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What was Gandhi's Do or Die speech during the Quit India Movement?

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Collage of raised-fist silhouettes over a halftone orange, yellow, and green background, featuring historic newspaper text and faint crowd imagery. — Indian Independence Movement In August 1947 British rule ended on the Indian subcontinent.

During the Quit India Movement, Mahatma Gandhi delivered his famous "Do or Die" speech on August 8, 1942, at a meeting of the Congress Party in Bombay (now Mumbai).12

In this address, Gandhi sought to galvanize the nation toward immediate independence from British rule, declaring:

The mantra is “Do or Die.” We shall either free India or die in the attempt; we shall not live to see the perpetuation of our slavery.12

This speech served as a rallying cry for a mass nonviolent protest movement after the British government failed to meet the Congress Party's demands for self-governance. Gandhi’s words underscored his resolve that the time for compromise had passed, emphasizing that the Indian people would no longer tolerate the continuation of colonial rule. Shortly after this speech, British authorities arrested Gandhi and other key leaders, though the movement continued to spread across India, demonstrating a widespread commitment to the cause of independence.12