By Nitya Menon “This is the mantra, ‘Do or Die’, that I give you. You imprint it on your heart and let every breath of yours give an expression to it.” – Mahatma Gandhi On August 8th, 1942, Mahatma Gandhi launched the Quit India Movement (also known as the August movement) in Bombay. This movement was a strong and vehement appeal made by the Congress to the British to leave India once and for all. The Indians demanded what they called ‘an orderly British withdrawal’ from India. Here are eight interesting facts about the Quit India Movement that will give you a better insight into India’s freedom struggle: 1. The Beginning The people involved in the Quit India Movement gathered at Mumbai’s Gowalia Tank Maidan during the All India Congress Committee session. This was the place where Mahatma Gandhi delivered his first speech that awakened a fierce spirit and desire for freedom among Indians, marking the beginning of the movement. The maidan also houses a monument as a tribute to this historical event.  2. The Cripps Mission This movement was started after the Cripps Mission failed in India. Headed by a senior British minister called Sir Stafford Cripps, this mission was an attempt by the British to secure support and cooperation from India for efforts in World War II. This mission failed for three main reasons: – It faced Gandhi’s strong opposition which led to the Indian National Congress to reject the offer – Cripps’ modification of the offer to include self-government had no real transfer of power – There was an active effort by the Viceroy and Secretary of State for India to sabotage the mission. 3. “Do or Die!” Illustration: Souren Roy It is believed that within hours of Gandhiji’s historic ‘Do or Die’ speech, almost the entire INC was imprisoned without trial. Several national leaders such as Sardar Vallabhai Patel, Jawaharlal Nehru, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad and Mahatma Gandhi himself were arrested. Little did they know that their merciless imprisonment would become the catalyst in eventually securing India’s fr...