BharatNotes What is Parallel Government?
A Parallel Government was a self-styled local administration set up by Indian nationalists during the Quit India Movement (1942) in areas where British control had broken down. Known regionally as Prati Sarkar or Jatiya Sarkar, these bodies took over civil functions, dispensed justice through people's courts, collected revenue and raised volunteer armies, effectively functioning as an alternative to the colonial state until they were suppressed or voluntarily disbanded.
Background
Following Gandhi's "Do or Die" call on 8 August 1942 and the immediate arrest of the Congress leadership, the movement turned spontaneous and, in places, violent. Crowds attacked police stations, post offices, railway lines and telegraph wires, paralysing the administration in several districts. Where colonial officials fled or surrendered authority, nationalists declared their own governments to maintain order and provide relief.
The Three Major Parallel Governments
| Location | Name | Key Leader(s) | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ballia (East UP) | National Government | Chittu Pandey ("Sher-e-Ballia") | From August 1942, a few days |
| Tamluk, Midnapore (Bengal) | Tamralipta Jatiya Sarkar | Satish Chandra Samanta, Sushil Kumar Dhara, Ajoy Mukherjee | 17 December 1942 to 1944 |
| Satara (Maharashtra) | Prati Sarkar | Nana Patil ("Kranti Singh"), G. D. Bapu Lad, Nagnath Naikwadi | 1943 to 1946 |
Ballia was among the earliest; Chittu Pandey persuaded the Collector to hand over charge and release arrested leaders, though British troops restored control within days.
Tamluk's Jatiya Sarkar was notably organised, setting up courts, an arbitration system, cyclone relief, school grants and an armed wing, the Vidyut Vahini. It functioned until 1944, when it disbanded on Gandhi's directive after his release.
Satara's Prati Sarkar was the longest-lasting and most effective, operating across roughly 150 villages. It ran Nyayadan Mandals (people's courts), regulated markets and food-grain distribution, and curbed moneylenders and dacoits. Its militia, the Toofan Sena (Whirlwind Army), attacked railways and government establishments.
Significance and Limitations
Parallel governments demonstrated the depth of anti-colonial sentiment and the capacity of ordinary peasants and students to administer themselves. They reflected a meeting point of various streams of the freedom movement, blending Gandhian, socialist and revolutionary currents. However, they were geographically isolated, lacked coordination, and could not withstand sustained British military repression. Most collapsed by 1944; Satara's was wound up by 1946 as the national movement shifted toward negotiated transfer of power.
UPSC Angle
This is a high-yield, foundational topic for GS1 Modern History. Prelims commonly tests the matching of place, leader and date, while Mains uses the Prati Sarkar to discuss the spontaneous, decentralised character of the 1942 movement. Remember: Satara's was the longest-running, and Tamluk's was the best-organised parallel administration.
