Correct Option
Assertion (A) is true. Lord Linlithgow, the Viceroy of India (1936-1944), accurately described the Quit India Movement (August Movement) of 1942 as the most serious rebellion since the Sepoy Mutiny of 1857. The movement involved widespread civil disobedience, sabotage of communication networks, disruption of administration, and the establishment of parallel governments in various regions, posing an unprecedented challenge to British authority.
Reason (R) is true. A significant characteristic of the Quit India Movement was the massive upsurge and active participation of the peasantry, particularly in areas like Eastern Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Bengal, and Maharashtra. Peasants engaged in attacking government infrastructure, disrupting railway lines and communication, and supporting local resistance efforts, thereby giving the movement a broad-based and intense character.
Reason (R) is the correct explanation of Assertion (A). The extensive and often militant involvement of the peasantry, alongside other sections of society, provided the Quit India Movement with its widespread reach and intensity. This popular mobilization, especially in rural areas, was a primary factor that led Linlithgow to perceive the August Movement as the most serious threat to British rule since 1857, thus making R a correct explanation for A.
Incorrect Options
Option 2 is incorrect because Reason (R) directly explains the scale and intensity of the Quit India Movement, which was the basis for Lord Linlithgow's assessment in Assertion (A).
Option 3 is incorrect because both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are factually correct statements regarding the Quit India Movement.
Option 4 is incorrect because both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are factually correct statements.