Partition of India. Clauses of the Cabinet Mission Proposals The Mountbatten Plan The Indian Independence Act of 1947

Transcription

1 Partition of India Clauses of the Cabinet Mission Proposals The Mountbatten Plan The Indian Independence Act of 1947

2 THE CABINET MISSION The mission consisted of Pethick Lawrence, the Secretary of State for India: Stafford Cripps, the President of the Board of Trade and A.V.Alexander, the First Lord of Admirality. It arrived in India in 1940 to have discussions with leaders of various parties on issues of the interim government and the procedure and principle on which the Constituent Assembly would frame the new constitution.

3 REASONS FOR SENDING THE CABINET MISSION TO INDIA * The extent of public sympathy witnessed during the trial of the Indian National Army forced the British to change its policies towards India. * The 1945 elections in England brought the Labour Party back into power. The Prime Minister Mr. Clement Attlee wanted to resolve the Indian situation as soon as possible. *The elections to the central and legislative councils in India were announced in August It was declared by the British that after the elections, a constituent assembly would be convened. The Congress won the elections but the Muslim League managed to get about 90 percent of the Muslim votes. The Muslim League thus established as the sole representative of the Muslims wanted nothing less than a partition.

4 Rejection of the demand for Pakistan Pakistan if formed would contain a large non-muslim population, for example the North West Frontier Province had a large number of non- Muslims.. The division of Bengal and Punjab would upset regional ties. There would be difficulty in communication between West and East Pakistan. Division of the army was not a good idea. Britain wanted a strong and united India

5 Clauses in the Cabinet Mission plan

6 Creation of an Indian union The Cabinet Mission offered to create a federal union comprised of British Indian provinces and princely states. The centre would control the defence, communication and external affairs.

7 Grouping of the provincial assemblies The British provinces were grouped into three sections Section A Madras, Bombay, Central Provinces, United Provinces, Bihar and Orissa. Section B Punjab, North West Frontier Province, and Sindh. Section C- Bengal and Assam After the first general elections, a province was free to come out of the group.

8 Formation of the constituent assembly The Mission proposed the formation of the constituent assembly to frame the new constitution. Step 1 - Provincial Constitution Step 2 Union constitution

9 Interim government An interim government would be formed from the constituent assembly.

10 Princely states The princely states would no longer be dependent on the British government. They would be free to negotiate their position with the new government or with the British government.

11 Part of commonwealth India was free to remain within the British Commonwealth or leave. The Commonwealth of Nations, also known as simply the Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental organisation of 52 member states that are mostly former territories of the British Empire.

12 Transfer of power The constituent assembly and the British government would sign a treaty that would take care of all the matters that would arise during the transfer of power.

13 Reaction to the cabinet mission plan The Congress objected on the grouping of provinces. The Muslim League believed that the provinces of Group B and C would gradually form a separate identity and would decide to secede into Pakistan. The Muslim League thought that the Cabinet Mission Plan would not be acceptable to the Congress. As a result, it thought that the British government would have to invite the League to form the interim government. The Muslim League accepted the plan, but the Congress also accepted the Plan, though a few days later.

14 WHAT HAPPENED LATER - THE CONGRESS MANAGED TO WIN THE ELECTIONS TO THE CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY. THE MUSLIM LEAGUE THEN WITHDREW ITS ACCEPTANCE TO THE CABINET MISSION PLAN. COMMUNAL RIOTS BROKE OUT FOLLOWING THE CALL FOR DIRECT ACTION BY THE MUSLIM LEAGUE IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE PAKISTAN.

15 ATTLEE S ANNOUNCEMENT THE BRITISH DECIDED TO GO WITHOUT THE LEAGUE AND FORM THE INTERIM GOVERNMENT WITH JAWAHARLAL NEHRU AS THE HEAD. THE MUSLIM LEAGUE LATER WAS PERSUADED TO JOIN IN. BUT IT KEPT OBSTRUCTING THE FUNCTIONING OF THE GOVERNMENT. THE CRISIS BETWEEN THE CONGRESS AND THE MUSLIM LEAGUE WAS TEMPORARILY AVERTED BY THE ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE BRITISH PRIME MINISTER ATTLEE REGARDING THE WITHDRAWAL OF THE BRITISH FROM INDIA.

16 MOUNTBATTEN PLAN MAIN PROVISIONS OF THE PLAN THE PROVINCIAL ASSEMBLIES OF PUNJAB AND BENGAL TO DECIDE ON ISSUE OF PARTITION. IF VOTED FOR PARTITION, THERE WOULD BE TWO DOMINIONS AND TWO CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLIES. THE SINDH PROVINCE, NORTH WEST FRONTIER PROVINCE FREE TO DECIDE. Sulhet Muslim Province to decide whether to join East Bengal or remain in Assam The Constituent Assembly to continue its functions

17 MOUNTBATTEN PLAN MAIN PROVISIONS OF THE PLAN INDIAN PRINCELY STATES WERE TO EITHER JOIN PAKISTAN OR THE INDIAN UNION. IF PARTITION WAS ACCEPTED THEN A BOUNDARY COMMISSION WOULD BE SET UP. BOTH THE DOMINIONS WOULD BE INDEPENDENT IN DETERMINING THEIR FOREIGN RELATIONS / COMMONWEALTH MEMBERSHIP. Transfer of Power before the end of 1947.

18 REASONS FOR CONGRESS ACCEPTING MOUNTBATTEN PLAN PEACEFUL AND IMMEDIATE TRANSFER OF POWER. GETTING RID OF UNDEMOCRATIC MEANS LIKE SEPARATE ELECTORATE. COMMUNAL SITUATION VERY CRITICAL IN THE COUNTRY. MUSLIM LEAGUE S NEGATIVE TACTICS TO DISRUPT WORKING OF THE CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY. THREAT TO THE UNITY OF INDIA IF PRINCELY STATES ARE GIVEN INDEPENDENCE. CONGRESS BELIEVD THAT A SMALLER INDIA WITH A STRONG CENTRE WAS BETTER THAN A LOOSE FEDERATION WITH A WEAK CENTRE. NON-ACCEPTANCE OF THE PLAN WOULD FURTHER DELAY TRANSFER OF POWER AND INCREASE THE RISK OF A CIVIL WAR.

19 INDIAN INDEPENDENCE ACT OF 1947 TWO DOMINIONS TO BE CREATED INDIA & PAKISTAN, BOTH WITH A SEPARATE GOVERNOR GENERAL AND ARMY. TWO CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLIES FOR INDIA & PAKISTAN. PRINCELY STATES FREE TO DECIDE WHETHER TO JOIN INDIA OR PAKISTAN. OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY OF STATE TO BE ABOLISHED. JINNAH TO BECOME THE GOVERNOR GENERAL OF PAKISTAN AND LORD MOUNTBATTEN OF INDIA. RAJAGOPALCHARI BECAME THE LAST VICEROY OF INDEPENDENT INDIA IN 1948.