Congress aided British in the World War II, since, September of 1939. Congress acted according to the agreement, which stated, that in exchange of their service, Government would function on the lines of righteousness, justice, and dutifulness to the colonized nation. It was also promised, that with the termination of war, British would grant India, her much coveted independence.

However, the British showed no keenness to respond to these clauses. In November, Congress withdrew from the ministry and embarked on a campaign of agitation. During, this time, many Indian women had already entered the arena of politics. While, some women had become members, others had even turned out to be leaders of student associations, peasant movements, and labor unions. Women, had in fact, attained the right to election to legislative seats and their appointment to positions of power and authority.

Gandhi began with anti-war lectures along with the satyagrahi (peaceful protesters, following Gandhian ideology). They exhibited non-cooperation to the wartime emergency conditions, imposed by British. 400 Congressmen and women were arrested and jailed in 1940. By June of 1941 almost 20,000 were thrown into prisons. But the movement, being weak in character, faded away soon.

Nevertheless, Congress never gave up. On August 8, 1942, the All-India Congress Committee assembled in Bombay. They gave a clarion call to all men and women, in order to jointly banish British from India. The Quit India resolution, taken against British, directly addressed women "as disciplined soldiers of Indian freedom", required to sustain the flame of war.

Under the supervision of Gandhi, salt-making, boycotts of courts and schools, picketing cloth and liquor shops, and refusal of tax-payment , became the order of the day. Arrests of Congress leaders was the inevitable outcome. The repercussions of these arrests were strikes, processions, and tussle with the police in urbanized cities and peasant-rebellion against landowners and the British officials. Women lived up to the nation`s expectations, by taking part in the movement.

Usha Mehta , a committed patriot set up a radio transmitter, called The "Voice of Freedom" to disseminate the "mantra" of freedom-war. News of protest and arrests, deeds of young nationalists , and Gandhi`s famous "Do or Die" message for the Quit India movement were circulated amongst the masses. Usha and her brother persisted with their task of broadcasting until their arrest on November 12,1942. Usha was sentenced to four years` jail .

The sway of the movement to the countryside involved numerous peasant women with male protesters. Towards the close of September 1942, peasants raided police stations and demolished telegraph lines in four sub-divisions of Midnapur District. British Suppression of rebels continued along violent upheaval. On September 29 a mob from Tamluk sub-division advanced towards the town to annex the court and the police station. Matangini Hazra, a seventy-three-year-old widow, forged ahead, hoisted the Congress flag, and delivered her first public speech.

Matangini Hazra (b. 1870) had been the child bride of Trilochan Hazra, a sixty-year-old widower. When , the poor Matangini was eighteen years old, she became a widow. At the age of sixty-two she had retained energy to swore the Congress oath. After ten years, in 1942, on September 29 she , influenced by the Gandhian summon , headed the rebellion, inspite of being scathed by the British.

Aruna Asaf Ali (b. 1909) conducted the underground movement in 1942 and had no other options , than to resort to concealment until 1946. Roshni, the journal of All India Women`s Conference, honoured her as the "direct successor" to the fictional character of the valiant Devi Chaudharani, of Bankimchandra`s novel, and the historical Rani of Jhansi, the bold queen who battled against the British in 1857. Aruna Ganguli , after her marriage in 1927 to the the eminent Muslim barrister from Delhi, Asaf Ali, settled in Delhi. There, she met Rameshwari Nehru who acquainted her with the Delhi Women`s League and Satyavati Devi incorporated her into the civil disobedience movement. Aruna broke the salt law, was arrested, and jailed in Lucknow.

In 1941 Aruna Asaf Ali performed Satyagraha and underwent arrest. Immediately, post the AICC Quit India resolution, foremost Congress leaders, including her husband, was arrested. Aruna described herself as "a splinter of the lava thrown up by the volcanic eruption of the people`s indignation." Aruna indeed, filled up the absence by lifting a flag, and declaring the arrests, while the police cast upon her tear gas.

Arena Asaf Ali, together with Congress socialists J. P. Narayan, Rammanohar Lohia and Achyut Patwardhan, and Gandhians Sucheta Kripalani and R. R. Diwakar, decided to establish an underground revolutionary chamber, so as to secretly realise their goals. Her three and a half year underground stay, was marked with her persuasion of people "liberate" the land from foreign regime.

Sucheta Mazumdar Kripalani (1908-74), a Master Degree holder, and daughter of , Dr. S. N. Mazumdar, did her best for the Congress office. In 1940 she was made the in-charge of the women`s department of the Indian National Congress.

The women`s department received praises for devising the best method, necessary to make use of "women`s genius and peculiar gifts for the revolutionary purposes of achieving independence and then making a contribution in national life." The document embodying the objectives of the department stated that women`s first duty was towards the nation: "only thus can they progress and bring about their emancipation from the age long slavery to habit and custom.". It was obvious that the committed service to the nation paves the way for women`s achievement of rights. This department provided assistance to the national women`s organizations and brought as many interested females as possible under the banner of the Indian National Congress.

After getting release from jail, when she learnt about the news of arrest of Congress leaders in 1942, she went into hiding. She constructed an all-India wide network to administer her satyagraha program. She camouflaged, herself in different types, and traversed through several provinces of the country, so as to maintain contacts with the group-leaders. In 1944 she was caught and imprisoned in Lucknow jail with the brand of a "dangerous prisoner."

Coming out of jail, in 1945 Sachet endeavored to restore the women`s department. She was trying to designate women as party members and arrange for social and political plans.

In 1946 , Sucheta emerged as a member of the Constituent Assembly, positioned to take part in the earliest actions of independent India. Sucheta and Gandhi, concertedly tried to subdue the conflagration of the disastrous riots of 1947.

Matangini Hazra, Aruna Asaf Ali, Sucheta Kripalini, and their fellow women nationalists, gifted the Quit India Movement , its taste of success. Women, with their courage and unflinching dedication to the national cause, not only accomplished in winning India`s freedom, but also a place of respect and dignity for themselves.