CM Fadnavis honours Quit India Movement on August Kranti Din
Synopsis
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis marked August Kranti Din on 9 August by honouring the freedom fighters of the 1942 Quit India Movement, calling it a historic turning point in India's independence struggle and saluting its martyrs with a threefold bow of reverence.
Key Takeaways
Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis posted a bilingual tribute in English and Marathi on August Kranti Din, 9 August .
The Quit India Movement was launched on 8 August 1942 by the All India Congress Committee, demanding immediate British withdrawal from India.
Mass arrests on 9 August 1942 accelerated rather than suppressed the movement, making it a turning point in India's independence struggle.
Fadnavis offered a trivar vandan — a threefold bow of reverence — to the revolutionaries and martyrs of the movement.
Independence Day on 15 August follows within the week, with state and central government commemorative events expected.
Eighty-four years ago, a single night of mass arrests ignited a fire across India that the British Empire could not extinguish. On August Kranti Din, Sunday, 9 August, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis paid tribute to the freedom fighters who gave everything to that flame — the men and women of the Quit India Movement.
Posting in both English and Marathi, Fadnavis wrote: 'On August Kranti Din, we honour the countless freedom fighters whose courage and determination during the Quit India Movement strengthened India's march towards independence. Their legacy of patriotism continues to inspire generations.' In Marathi, he saluted the revolutionaries and martyrs with a trivar vandan — a threefold bow of reverence — calling the day 'a historic turning point in India's freedom struggle.'
The night that changed India's independence struggle
The Quit India Movement was launched on 8 August 1942 by the All India Congress Committee, with a single, unambiguous demand: immediate British withdrawal from India. The colonial government's response was swift — mass arrests of Congress leadership before dawn on 9 August. That crackdown did not suppress the movement. It detonated it.
Protests, strikes, and acts of civil disobedience spread across the country, drawing in ordinary citizens who had never before entered the political arena. The movement accelerated the final, irreversible phase of the independence struggle, and 9 August has been observed as August Kranti Din — Revolution Day — ever since.
Maharashtra's voice in a national remembrance
Fadnavis's statement follows a well-established tradition: Indian political leaders across party lines mark key freedom-struggle anniversaries with public tributes, reinforcing themes of patriotism and national unity. For Maharashtra, the observance carries particular resonance — the state has deep roots in the independence movement, and successive Maharashtra governments have participated in these commemorations since the state's formation.
With Independence Day on 15 August less than a week away, August Kranti Din opens a week of national reflection. Official programmes and public addresses at the state and central level will follow through the week, building toward the 15 August celebrations.
The martyrs of 1942 asked for nothing but a free India. Eighty-four years on, the least their successors can offer is memory — and the resolve to make it mean something.
Point of View
Particularly in the days leading up to Independence Day. For a BJP leader in Maharashtra, invoking the Quit India Movement also carries implicit political weight — the RSS's complicated relationship with the 1942 movement has long been a point of contestation, making such unambiguous salutes strategically significant. The bilingual English-Marathi format signals both a national audience and a regional base. With Independence Day a week away, this marks the opening note of Maharashtra's official patriotic calendar.
NationPress
9 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is August Kranti Din and why is it observed on 9 August?
August Kranti Din, or Revolution Day, is observed on 9 August each year to mark the launch of the Quit India Movement on 8 August 1942 and the mass arrests that followed on 9 August, which turned the movement into a nationwide uprising against British rule.
What did Devendra Fadnavis say on August Kranti Din?
Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis honoured the freedom fighters of the Quit India Movement, calling the day 'a historic turning point in India's freedom struggle' and offering a trivar vandan — a threefold bow of reverence — to the revolutionaries and martyrs who gave their lives for independence.
When was the Quit India Movement launched?
The Quit India Movement was launched on 8 August 1942 by the All India Congress Committee , demanding immediate British withdrawal from India. Mass arrests of Congress leadership on the following morning, 9 August , triggered widespread protests across the country.
What does 'trivar vandan' mean?
Trivar vandan is a Marathi phrase meaning a threefold bow of deep respect or reverence, traditionally offered as the highest form of salute to martyrs and revered figures.
What events follow August Kranti Din in India?
August Kranti Din falls exactly one week before Independence Day on 15 August , opening a period of national commemorative events including official state and central government programmes, flag-hoisting ceremonies, and public addresses across India.
