Coimbatore Working Class in Quit India Movement 1942

Summary

The Quit India Movement of 1942 saw significant participation from the Coimbatore working class, led by Gandhian N.G. Ramasamy. After the Congress Working Committee's decision to launch the movement, prominent national and regional leaders were arrested, triggering widespread protests. In Coimbatore, processions and a defiant mass meeting at V.O.C. Park were held, with leaders like K.P. Thiruvengadam and P.S. Chinnadurai mobilizing the masses. Despite differences, Congress and Communist leaders united during the movement. Tiruppur Subramanya Avinashilingam Chettiar, a key figure, was arrested and handed over a Congress plan of action to N.G. Ramasamy, leading to organized resistance efforts. The government's harsh response, including arrests and bans on non-violent activities, escalated tensions, resulting in strikes, violence, and attacks on infrastructure like the Pykara Hydro Electric Power Station and Sulur Military Airport. Mill workers, particularly in Singanallur and Peelamedu, played a central role, though parallel governments were not established. The movement faced severe repression, with N.G. Ramasamy's arrest and transfer to Vellore prison significantly impacting the rebels. His health deteriorated, and he died in February 1943. The movement, though unsuccessful in achieving immediate independence, raised political awareness, especially among workers, and highlighted the role of mill workers in the struggle.