Estimate

● Left without leaders, there was no restraint and violence became common.

● Main storm centres of the movement were in eastern United Provinces, Bihar, Midnapore, Maharashtra, Karnataka.

● Students, workers and peasants were the backbone of the movement while the upper classes and the bureaucracy remained largely loyal.

● Loyalty to government suffered considerable erosion. This also showed how deep nationalism had reached.

● The movement established the truth that it was no longer possible to rule India without the wishes of Indians.

● The element of spontaneity was higher than before, although a certain degree of popular initiative had been sanctioned by the leadership itself, subject to limitations of the instructions. Also, the Congress had been ideologically, politically and organisationally preparing for the struggle for a long time.

● The great significance was that the movement placed the demand for independence on the immediate agenda of the national movement. After Quit India, there could be no retreat.

● In this struggle, the common people displayed unpara- lleled heroism and militancy. The repression they faced was the most brutal, and the circumstances under which resistance was offered were most adverse.