Difficulty: Medium
Correct Answer: Wardha
Explanation:
Introduction / Context:
The Quit India Movement was a landmark event in India's freedom struggle against British rule. It was launched in 1942 after the failure of the Cripps Mission, and its demand was simple and powerful: the British must leave India. Before the All India Congress Committee formally approved the Quit India Resolution in Mumbai, the Congress Working Committee first discussed and sanctioned it at a different place. This question tests your knowledge of that important preparatory meeting.
Given Data / Assumptions:
- The question focuses on the Working Committee of the Indian National Congress, not on the All India Congress Committee session itself.
- The options given are Wardha, Nagpur, Mumbai and Delhi.
- The Quit India Resolution is associated with the year 1942 and the broader context of the Second World War and the failure of the Cripps Mission.
- It is assumed that the student is familiar with the sequence of events leading to the Quit India Movement.
Concept / Approach:
The Quit India Resolution was drafted and first sanctioned by the Congress Working Committee in a meeting held at Wardha in July 1942. Later, the All India Congress Committee met in Bombay (now Mumbai) in August 1942 and ratified the resolution, following which Mahatma Gandhi gave the famous Do or Die call. The approach is to distinguish between the Working Committee meeting that initially approved the resolution and the later mass gathering that formally passed it.
Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall that Wardha in present day Maharashtra was an important centre for Congress activities and Gandhian programmes during the freedom struggle.
Step 2: Remember that in July 1942, the Congress Working Committee met at Wardha and discussed the response to British policies during the Second World War.
Step 3: At this Wardha meeting, the Working Committee sanctioned the draft of the Quit India Resolution, setting the stage for a stronger all India movement.
Step 4: Subsequently, the All India Congress Committee met at Bombay (now Mumbai) in August 1942 and formally adopted the Quit India Resolution and launched the movement.
Step 5: Therefore, the place where the Congress Working Committee sanctioned the Quit India Resolution was Wardha, making Wardha the correct answer.
Verification / Alternative check:
Standard history textbooks of modern India and specialised works on the national movement consistently state that the Congress Working Committee passed the Quit India Resolution at Wardha. The subsequent All India Congress Committee session that gave the final approval was indeed held at Bombay, which is sometimes emphasised in exam questions. Distinguishing between these two stages eliminates confusion and confirms that Wardha is the correct location for the Working Committee's sanctioning of the resolution.
Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option B (Nagpur) is wrong because, although Nagpur has historical importance in the Congress organisation, it was not the venue for the Working Committee's sanctioning of the Quit India Resolution.
Option C (Mumbai) is wrong in the specific context of this question because Mumbai was the venue for the All India Congress Committee's formal adoption of the Quit India Resolution, not for the Working Committee meeting that initially sanctioned it.
Option D (Delhi) is wrong because there is no major event connected with the initial sanctioning of the Quit India Resolution at Delhi; the capital was the site of many political activities, but not of this particular Working Committee decision.
Common Pitfalls:
A common pitfall is to confuse the Working Committee meeting at Wardha with the larger All India Congress Committee meeting at Bombay, as both are associated with the Quit India Movement. Many students remember only the famous Bombay session and mistakenly choose Mumbai when asked specifically about the Working Committee. Another mistake is to rely on guesswork based on the modern political importance of cities like Delhi and Nagpur, rather than recalling the specific historical narrative. Careful reading of the question phrase Working Committee and attention to the sequence Wardha first, then Bombay helps avoid these errors.
Final Answer:
The Congress Working Committee sanctioned the Quit India Resolution at Wardha before it was finally approved by the All India Congress Committee in Bombay.
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