“In comparison to Quit India Movement, the Indian National Army (INA) had a greater impact on the Indian Freedom Struggle.” Do you agree with this view? Discuss critically and comparatively.

The Indian National Army (INA) and the Quit India Movement were two significant events in the Indian Freedom Struggle, but their impact on the movement differed in nature and extent.

Impact of the Indian National Army:

• Psychological impact: The INA, led by Subhas Chandra Bose, provided a psychological boost to the Indian Freedom Struggle. The fact that Indian soldiers were willing to fight against the British for India’s independence raised the morale of the Indian people and inspired them to continue their fight for freedom.
• Weakened British Indian Army: The INA’s existence and its actions weakened the loyalty of the British Indian Army, which was a crucial pillar of British rule in India. The British government became concerned about the possibility of further revolts within the army.
• Trials and public support: The trials of INA officers in 1945-46 gained widespread public support and sympathy across India. The trials highlighted the harsh treatment of INA soldiers by the British and further fueled anti-British sentiment among the Indian people.

Impact of the Quit India Movement:

• Mass participation: The Quit India Movement was a mass movement that witnessed widespread participation from various sections of Indian society. It demonstrated the Indian people’s determination to fight for their freedom and end British rule in India.
• Weakened British authority: The movement severely weakened British authority in India. The British government responded with harsh repression, but this only strengthened the resolve of the Indian people to fight for their independence.
• International attention: The Quit India Movement drew international attention to the Indian Freedom Struggle, putting pressure on the British government to grant independence to India.

While both the INA and the Quit India Movement had a significant impact on the Indian Freedom Struggle, I don’t agree with the view that the Indian National Army (INA) had a greater impact on the Indian Freedom Struggle in comparison to Quit India Movement. In My view, Quit India Movement had a greater impact. The movement’s mass participation, its ability to weaken British authority, and the international attention it garnered made it a crucial milestone in India’s fight for independence. The INA, while providing a psychological boost and weakening the British Indian Army, had a relatively limited direct impact on the British decision to grant independence to India.