1.       The participation was on many levels. Youth, especially the students of schools and colleges, remained in the forefront.

2.       Women, especially school and college girls, actively participated, and included Aruna Asaf Ali, Sucheta Kripalani and Usha Mehta.

3.       Workers went on strikes and faced repression.

4.       Peasants of all strata were at the heart of the movement. Even some zamindars participated. These peasants concentrated their offensive on symbols of authority and there was complete absence of anti-zamindar violence.

5.       Government officials, especially those belonging to lower levels in police and administration, participated resulting in erosion of government loyalty.

6.       Muslims helped by giving shelter to underground activists. There were no communal clashes during the movement.

7.       The Communists did not join the movement; in the wake of Russia (where the communists were in power) being attacked by Nazi Germany, the communists began to support the British war against Germany and the ‘Imperialist War’ became the ‘People’s War’.

8.       The Muslim League opposed the movement, fearing that if the British left India at that time, the minorities would be oppressed by the Hindus.

9.       The Hindu Mahasabha boycotted the movement. The Princely states showed a low-key response

Government Response

Although martial law was not applied, the repression was severe. Agitating crowds were lathi-charged, tear-gassed and fired upon. The number of those killed is estimated at 10,000. The press was muzzled. The military took over many cities; police and secret service reigned supreme. Rebellious villages were fined heavily and in many villages, mass flogging was done.