Modern Indian History

The war situation was discouraging in 1942. The Japanese Army had attacked Burma nad was marching towards Assam.

The Muslim League was jubilant over the resignation of the Congress ministries and offered its friendship to the British government. It celebrated the day when the Congress ministries resigned as a 'day of deliverance and thanks-giving.'

The Congress had formed ministries in the United Provinces, Central Provinces, Orissa, Bihar, Madras and Bombay, Later Assam and the North-West Frontier also came under the Congress rule. When the Congress asked its ministries to resign, the ministries in Punjab, Bengal and Sind did not resign to win the government's goodwill.

Gandhi wrote in Harijan on 1 June 1940, expressing that the Indian struggle for independence was not intended to cause the ruin of the British Empire, but rather to achieve self-determination.

The Congress Working Commitee met at Wardha in July, 1942. It adopted a resolution, known as the Quit India Resolution. The resolution stated: 'British rule in India must end immediately'.

In 1942, the failure of the Cripps' Mission left no further meeting ground between the British Government and the Congress. Mahatma Gandhi felt that the British presence in India was an invitation to Japan to invade India and that their withdrawal would remove the bait. He, therefore, asked the British "to leave India in God's hand". The Congress Working Committee met at Wardha in July 1942. It adopted a resolution, known as the Quit India Resolution. The resolution stated: 'British rule in India must end immediately'.

When the change of government took place in Britain, the fall of France and the danger of Nazi occupation of Britain temporarily softened the hard stance of Congress. On June 1, 1940, Mahatma Gandhi declared, "We do not seek our independence out of British ruin".

In 1940, the Muslim league passed a resolution demanding the partition of the country and creation of a state called Pakistan. The name Pakistan was derived from the letter of the provinces and communities that the new country would comprise Punjab, Afghan, Kashmir, Sind, and Baluchistan.

The All-India Congress Commitee met at Bombay on August 8, 1942 and passed the Quit India Resolution adopted at Wardha in July 1942. The Congress proposed to start a non-violent mass struggle under Gandhiji's leadership if this demand of immediate and complete independence was not conceded by the British.

The government resorted to severe measures to crush the 1942 Movement, Gandhiji was detained at the Agha Khan Palace in Pune; the other leaders were sent to jail in Ahmednagar Fort. In the end, the government succeeded in crushing the movement.

With the Japanese army rapidly advancing towards India, it became necessary for the British to break the political deadlock in India. Churchill announced in March 1942, that Sir Stafford Cripps, a member of the War cabinet, would go to India for consultation with all the parties. The Cripps' Mission proposed the Constitutional reforms that India would be given a dominion status when the war would end.

All Congress ministries resigned in October 1939.  When World War II started in 1939 , the British were fighting against the Axis Powers. The Viceroy of India annouced India's involvement without consulting its representative political leaders. Congress asked for transfer of power in repayment of their cooperation in war , which the British government denied. As a result , Congress ministries resigned. Thus came to an end the nightmarish rule which had terrorized Muslim community beyond imagination. Quaid - i - Azam asked the Muslims to observe it as a 'Day of Deliverance' with peace and without any harmful intent towards any other nation.

The Government of India act was  passed by British Parliament in August  1935. With 321 sections and 10 schedules, this was the longest act passed by British Parliament so far and was later split into two parts viz. Government of India Act 1935 and Government of Burma Act 1935. The Government of India Act 1935 derived material from four key sources viz. Report of the Simon Commission , discussions at the Third Round Table Conference , the White paper of 1933 and the reports of the Joint select committees. The act ended the system of dyarchy introduced by GOI Act 1919 and provided for establishment of a Federation of India to be made up of provinces of British India and some or all of the Princely states.

• In 1937 Congress win eight out of eleven provinces of British India. Congress decided to contest the elections to the assembles in the provinces under the new Act of 1935. In the elections, Congress obtained an overwhelming majority in most of the provinces. Congress ministeries were formed in July 1937 in several provinces, including the United Provinces , Madras , the Central Provinces , Bombay , Bihar , Orissa and after sometime in the North - West Frontier Provinces. It also formed coalition ministries in Sind and Assam. Only Bengal and Punjab had non - congress ministries.
  

Cripps came to India in March 1942. Cripps Mission was sent by the British Government in March 1942 to India with key objective to secure Indian cooperation and support for British War Efforts. Headed by Sir Stafford Cripps, this mission sought to negotiate an agreement with Indian Leaders.