CABINET MISSION

All of the British Government’s attempts to establish peace between the Congress and the Muslim
League had failed. The results of the general elections held in 1945-46 served to underline the urgency
to find a solution to the political deadlock, which was the result of non-cooperation between the two
major parties. To end this, the British government sent a special mission of cabinet ministers to India.

Composition:
The mission consisted of

Lord Pethic Lawrence, the Sescretary of State for India

Sir Stafford Cripps, President of the Board of Trade, and

A. V. Alexander, the First Lord of the Admiralty.

The purpose of the mission was:

Preparatory discussions with elected representatives of British India and the Indian states in order to
secure agreement as to the method of framing the constitution.

Setting up of a constitution body.

Setting up an Executive Council with the support of the main Indian parties.

The mission arrived on March 24, 1946. After extensive discussions with Congress and the Muslim
League, the Cabinet Mission put forward its own proposals on May 16, 1946.

The main points of the plan were:

There would be a union of India comprising both British India and the Indian States that would deal with
foreign affairs, defense and communications. The union would have an Executive and a Legislature.

All residuary powers would belong to the provinces.

All provinces would be divided into three sections. Provinces could opt out of any group after the first
general elections.

Explanation:
The mission spent some 3 weeks to discuss with the leaders of various political parties, but could not
arrive at any agreed solution. So finally it announced its own recommendations on May 16, 1946.

The cabinet mission plan of 1946 proposed that there shall be a Union of India which was to be
empowered to deal with the defense, foreign affairs and communications.

The cabinet mission recommended an undivided India and turned down the Muslim league’s demand
for a separate Pakistan. The Cabinet mission restricted the Communal representation

It provided that all the members of the Interim cabinet would be Indians and there would be minimum
interference by the Viceroy.
It also provided for formation of the constituent assembly on democratic principle of population.

It recognized Indian Right to cede from the Commonwealth.

The Union Government and its legislature were to have limited powers, dealing with Finance, Foreign
Affairs and Communications. The union would have powers necessary to raise the finances to manage
the subjects. Thus, the Cabinet Mission plan proposed a weak Centre. We can realize what would have
been of the country if this plan was approved and implemented.

All subjects other than the Union Subjects and all the residuary powers would be vested in the
provinces.

The Princely states would retain all subjects and all residuary powers.

A Constituent Assembly will be formed of the representatives of the Provincial Assemblies and the
Princely states. Each province had to be allotted a total number of seats in proportion to its population.
The Constituent assembly had to comprise 293 Members from the British Provinces and 93 members
from the Princely states.

The representation of the Provincial legislatures was to be break up into 3 sections.

Section A: Madras, UP, Central provinces, Bombay, Bihar & Orissa

Section B: Punjab, Sindh, NWFP, Baluchistan

Section C: Assam and Bengal.

Thus we see that though the Cabinet Mission plan rejected the idea of separate Pakistan, yet it grouped
the provinces in such a way that it gave weightage to the idea of Pakistan, because the Section B would
get almost complete autonomy.

SHORT TERM PLAN

There would also be an interim government having the support of the major political parties.

Response:
The Muslim League Council, while approving both the long term and short term sections of the plan,
passed a resolution, dispelling all the doubts and reservations regarding Pakistan made by the Mission.
The League approved the plan because the ‘Groups’ provided the basis for Pakistan and that the plan
would ultimately culminate as an independent and complete Pakistan

The Congress endorsed the long term plan but rejected the short term plan

The Viceroy should now have invited the Muslim League to form Government as it had accepted the
interim setup; but he did not do so.

Meanwhile Jawaharlal Nehru, addressing a press conference on July 10, said that the Congress had
agreed to join the constituent assembly, but saying it would be free to make changes in the Cabinet
Mission Plan.
Under these circumstances, the Muslim League disassociated itself from the Cabinet Plan and resorted
to “Direct Action” to achieve Pakistan. As a result, Viceroy Wavell invited the Congress to join the
interim government, although it had practically rejected the plan.

However, the Viceroy soon realized the futility of the scheme without the participation of the League.
Therefore, on October 14, 1946, he extended an invitation to them as well.

Jinnah nominated Liaquat Ali Khan, I. I. Chundrigar, Sardar Abdur Rab Nishtar, Ghazanfar Ali Khan and
Jogandra Nath Mandal to the cabinet.

Congress allocated the Finance Ministry to the League. This in effect placed the whole governmental
setup under the Muslim League. As Minister of Finance, the budget Liaquat Ali Khan presented was
called a “poor man’s budget” as it adversely affected the Hindu capitalists.

3rd June Plan

Even the Cabinet Mission and the interim government could not reduce the level of tension and
animosity

British efforts to resolve the conflict and bring an end to the deadlock could not succeed because they
had their own vested interests and they were also a party in the power politics

Muslims League had earlier accepted the Cabinet Mission Plan in both its short term and long term
aspect, but latter rejected it

Congress attitude was becoming increasingly aggressive and dominating which made the Muslims
apprehensive regarding their future

In this atmosphere of mutual recrimination and impending civil war, Clement Attlee made a statement
on 20th February 1947, showing the intention of the government to take necessary steps to to affect the
transfer of power to responsible Indian hands not later than June 1948

In India the speech was well received

Jinnah declared that the League would not surrender on the Pakistan issue

Lord Mountbatten prepared a plan in line with the announcement

Mountbatten left for London on 18th of May to argue the plan and persuade the cabinet to approve it

On 2nd June the viceroy called a meeting a seven leaders; Nehru, Patel, Kirblani, Jinnah, Liaqat Ali Khan,
Abdur Rab Nishter and Buldev Singh. The Plan was put before them and approved. On 3rd June Plan was
made public

a) The legislatures of the provinces of Punjab and Bengal, shall meet in two parts, representing Muslim
majority and non-Muslim majority provinces. The question of partition shall be decided by simple
majority and if either of the two legislatures of the respective provinces decided in favour of the
partition, it will take effect

b) The Indian people shall make the constitution and the constitution shall not be applicable to the
people of those area who reject it
c) Referendum would be held in K.P (then N.W.F.P)(Referendum shall be conducted by the electors of
existing legislative assembly)

d) Province of Balochistan would adopt appropriate way to decide its future

e) A boundary commission will be setup after the partition, which will demarcate the boundaries of the
two countries

f) Military assets would be divided among two countries after partition

g) The legislative assembly of Sindh (excluding European members) would decided in a special meeting,
whether to join the new constituent assembly of Pakistan or not

h) Both countries will have their own Governor-Generals who will be the Executive Heads of their
countries

RADCLIFFE AWARD
The partition plan of June 3, 1947, under the Indian Independence Act, inter-alia, envisaged the division
of Punjab and Bengal which made it necessary to set up a Boundary Commission to demarcate the
boundaries of the parts of each of these provinces into Hindu and Muslim majority districts, to be
assigned to India and Pakistan, respectively.

Partition committee proposed that Sir Cyrill Radcliffe should be invited to serve as chairman of the
Punjab and Bengal Boundary Commission. Radcliffe was a renowned barrister who came from England.
The League and the Congress nominated two High Court judges.

The members of Punjab Boundary Commission were Din Muhammad and Muhammad Munir on behalf
of Pakistan and Mehr Chand Mahajan and Tej Singh on behalf of India while members of Bengal
Boundary Commission were Abu Saleh and S.A. Rahman on behalf of Pakistan and C.C Biswas and B.K.
Mukherji on behalf of India.

Controversy in division of Punjab:

In the division of Punjab, the award was unfair and awarded a number of Muslim majority areas to India.
In Gurdaspur district two contiguous Muslim majority Tehsils of Gurdaspur and Batala were given to
India along with Pathankot tehsil to provide a link between India and the State of Jammu and Kashmir.
The Muslim majority tehsil Ajnala in the Amritsar district was also handed over to India. In Jullundur
district the Muslim majority areas of Zira and Ferozepur in the Ferozepur distirct, were also given to
India.

Controversy in division of Bengal:

Similarly, in Bengal the most important question related to the future of Calcutta. It was the capital of
the province. Although the Muslims formed only a quarter of the population of Calcutta, a large section
of its population consisted scheduled castes that were allied with the Muslim League. In any case, for
more than two hundred years the Muslims of Bengal had contributed to make Calcutta what it was in
1947 a centre of commerce and industry.
 INDIPENDANCE Act of 1947
The British Government introduced the Indian Independence Bill in Parliament on July 4, 1947 and the
Indian Independence Act was enacted after a fortnight on July 18.