bereavement. Mahadev Desai, his faithful and able secretary, died of a heart attack.

“Mahadev has lived up to the ‘do or die’ mantra,” Gandhi said. “His sacrifice cannot but hasten the day of India’s deliverance.”

All over India there were strikes and disorder. Lord Linlithgow, the Viceroy, attributed all this to Gandhi. Gandhi had invited violence, he claimed. In a long series of letters to Lord Linlithgow, Gandhi tried to persuade him to retract this charge against him.

Failing in this, Gandhi decided to undertake a fast as “an appeal to the Highest Tribunal” against the unjust charges. Gandhi fasted for 21 days in February 1943. It was a great ordeal, but he survived the fast.

Kastuyrbai nursed him back to health, but her own health was failing. She suffered two heart attacks. Gandhi tried his best to save her, but Kasturbai’s condition grew worse. One day she died quietly in Gandhi’s arms.

A few weeks later Gandhi was taken seriously ill with malaria. The Indian people demanded his immediate release and the authorities, believing that he was nearing death, released him. Gandhi was slowly restored to health.

The demand for Indian Independence had now grown into a world –wide question. Apart from India’s own attitude, America and other countries pressed Britain to grant freedom to India. Churchill did not yield to any of these approaches. India had always been of help to British prosperity and Churchill was the last man to think of giving up India and thus make Britain the poorer.