RAS question
Who hoisted the national flag at the Gowalia Tank Maidan on 8 August 1942 during the launch of the Quit India Movement?
Correct answer: (B) Aruna Asaf Ali.
Aruna Asaf Ali hoisted the national flag at Gowalia Tank Maidan in Bombay on 8 August 1942 during the launch of the Quit India Movement.
Explanation
Aruna Asaf Ali was the central figure in the flag-hoisting at Gowalia Tank Maidan, Bombay, during the launch of the Quit India Movement. The event occurred on 8 August 1942, and most Congress leaders, including Gandhi, were arrested before dawn on 9 August. Aruna Asaf Ali then went underground and continued to lead the movement. The official Ministry of Culture page identifies her as an educator, political activist and publisher, and says she is widely remembered for hoisting the Indian National flag at Gowalia Tank Maidan during the Quit India Movement in 1942. Her later recognition included the Bharat Ratna, awarded posthumously in 1997.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) Sarojini Naidu was arrested along with other leaders, but the Gowalia Tank flag-hoisting is attributed to Aruna Asaf Ali.
- (C) Kasturba Gandhi was arrested shortly after the launch, so her role does not match the specific flag-hoisting at Gowalia Tank Maidan.
- (D) Usha Mehta ran the underground Congress Radio, which was a communications role rather than the Gowalia Tank flag-hoisting.
Concept
The Quit India Movement in Modern Indian History connects leaders, sites and symbolic acts through precise dates, places and named participants. RAS frequently tests national movements through such factual links.