Cabinet Mission Plan 1946

Background

• Jun 1945: INC leaders released after defeat of Germans in WWII
• Jun 1945: Shimla Conference where Wavell Plan 1945 discussed
• Jul 1945: Clement Atlee $=$ PM
• 15 Aug 1945: WWII ended
• 1945: INA trials began with a trial at Red Fort of
  • Prem Sehgal
  • Shahnawaz
  • Gurbaksh Singh Dhillon
• Dec 1945: elections at PLAs
  • INC got majority everywhere except Bengal, Punjab, Sindh
  • in NWFP, support of frontier Gandhi Red Shirts
  • Assam participated in NCM, CBH and mainly Sylhet district Muslim majority
  • INC + Akali + Unionist party coalition govt in Punjab
  • ML did well in Muslim seats + got majority in Bengal, Sindh
• Feb 1946: Cabinet Mission arrived - Naval Mutiny
• After Quit India Movement 1942-45, INA agitation 1945-46 and INA Naval Mutiny 1946, Brit realized next mvmt would overthrow them overly
  • as they no longer had confidence in the indian military
  • Brit on INA: no issue in the past which generated such mass sympathy

Sardar Patel was in favour.

About

• the only proposal that offered united india w/ purna swaraj
• no separate pak
• Brits realized that independence is inevitable + in 3 decades - WWI, GD 1929, WWII weakened brits
• partition would be a diplomatic failure
• brits wanted a strong friend in south asia cold war (1945-91)
• March 1946: anti partition statement by Atlee: a minority won’t be allowed veto over a majority

Proposals

• Unity: no 2 CA
• no veto to ML
  • but brits won’t accept CoI not based on INC-ML consensus
• Goal: peaceful ToP (executive at center) and to set a CA for CoI for independent India
• Unity: was 2 nation 1 state solution i.e. weak common center w/ defence, commn., foreign affairs but provincial autonomy over all other subjects and residual powers w/ provices
  • similar to Article 370 for all three sections and each PS
• Provinces to be divided into 3 sections
  • Hindu Majority Provinces
  • MMP of West
  • MMP of East
• Union constitution on 3 subjects to be framed by CA having nominees of 565PS and elected members from PLAs
  • CA = Group A + B + C + nominees of 565PS
  • max constitutions = 4 + 565
  • min constitutions = 4
  • after general elections, a province may come out of a group i.e. group constitution then not binding on the province
  • future changes to constitutions only after 10 years
  • immediate ToP at center to an interim govt
    • set up in 1946 under PM Nehru
  • full independence once CoI drafted
  • CA to be populated by Aug 1946

Debate @ CMP 1946

• ML wanted right to question union CoI immediately
  • and not 10 yrs
• INC argued: grouping not compulsory
  • Dec 1945: INC in power in NWFP, Assam
• INC wanted elected representatives from 565PS in CA
  • like it wanted during Cripps Mission 1942
• ML1906 argued grouping compulsory $\therefore$ partition implicit
  • if this correct, then accepts, else rejects CMP1946
• INC decided NWFP, Assam won’t join groups B, C
• $\therefore$ ML rejected CMP1946, the interim govt, CA
  • gave a call for direct action by Muslims for creation of Pakistan on 16 Aug 1946
  • $⟹$ communal riots, eg. in Calcutta $\to$ 5000 died in a week
• later, ML joined the interim govt as feared INC having exec power
  • Liyaqat Ali Khan got finance ministry and did not allow the govt to function
• more details on interim govt: Interim Govt Sept 1946
• choice to each PS to sign or not sign IoA