ARCHIVES: Translation of printed instructions in Hindi issued by Congress on 9 August 1942 on occasion of Quit India movement call
Vande Matram
Necessary directions: Ever since this devastating war began, a question has been confronting India as to what is her place in the war. The British government embroiled India in the war of its own accord & without her consent...Therefore she has always been appealing to the British government & its allies that they should free her & break her fetters & make her able to help them..But it is now certain that the British government does not want to set India at liberty...
..The Congress has decided to launch immediately non-violent, non–cooperation & satyagraha, against the British government under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi. It is possible that the British government may deny the opportunity to the Congress to conduct this non-cooperation and Satyagraha movement in an organised form. We have to wrest our independence from the hands of such country. It can be war through sacrifice only. This should always be borne in mind that non-violence is the fundamental principle underlying Gandhiji’s present non cooperation and Satyagraha movement....But when it has become impossible either to issue or to get any direction them the following should be done:
1. There should be complete hartal from one day after the arrest of Mahatma Gandhi and other leaders, businessmen, students, vakils, mukhtars, labourers, cartmen, rickshaw pullers...all should join this hartal...
2. Volunteers should visit villages and towns & explain to the people the message of Mahatma Gandhi and the Congress & prepare them to face all sorts of sacrifice to make India free.
3. Meetings should be held & processions taken out in villages and towns...If any ban be imposed on meetings and processions by the British Government it should not be respected.
4. Vakils & mukhtars should give up their practices & engage themselves in completing the Satyagraha programme.
5. Students in general should leave schools & villages to work to complete the programme of independence....
6. Policemen should be asked not to strike with lathis or open fire on persons engaged in the fight for freedom
7. Workers should boldly stand lathi charges & bullets & should not retreat, They must not give up non-violence.
8. People should stop taying chaukidari or union taxes...
9. Policemen & jail wardens are requested to leave the service of the English government...
10. All government servants are requested to reign from government service & side with the country.
11. Railway servants, men employed on streamers, postal workers, labourers of coal miners & factories at Jamshedpur & at such places where government world is done are requested to stop their works.
12. Those who leave their service at the call of the Congress will be restored their service with full pay after the establishment of national government. The Swaraj government will provide for the restoration of all lands to those persons or puts them on auction....
13. Village panchayats should be organised to help fight for Swaraj...
14. Arrangements should be made so that news of the fight for Swaraj may always be available.
15. National flags should be hoisted on government buildings..