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In front of the Old Secretariat in Patna stands the Shaheed Smarak (Martyrs' Memorial) — a bronze sculpture of seven young men, one of them holding aloft the national flag. It commemorates the students who, on 11 August 1942, marched to the Secretariat to hoist the tricolour and were shot dead by the police. Their sacrifice sparked one of the most intense phases of the Quit India Movement anywhere in India.
The call
- On 8 August 1942, the All-India Congress Committee, meeting in Bombay, passed the Quit India resolution, and Gandhi gave the call "Do or Die".
- Early on 9 August, the leaders were arrested across India, including Rajendra Prasad and other Bihar leaders.
- With leaders in jail, the movement passed into the hands of students, peasants and local activists.
The Patna Secretariat martyrs
- On 11 August 1942, a procession of students marched to the Secretariat in Patna to hoist the national flag.
- The police, under orders from the district magistrate, opened fire.
- Seven students were killed as they tried, one after another, to carry the flag forward.
The seven martyrs:
- Umakant Prasad Sinha
- Ramanand Singh
- Satish Prasad Jha
- Jagatpati Kumar
- Devipada Choudhary
- Rajendra Singh
- Ramgovind Singh
The rising spreads
In the days and weeks that followed, the movement spread across Bihar with remarkable intensity.
| Form | Examples |
|---|---|
| Attacks on communications | Railway lines removed, stations burnt, telegraph wires cut — especially in north Bihar and along the main railway lines |
| Seizure of government buildings | Police stations, post offices and courts attacked or occupied |
| Parallel administration | In some areas, local committees briefly took over administration |
| Student participation | Schools and colleges emptied; students led processions |
| Peasant participation | Villages across districts such as Saran, Muzaffarpur, Darbhanga, Monghyr, Bhagalpur, Patna and Shahabad |
For some weeks, British control over large parts of Bihar collapsed.
Repression
The British response was severe:
- military deployment, including air patrols;
- firing on crowds in many places;
- collective fines on villages;
- mass arrests and flogging;
- burning of houses.
Bihar was among the provinces with the heaviest repression and casualties during the movement.
Jayaprakash Narayan's escape
- Jayaprakash Narayan (JP), the socialist leader, had been imprisoned in Hazaribagh Central Jail.
- On the night of Diwali in November 1942, JP and several companions — including Yogendra Shukla, Suraj Narayan Singh, Gulab Chand Gupta, Ramnandan Mishra and Shaligram Singh — escaped by scaling the jail wall.
- JP went underground and organised resistance, including from the Nepal border region, where he formed the Azad Dasta (a guerrilla force). He was later rearrested.
Women in the movement
Women took part in processions, picketing and underground work, and many were arrested. Their participation, like that of students, marked the movement's mass character.
Significance
| Level | Significance |
|---|---|
| National | Showed the depth of anti-British feeling and that the Raj could not rely on control of India |
| Bihar | One of the most widespread and militant Quit India risings in the country |
| Leadership | Brought socialist leaders like JP to prominence |
| Memory | The Shaheed Smarak remains a symbol of Bihar's sacrifice |
Practice
Prelims-style:
- When did the Patna Secretariat firing take place?
- How many students were killed?
- From which jail did Jayaprakash Narayan escape in 1942?
- What was the Azad Dasta?
- Where is the Shaheed Smarak?
Mains-style:
- "Quit India in Bihar was a people's uprising." Discuss.
- Examine the role of students and youth in the Quit India Movement, with reference to Bihar.
A note on dates and numbers. Exam patterns, vacancies and schedules change from year to year. Always confirm the current details in the latest notification on the Bihar Public Service Commission website .
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