August Offer 1940: Proposal and Individual Satyagraha | August Offer UPSC

August Offer

The August Offer, proposed by Lord Linlithgow, the then Viceroy of India, in 1940, was an attempt to garner support from Indians during World War II. The offer aimed to address the criticisms faced by the British government in India for their forced involvement of Indians in World War I.

Lord Linlithgow presented the August Offer during a conference held in Simla, with the objective of appeasing Indian sentiments and seeking cooperation in the war efforts. The proposal centered around the inclusion of more Indians in the Viceroy’s Executive Council, which was intended to provide a limited form of self-governance to Indians.

Despite the intentions behind the August Offer, it faced rejection from both the Indian National Congress and the Muslim League. The Indian National Congress, representing the majority Hindu population, and the Muslim League, advocating for Muslim interests, saw the offer as insufficient and falling short of their demands for full independence and more comprehensive representation in the political decision-making process.

Background of August Offer 1940

August Offer of 1940 was a proposal put forward by Lord Linlithgow, the Viceroy of India at the time. It was an attempt to gain support from Indians during World War II and address the criticism faced by the British government for the forced involvement of Indians in World War I. However, the offer was ultimately rejected by both the Indian National Congress and the Muslim League. Check the background of the August Offer 1940 –

• During World War I, Lord Linlithgow declared India’s participation in the war without the consent of Indians.
• Offended by this, Indians criticized the British government and refused to participate in World War II.
• As Indians had been demanding freedom from British imperialism, Linlithgow proposed the August Offer.
• This came at a time when Britain’s ally, France, had fallen into Nazi occupation, and Britain desperately sought India’s participation in the war.
• The August offer stated that Indians would get more representation in the Viceroy’s Executive Council in exchange for their participation in the war.
• Since the representation of Indians in the British government was long due, and no promises for India’s complete freedom were made, Indians rejected the August Offer made by Linlithgow.

Proposals Made in the August Offer

August Offer of 1940, presented by Lord Linlithgow, the Viceroy of India, included key proposals aimed at appeasing Indian sentiments. It proposed the involvement of more Indians in the Viceroy’s Executive Council, offering a limited form of self-governance. The offer sought to address the criticism faced by the British government regarding the forced participation of Indians in World War I. The August Offer 1940 proposed the following ideas –

• To grant India a Dominion status.
• To include more Indians in the Viceroy’s Executive Council.
• To account for the minority opinion before any transfer of power.
• To establish an advisory war council consisting of Indian representatives.
• To recognize the right of Indians to frame their constitution after the end of the war.

Response of Indian Leaders to August Offer

Viceroy Linlithgow’s August Resolution received a bad response from the Indian National Congress and the Muslim League. The British government had earlier announced India’s participation in World War I without the consent of Indians. So, Indian National Congress and Muslim League rejected the August Offer and refused to participate in another war.

Moreover, the August Offer did not fulfill the desires of the Congress, which was complete independence from the British. As per August Declaration, the British government only offered a Dominion status to India. Here are the details about India’s response to the offer:

• The August Offer of 1940 was rejected by Congress because they wanted India to have full independence, but they were given Dominion status instead.
• The Muslim League’s interest was the formation of a separate nation of Pakistan, and since the August Offer did not promise it, the League also rejected the offer.
• To protest against the offer, Mahatma Gandhi launched the Individual Satyagraha movement.

August Offer: Individual Satyagraha

The Individual Satyagraha movement was launched by Mahatma Gandhi in 1940 to protest against the August Offer made by Lord Linlithgow. Gandhi wanted the protest against the August Offer to be peaceful. Therefore, he launched Individual Satyagraha as a non-violent movement instead of mass Satyagraha. Here are the details about this movement –

• Gandhi announced Individual Satyagraha after the August Offer 1940.
• This movement initially began with only three satyagrahis, who were all arrested by the British police.
• The first Individual Satyagrahi was Acharya Vinoba Bhave, the second was Jawahar Lal Nehru, and the third was Brahma Dutt.
• The Individual Satyagraha was joined by hundreds of Satyagrahis, many of whom were put into jail.
• In the later stages of the movement, the Satyagrahis also launched the Delhi Chalo Movement. However, this movement failed and was abandoned by December 1940.
• Since the Britishers needed India’s participation in the war, the proposals mentioned in the August Offer were reconsidered.
• Subsequently, the British government then launched the Cripps Mission in March 1942.

Evaluation of August Offer

The British government reconsidered the terms proposed in the August Resolution after India rejected the offer. After its ally France had fallen into Nazi capture, Britain needed India’s help in the war. Therefore, they made several changes to the August Offer to retry, gaining India’s support. Here is what happened after the evaluation of the August Offer 1940 –

• To retry to win the support of Indians in the war, the British government launched the Cripps Mission in 1942.
• India’s right to write its constitution was recognized.
• It was also clearly stated that India would be granted the status of Dominion.
• The Indian National Congress’ demand for making a Constituent Assembly was granted.

Conclusion of August Offer 1940

The August Offer was rejected by the Indian leaders, and subsequently, the British government launched the Cripps Mission in 1942. As a result of the changes made to the August Offer, Britishers gained India’s support in World War II. Here is what happened after:

• In July 1941, the Viceroy’s Executive Council was expanded, and Indians were given a majority representation.
• Indians were given control over matters like education, but the control over the defense, home affairs, and finance of the country still remained with the Britishers.
• As promised, an advisory war council, the National Defence Council, was formed. The function of the council was to advise the government on matters relating to war.
• The groundwork for drafting the Constitution of India was formed after the August Offer.

August Offer UPSC

August Offer, introduced by the British government in August 1940, was a significant proposal during the Indian Independence Movement. The importance of understanding the August Offer lies in its impact on the negotiations for India’s independence and the subsequent political developments in the country.

August Offer is an important topic for UPSC Exam under Modern Indian History. Candidates preparing for the UPSC Prelims or mains examinations must not skim through this topic. By gaining a thorough understanding of the August Offer, candidates can effectively answer related questions and demonstrate their knowledge and critical thinking skills during the exam.

August Offer UPSC Questions

August Offer is an important topic to understand the Indian Independence Movement. It holds significance in the negotiations for independence and the political developments in India during that time. Solving the questions provided below will help to enhance the level of preparation and also to uplift the preparation strategy.

Question: When was the August Offer made? (A) 1945, (B) 1950, (C) 1940, (D) 1918

Answer: (C) 1940

Question: Who made the August Offer? (A) Lord Linlithgow, (B) Winston Churchill, (C) Stafford Cripps, (D) Muhammad Ali Jinnah

Answer: (A) Lord Linlithgow

Question: What was the response to the August Offer? (A) August Offer was accepted, (B) August Offer was rejected, (C) No response, (D) August Offer was sent back for reconsideration

Answer: (B) August Offer was rejected

Question for UPSC Mains: Discuss the significance and impact of the August Offer in the context of India’s struggle for independence

Question for UPSC Mains: Critically analyze the factors that influenced the Indian National Congress’ response to the August Offer and its subsequent implications on the freedom movement

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