Question map
Which among the following was the reason of the resignations of the Indian ministers in all the provinces in the year 1939?
Explanation
The resignation of the Congress ministries in October 1939 was a direct protest against the unilateral decision of the British government to involve India in the Second World War [1]. Upon the outbreak of the war, Viceroy Lord Linlithgow declared India a belligerent party without consulting the provincial governments or Indian leaders [2]. The Indian National Congress argued that the issue of war and peace must be decided by the Indian people and that cooperation could only occur between equals by mutual consent. When the British government refused to define its war aims or promise immediate self-determination, the Congress Working Committee ordered the ministries to resign in all provinces where they held power [4]. This led to the suspension of provincial legislatures and the assumption of emergency powers by the Governors under Section 93 of the Government of India Act, 1935 [1].
Sources
- [1] History , class XII (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 6: Communalism in Nationalist Politics > 6.5 Observation of Day of Deliverance > p. 79
- [2] THEMES IN INDIAN HISTORY PART III, History CLASS XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 11: MAHATMA GANDHI AND THE NATIONALIST MOVEMENT > Fig. 11.10 > p. 302
- [4] History , class XII (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 7: Last Phase of Indian National Movement > Introduction > p. 84