Thiruvananthapuram

Kerala leaders on Saturday paid tribute to the freedom fighters and recalled the significance of the Quit India Movement on its 84th anniversary, describing it as a key chapter in India's freedom struggle.

Kerala Higher Education Minister Roji M John recalled Mahatma Gandhi's historic "Do or Die" call on the occasion.

In a Facebook post, John quoted Gandhi's words, "Do or die. Either we shall free India, or die in the attempt," delivered by the Mahatma on August 8, 1942, at Bombay's Gowalia Tank Maidan.

"Within 24 hours of what was perhaps the longest and most forceful speech of Gandhi's life, all prominent leaders, including Gandhi, were arrested. The British believed that the movement would end once its leaders were arrested and jailed," John said.

He said lakhs of Indians, however, decided that it was better to die with self-respect than live without it.

"Every Indian became a leader of the Quit India Movement. The British police unleashed brutal methods of repression. Many of those who suffered inhuman torture became chronically ill. Newspapers were gagged and prisons overflowed," he said.

John said the British used every possible tactic and strategy to suppress the movement, but could not extinguish the people's desire for freedom.

"The slogan spread like an epidemic to every section of Indian society -- 'Quit India', 'British, leave India'," he said.

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor also recalled the freedom movement and reflected on its significance and consequences.

In a Facebook post, Tharoor said that on the 84th anniversary of the Quit India Movement, he was reflecting on its significance as well as its negative consequences.

He said the collective spirit behind the movement should not remain confined to history, as political independence was only the first phase of the country's national journey.

"Today, nation-building presents a new frontier of challenges," Tharoor said.

Senior Congress leader V M Sudheeran also paid tribute to the freedom fighters and martyrs of the Quit India Movement.

In a Facebook post, Sudheeran said August 9 marked the anniversary of the Quit India Movement, one of the most significant phases of India's freedom struggle.

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"Paying homage to the blazing memories of the freedom fighters and brave martyrs who fought against British imperialism, inspired by Mahatma Gandhi's call of 'Do or Die'," he said.

Sudheeran called for drawing inspiration from the movement's message and intensifying the struggle against communalism, corruption and denial of human rights.