Cripps 

Mission  Plan
Background

Japan joined the war against the Allies in 1941, and her success in conquering one
country after another disturbed the pleasure of the British statesmen. The armies
of Japan occupied Burma and threatened India. Both England and the U.S.A began to
feel the necessity of changing their policy towards India.

Cripps  Mission

The Britain Government appointed a delegation under the chairmanship of Sir Stafford
Cripps, a prominent member of the War Cabinet of England. The Cripps Mission
reached New Delhi on March 23, 1942 to hold discussions with the Indian leaders. The
Cripps Mission could not hold talks with the Indian leaders and left after a fortnight. The
Cripps Mission, however, submitted its own suggestions to the Government in April
1942 for constitutional reforms.

Important terms of the Proposal

Important terms of the proposal were as follows:

1. A Constitution-making Body would be set up immediately after the war.

2. There would be provisions for the participation of Indian States in the Constitution-
making Body.
3. If any province did not like to accept the new constitution, it could later retain its
existing constitutional position.
4. There would be provision in the constitution for the protection of racial and religious
minorities. 
5. The members of the Constitution-making Body were to be elected by an electoral
college consisting of the entire membership of the Provincial Legislative Assemblies.
6. His majesty’s Government would retain control of Defence during the critical period of
the war.
7. The suggestions are to be accepted or rejected as a whole and there shall be no
amendments.
8. The recommendations would be implemented only if both Muslim League and
Congress accept them unanimously.

Reaction of Muslim League

The scheme was opposed by the Muslim League because the proposals held out the
prospects of a single Union of India. 
Reaction of Congress 

The Congress rejected the Cripps’s proposals because he did not give assurance that
the Governor-General would act as a constitutional head in case of all the departments
except Defence. Moreover, the Congress was opposed to the principle of non-
accession of the provinces, because it virtually meant acceptance of the idea
of Pakistan. 

Quit  India  Movement

The Congress, in order to put more pressure on the Government, launched Quit India
Movement against the British Government. The Congress had decided on 8th August
1942, to get independence from the British and to capture political power in India at all
cost with a view of stopping the creation of Pakistan. Violent agitation was launched to
press the British to quit India.

The Quaid-e-Azam considered Quit India Movement as anti-Muslim action of the

Congress and declared it as political Blackmailing. The Muslim League, in reply to ‘Quit
India’ slogans by the Congress, demanded ‘Divide India and go’. Quaid-e-Azam said, 

“The Quit India Movement, in fact is a conspiracy to establish Hindu Raj and to

finish Muslim demands.”

The Government took stern action against Quit India Movement. The prominent leaders
of this movement including Gandhi, were arrested and put in jails. The movement lost
its momentum and very soon failed