Difficulty: Easy
Correct Answer: Quit India Movement
Explanation:
Introduction / Context:
Slogans and calls to action often become symbols of particular phases of the Indian freedom struggle. "Do or Die" is one of the most famous phrases associated with Mahatma Gandhi and is frequently asked about in competitive examinations. It marks a turning point when the national leadership demanded complete independence and prepared the people for intense struggle against colonial rule.
Given Data / Assumptions:
Concept / Approach:
"Do or Die" was the dramatic phrase used by Gandhi in his address on the eve of the Quit India Movement in August 1942. The movement called for the British to leave India immediately and urged people to be ready for sacrifice in a final non violent struggle. The Dandi March (1930) and the Non-Cooperation Movement (1920–1922) belonged to earlier phases, and the Khilafat Movement related to pan Islamic concerns after the First World War. Matching the year 1942 and the intensification of the demand for independence clearly points to the Quit India Movement.
Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall that the Quit India Movement was launched in August 1942 with the slogan "Quit India" and a call for British withdrawal.
Step 2: Gandhi addressed the nation and used the phrase "Do or Die" to convey the seriousness of the struggle and the need for total commitment.
Step 3: The Dandi March was associated with the Civil Disobedience Movement against the salt tax in 1930, with different slogans.
Step 4: The Non-Cooperation and Khilafat Movements belong to the early 1920s and focused on different issues and forms of protest.
Step 5: Since "Do or Die" is specifically tied to the 1942 call for mass action, the only correct answer is Quit India Movement.
Verification / Alternative check:
Histories of the freedom struggle frequently quote from Gandhi's speech delivered on 8 August 1942 at the Bombay session of the All India Congress Committee. In this address he appealed to the people with the words that they must "do or die" in their effort to end British rule. The next day the Quit India Movement was formally launched and repression followed. There is no equivalent prominence of this phrase in accounts of the other movements listed, confirming that it belongs to Quit India.
Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Dandi March: Famous for breaking the salt law and for the phrase connected with salt tax and civil disobedience, not for "Do or Die".
Non-Cooperation Movement: Linked with boycotts of foreign goods and institutions in the early 1920s, before the phrase was coined.
Khilafat Movement: A movement to support the Caliph and protest the terms of the peace settlement after the First World War, without this specific slogan.
Common Pitfalls:
Sometimes candidates loosely associate all striking phrases with Gandhi's earliest mass movements and pick Non-Cooperation or Dandi March without recalling the timeline. Another pitfall is to think of "Do or Die" as a purely military style slogan and therefore not connect it with a non violent movement like Quit India. Remembering that 1942 represents the final all India push for independence under Gandhi helps anchor this phrase to the correct event.
Final Answer:
The call "Do or Die" is associated with the Quit India Movement of 1942.
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