CABINET MISSION PLAN 1946

Three members sent by Labour government in UK with

Clement Attlee as the British PM. Three members were :
Lord Pethick Lawrence, Sir Stafford Cripps and Mr. A.V.
Alexander. They arrived on 24th March 1946 and
submitted their plan in May 1946. Muslim League
accepted it on 6th June 1946 and Congress on 24th June
1946.
Muslim League under Mr. Mohammad Ali Jinnah
celebrated ‘Deliverance Day’ or ‘Thanksgiving’ on 22nd
December 1939 when Congress Ministry resigned.
Direct Action Day on 16th August 1946 announced by the
Muslim League under Jinnah to take action to
safeguard Pakistan.There were communal riots in
India. (Jinnah’s Two Nation Theory 1940)
 CABINET MISSION PLAN 1946
1. FEDERAL UNION: There would be an Indian Federation
or Federal Union of Princely States together with the
British territories in India. The Central government
would have the matters of Defence, Foreign
Affairs,Communication and Finance under it.
2. PROVINCES /PRINCELY STATES TO RETAIN SUBJECTS:
The Provinces and Princely States would enjoy
autonomy with respect to the matters of the State List and
Concurrent List . The important matters like Defence,
Finance, Foreign Affairs and Communication would be
handled solely by the government at the Centre.
 CABINET MISSION PLAN 1946
3. GROUPING OF PROVINCES: Provinces would be grouped
on regional basis. Group ‘A’ would have Madras, Bombay, U.P.,
Bihar, Orissa and Central Provinces. Group ‘B’ would have
Punjab, NWFP and Sindh and Group ‘C’ would have Assam and
Bengal.
4. CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY: There would be a Constituent
Assembly which would finalise the Preamble and the
Constitution. The Federal Union would have a three tier set up
with the Union Government at the Centre, Regional Group of
Provinces and the Provincial Government at the state level itself.
 CABINET MISSION PLAN 1946
5. JOIN THE COMMONWEALTH: India would be free to
decide on its own whether it would be a member of the
Commonwealth or not.
6. MINORITY INTERESTS SAFEGUARDED: The interest of
minorities like the Muslims, Sikhs and the Depressed Classes
would be safeguarded.
7. INTERIM GOVERNMENT: In the meanwhile the British
would constitute a interim government with the
representation of all the different communities, thereby
safeguarding their interests and taking good care of their
opinions.
 CABINET MISSION PLAN 1946
8. TREATY BETWEEEN UK AND CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY:
The final transfer of power would take place and be decided
formally between the UK government and the Constituent
Assembly of India.
 CONGRESS RESPONSE TO THE CABINET MISSION PLAN
The Congress rejected the Cabinet Mission Plan as it had
very few powers and Muslim League was given parity
like the Congress. Congress accepted ONLY THAT
CONDITION which was the formation of the Constituent
Assembly as an INDEPENDENT BODY to finalise the
Preamble and the future Constitution of India. Congress
also disliked Muslim League’s claim that it alone could
send Muslim representatives. Congress was a national
cum secular party having Muslim representatives
therefore it fully represented the entire Indian nation on
merit.
Congress suggested that any Province later on could opt
out of a group in which it did not want to stay. When the
Cabinet Mission rejected this claim then the Congress
accepted it to preserve India’s unity.
 WHY CABINET MISSION PLAN 1946 REJECTED PAKISTAN’S
CLAIM FOR PAKISTAN
Cabinet Mission Plan rejected Muslim League demand
for Pakistan as :
1. The number of non-Muslims in East and West
Pakistan was on the higher side and it would be
injustice to make them a part of a Muslim state.
2. Likewise giving away non-Muslim part to Bengal,
Assam and Punjab would be wrong.
3. The division of the Army , post & telegraph and the
assets would be difficult as they had been made for
India and not Pakistan.
4. The Princely States would find it difficult which nation
to join.
5. East and West Pakistan would be separated by 700
miles which would pose a different challenge.
 MUSLIM LEAGUE’S RESPONSE TO THE CABINET MISSION
PLAN
The MuslimLeague rejected the Cabinet Mission Plan as
Pakistan had not been guaranteed. But after some
time on 6th June 1946 it accepted the plan as it read the
grouping of the provinces as an idea to form Pakistan
as the Muslim provinces had been clubbed together.
Muslim League accepted the plan thinking that the
Congress would never accept it. Congress accepted the
Cabinet Mission Plan on 24th June 1946.