Day of Deliverance 1939
Topic: The National Movement: Gandhian Era · NCERT: Beyond NCERT
Meaning
The Day of Deliverance was observed by the Muslim League on 22 December 1939, at Jinnah's call. "Deliverance" means being set free. The League said Muslims had been "freed" from the Congress provincial ministries, which had resigned in October 1939. The League had accused those ministries of treating Muslims unfairly. The day showed how wide the gap between the Congress and the League had grown.
Example
The Congress ministries resigned in October 1939 because Britain had brought India into the Second World War without asking Indians. The League called them oppressive and held prayers and meetings to celebrate their exit. Only a few months later, in March 1940, it passed the Lahore Resolution.
Don't confuse with
- Direct Action Day (16 August 1946): this was a League call to show its strength for Pakistan, and it led to the Calcutta riots. The Day of Deliverance was an earlier, peaceful celebration of the Congress ministries leaving office.
Related concepts
- Provincial elections of 1937
- Congress ministries 1937-39
- Wardha scheme of basic education
- Congress Socialist Party
- Haripura session 1938
- Tripuri crisis 1939
- Forward Bloc
- Second World War
- Lord Linlithgow
- Resignation of Congress ministries