Which of the following was not a reason for the popular outburst during the Quit India movement?

The correct answer is Failure of the Shimla Conference.

Key Points

• The Shimla conference or the Wavell Plan took place in June 1945.
• Hence, its failure was not a reason for the popular outburst during the Quit India movement.

Important Points

• The main reasons for Quit India Movement were:-
  • The failure of the Cripps Mission in April 1942 made it clear that Britain was unwilling to offer an honourable settlement and a real constitutional advance during the War, and that she was determined to continue India‘s unwilling partnership in the War efforts.
  • Popular discontent, a product of rising prices of food articles like rice and sugar, etc and wartime shortages, was gradually mounting. High-handed government actions such as the commandeering of boats in Bengal and Orissa to prevent they are being used by the Japanese had led to considerable anger among the people.  
  • The popular willingness to give expression to this discontent was enhanced by the growing feeling of an imminent British collapse. The news of Allied reverses and British withdrawals from South-East Asia and Burma and the trains bringing wounded soldiers from the Assam-Burma border confirmed this feeling.
  • Combined with this was the impact of the manner of the British evacuation from Malaya and Burma. It was common knowledge that the British had evacuated, the white residents and generally left the subject people to their fate.
  • The manner of the evacuation of the British from South-East Asia leaving the subjects to their fate, racist treatment (Black road for Indian refugees and White road for European refugees).
  • Thus, the rout by an Asian power (Japan) shattered the white prestige and exposed the racist tendencies of the rulers.