AUGUST OFFER
Modern History
BACKGROUND
• During World War II, INC leaders were upset that India was dragged into the war without consent.
• Viceroy Linlithgow had declared India at war with Germany without consulting Indians.
• International situation worsened: France fell to Axis powers; Allies suffered defeats.
• Winston Churchill became the British PM in 1940.
• British urgently needed Indian support to defend against Nazi threat.
• INC softened its stand, saying support could be considered if power was transferred to an interim Indian government.
• Linlithgow responded with the ‘August Offer’—first time British formally accepted Indians’ right to frame their own constitution.
TERMS OF THE AUGUST OFFER (1940)
• Dominion Status reaffirmed as the ultimate objective for India.
• Expansion of Viceroy’s Executive Council—majority of Indians included (from major political parties).
• A Constituent Assembly to be set up after the war:
– Indians would frame the new constitution
– Subject to safeguards for defence, minority rights, princely states, all-India services
• No future constitution would be adopted without consent of minorities.
RESPONSES
Congress:
• Congress rejected the offer.
• Nehru: “Dominion status is dead as a doornail.”
• Gandhi: Offer widened the gulf between British and nationalists.
Muslim League:
• Welcomed minority veto safeguard.
• Reiterated demand that Partition was only solution.
Other Views:
• Offer recognised the principle of a Constituent Assembly for the first time—important long-term achievement.
• In 1941, Viceroy’s Council enlarged—Indians became majority (8 out of 12), but defence, finance and home remained with British.
• National Defence Council set up—only advisory, not effective.
GANDHI’S POSITION & GOVERNMENT'S SUPPRESSION
• British insisted no constitutional advance until Congress agreed with Muslim League.
• Government issued ordinances restricting freedom of speech, press, and association.
• Gandhi asked again to lead the movement; he planned an individual satyagraha.
INDIVIDUAL SATYAGRAHA (1940–41)
Aims:
• Demonstrate that nationalist restraint was not due to weakness.
• Express opposition to war and imperialism.
• Give government a last chance to accept Congress demands peacefully.
• Keep movement non-violent and avoid embarrassment to Britain during the war.
Nature:
• Carefully selected satyagrahis—no mass movement initially.
• Central demand: “Freedom of speech to express anti‑war views.”
Delhi Chalo Plan:
• If not arrested, satyagrahi would march through villages toward Delhi—becoming a symbolic protest.
Major Satyagrahis:
1. Vinoba Bhave – first satyagrahi; arrested for an anti‑war speech at Panaur.
2. Jawaharlal Nehru – second satyagrahi.
3. Brahma Dutt – third satyagrahi.
• Thousands jailed; by 1941, around 20,000 people arrested.
• Movement suspended temporarily, then restarted.
GANDHI DESIGNATES NEHRU AS SUCCESSOR
• CWC passed a resolution offering cooperation in defence if:
– Full independence granted after war
– Real transfer of power done immediately
• Gandhi saw Nehru as the future leader of nationalist India.
GANDHI–NEHRU COMPARISON (IDEAS & DIFFERENCES)
Approach to Thought:
• Gandhi: Deeply influenced by Indian cultural‑spiritual traditions (Buddha, Mahavir).
• Nehru: Western‑educated, rational, scientific, modern outlook.
Democracy:
• Gandhi: Spiritualised democracy; village republics; manual labour valued.
• Nehru: Parliamentary democracy; institutions, judiciary, elections, press.
Economy:
• Gandhi: Cottage industries, khadi, trusteeship, small‑scale decentralised economy.
• Nehru: Democratic socialism, industrialisation, technology, planning, cooperative movement.
Foreign Policy:
• Gandhi: Minimal foreign entanglements; inward moral reform.
• Nehru: Internationalism; world peace, anti‑colonial solidarity.
Use of Modern Instruments:
• Gandhi: Traditionalist; sceptical of machinery, police, modern medicine.
• Nehru: Modernist; faith in technology, doctors, police, science.
Violence vs Non‑violence:
• Gandhi: Absolute non‑violence even towards opponents.
• Nehru: Accepted use of force when necessary for maintaining law and order.
CONCLUSION
• The August Offer failed to satisfy nationalist expectations but laid the foundation for the Constituent Assembly demand.
• Individual Satyagraha remained a symbolic protest showing India’s refusal to support imperialist war.
• Ideological differences between Gandhi and Nehru shaped Congress strategy and India’s future political trajectory.
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Subject: Modern History
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