CM Bhupendra Patel Pays Tribute on Quit India Movement Day
Synopsis
Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel marked the 84th anniversary of the Quit India Movement on August 9, honouring freedom fighters and invoking Mahatma Gandhi's historic 'Quit India' and 'Do or Die' calls that shook British colonial rule in 1942.
Key Takeaways
August 9, 1942 marks the launch of the Quit India Movement, the most decisive mass campaign of India's independence struggle.
Gujarat CM Bhupendra Patel paid tribute to all freedom fighters who sacrificed everything for the nation's independence.
Mahatma Gandhi's twin calls — 'Quit India' and 'Do or Die' — are cited as the spark that shook the foundations of British rule.
The All India Congress Committee passed the Quit India resolution on the night of 8-9 August 1942 in Bombay.
The commemoration falls less than a week before Independence Day on 15 August , anchoring a week of national reflection.
Eighty-four years ago on this date, a single resolution shook the foundations of the British Empire. Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel marked August 9 — the anniversary of the Quit India Movement of 1942 — with a heartfelt tribute to the freedom fighters who gave everything for India's independence.
In his post, CM Patel described 9 August 1942 as 'kranti ni prabal rashtra chetna no aitihasik adhyay' — 'a historic chapter of the nation's powerful revolutionary consciousness.' He invoked Mahatma Gandhi's twin calls of 'Angrejo Bharat Chhodo' ('Quit India') and 'Karo Ya Maro' ('Do or Die'), saluting the countless freedom fighters who surrendered everything to the cause.
The night that changed the struggle
On the night of 8-9 August 1942, the All India Congress Committee passed the historic resolution in Bombay that launched the Quit India Movement — the most forceful mass campaign of India's independence struggle. Mahatma Gandhi's 'Do or Die' call electrified the nation, sending ordinary Indians — students, farmers, workers — into the streets against colonial rule. The British administration responded with mass arrests, including Gandhi himself, but the movement had already lit a fire that could not be extinguished.
The movement is widely regarded as the beginning of the final, irreversible phase of the freedom struggle — the moment when British authority over India became visibly, permanently untenable.
A date on India's civic calendar
August 9 holds a fixed place in India's national memory, observed each year as Quit India Movement Day. Political leaders across the spectrum mark it with tributes, connecting the sacrifices of 1942 to contemporary civic life. For CM Patel, the commemoration also carries a Gujarat dimension — the state that was home to Gandhi and produced many of the movement's most committed participants.
With Independence Day on 15 August less than a week away, tributes like this one set the tone for a week of national reflection — a reminder that the freedom India celebrates was earned, not given.
Point of View
Drawing a line of continuity from Gandhi's sacrifice to present-day governance. The invocation of 'Do or Die' carries particular resonance in Gujarat, Gandhi's home state, reinforcing the party's claim to that legacy. With Independence Day on 15 August approaching, such commemorations also serve as a soft prelude to the week's larger national messaging. The post signals no new policy, but it does position the CM within a well-established BJP tradition of owning the freedom-struggle narrative.
NationPress
9 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Quit India Movement and why is August 9 significant?
The Quit India Movement was a mass civil disobedience campaign launched by the Indian National Congress on 9 August 1942 , demanding immediate British withdrawal from India. Mahatma Gandhi's calls of 'Quit India' and 'Do or Die' made it the most forceful phase of the independence struggle.
What did Gujarat CM Bhupendra Patel say on August 9?
CM Patel described the day as a 'historic chapter of the nation's powerful revolutionary consciousness,' honouring all freedom fighters who gave everything to the cause and invoking Gandhi's iconic twin calls.
What did Mahatma Gandhi mean by 'Do or Die'?
Gandhi's 'Do or Die' ( Karo Ya Maro ) call, issued on 8 August 1942 , urged Indians to either win freedom or die in the attempt — a declaration that the time for half-measures was over and the final push for independence had begun.
How is Quit India Movement Day observed in India?
August 9 is observed annually as Quit India Movement Day. Political leaders, institutions, and citizens pay tribute to the freedom fighters of 1942 through speeches, social media posts, and official events, particularly in the days leading up to Independence Day on 15 August .
What is Gujarat's connection to the Quit India Movement?
Gujarat was the home state of Mahatma Gandhi , the movement's primary leader. The state produced many dedicated participants in the 1942 campaign, giving commemorations by Gujarat's Chief Minister a particular historical resonance.
