Offer
 Dominion Status as an Objective for
August Offer (8 August 1940)
Viceroy Linlithgow
Cripps Proposal (March 1942)
 Winston Churchill was PM then
 mission headed by Stafford Cripps was
sent to India with constitutional
proposals to seek Indian support for the
war
CR FORMULA (1944)
 To solve the deadlock between the
Congress and the Muslim League C.
Rajagopalachari came with a formula. It
was to come to solve the Constitutional
Crises
DESAI LIAQAT PACT (1945)
WAVELL PLAN
(14 June – 14 july 1945)
Provision
 Congress Rejected August offer
India. It was discussed for the first time.
 Expansion of Viceroy’s Executive
Council.
 Setting up of a Constituent Assembly
after War in which mainly Indians would
decide the constitution based on Socio,
Economic, and Political Situations.
 But Defense, minority Rights, Treaties
with states, All India Services were to be
under Government’s Rule.
 No future Constitution to be adopted
without consent of minorities
 Indian union with Dominion status after
2nd world war. it would be free to decide
its relations with the Commonwealth
and free to participate in the United
Nations and other international bodies
 After end of war, a new constituent
assembly (Member from provinces
through PR system + Nominated
member from princely states) would be
set up comprised of wholly Indian
members to frame a new constitution
 Interim Govt
 Any province not willing to join the
union could have a separate
constitution and form a separate union
 Muslim League to endorse Congress
demand for independence
 League to cooperate with Congress in
forming a provisional government at
centre.
 After the end of the war, the entire
population of Muslim majority areas in
the North-West and North-East India to
decide by a plebiscite, whether or not to
form a separate sovereign state
 In case of acceptance of partition,
agreement to be made jointly for
safeguarding defence, commerce,
communications, etc
 The above terms to be operative only if
England transferred full powers to
India
 an equal number of persons nominated
by the Congress and the League in the
central legislature
 20% seats were to be reserved for the
minorities (especially Sikh & SC )
 Viceroy‘s Executive Council was to have
all Indian members except the Viceroy
himself and the Commander-in-Chief.
 The Executive Council would be a sort of
an interim National Government and
the Governor-General would use his
veto power reasonably
 All portfolios except Defence were to
be under the control of Indian members
***
 Nehru Said “Dominion status concept is
dead as a door nail”.
 INC started Individual Satyagraha under
leadership of MK Gandhi
Vinoda Bhave > JL Nehru > Brahma Dutt
 Dominion Status was mentioned
explicitly for the first time
Result
 Viceroy Executive Council was expanded
with 8 out of 12 members being Indians
 National Defense Council was set up
with its role being advisory in nature.
 Defense, Finance, Home was in charge
of the British
 Gandhi termed this deal as post-dated
cheque on a crumbling bank
 Rejected by all political leader
 Pt. Nehru & Maulana Azad were official
negotiator
 QIM was started
 Reasons for failure of Cripps Mission: It
was a mere Propaganda to satisfy Allies
Power.
 Objections : Jinnah wanted the
Congress to accept the two-nation
theory
 Importance: it accepted Muslim
League’s demand of Separate Pakistan.
 Muslim League wanted only Muslims of
North West and North East India to
vote. It was also in opposition of
Common Centre
No settlement could be reached between the
Congress and the League on these lines, but
the fact that a sort of parity between the
Congress and the League was decided upon
had far-reaching consequences
 Jinnah insisted that only League
members could be the Muslim
representatives in the Council, and
opposed to the Congress nominating
Muslim members
 Wavell Plan, thus, was dissolved with
the failure of the conference

(SHIMLA CONFERENCE)--- a meeting b/w
Viceory of india Lord Wavell & the major
political leaders of British India at Shimla
. Conference broke down as Jinnah objected
CABINET MISSION PLAN (1946)
 came to India in March 1946
 Composition: Sir Patrick Lawrence
(Secretary of State for India) + Sir
Stafford Cripps (President of Board of
Trade) + V. Alexander (the first lord of
Admiralty)
 Mission was led by Sir pethick-Lawrence
ATLEE’S STATEMENT (1947)
On 20th February 1947, Prime Minister
Clement Atlee released a statement. It
declared a deadline of June 30, 1948 for
Transfer of Power
MOUNTBATTEN PLAN
or 03 JUNE 1947 plan
 The council was to have a balanced
representation‘ of all Indians including
caste-Hindus‘, Muslims, Depressed
Classes, Sikhs, etc
 A British High Commissioner would be
appointed in India as in other
Dominions—to look after British
commercial and other interests
 It proposed a federation of provinces
and princely states, with the federal
centre controlling only Defence,
communications and foreign affairs
 The cabinet mission recommended an
undivided India
 the Muslim league’s demand for a
separate Pakistan was rejected.
 The Plan was initially accepted by the
Muslim League and the Congress Party
but later rejected by Muslim League
 Reorganisation of viceroy executive
council
 Formation of interim govt
 Partition – Muslim-dominated areas
may be separated to form a Dominion
 Referendum for NWFP and Sylhet – The
fate of North-West Frontier Province
and Sylhet district of Bengal was to be
decided by a referendum
 The legislative assembly of Sind would
decide whether to join the Indian
constituent assembly or not. It decided
to go with Pakistan
 The date of transfer of power was fixed
as 15th August 1947
 Boundary Commission under Sir Cyril
Radcliffe to be set up in case of
Partition
 Lord Wavell invited 21 political leaders
including Mahatma Gandhi and M A
Jinnah to Shimla to discuss the Wavell
Plan. The Shimla Conference took place
on June 25, 1945. In the Wavell Plan,
there were 6 Muslim representatives
out of 14 members.
 Constituent assembly was formed under
this plan.
 In June, Muslim League accepted the
Plan.
 24th June: Congress accepted the Long-
term Plan.
 July 1946: Elections held in Provincial
Assembly for Constituent Assembly.
 July 10, 1946: Nehru implied
Constituent Assembly as Sovereign and
would decide on Rules of Procedure on
its own.
 July 29, 1946: League rejected the Plan
in response to Nehru’s statement.
Direct Action day from August 16, 1946
to achieve Independent Pakistan.
Wavell disapproved of the decision of the
British Government to withdraw within a
year, without finally settling the communal
problem in the country. Wavell suggested a
phased withdrawal of the British from India.
Attlee turned down the proposal and recalled
Wavell back. Lord Mountbatten was
appointed to replace him.