Tag: india gains independence

The 1946 Cabinet Mission to India for the planning of the transfer of power from the British Raj to the Indian leadership proposed an initial plan of a composition of the new Dominion of India and its government. However, soon an alternative plan to divide the British Raj into a Hindu-majority India and a Muslim-majority Pakistan was proposed by the Muslim League. The Congress rejected the alternative proposal outright. The Muslim League planned a general strike on 16 August, terming it as Direct Action Day, to protest this rejection and assert its demand for a separate Muslim homeland.
The Action resulted in the worst communal riots that British India had seen.

Provincial elections were held in British India in the winter of 1936-37 as mandated by the Government of India Act 1935. Elections were held in eleven provinces - Madras, Central Provinces, Bihar, Orissa, United Provinces, Bombay Presidency, Assam, NWFP, Bengal, Punjab and Sindh. The Indian National Congress emerged in power in eight of the provinces - the three exceptions being Bengal, Punjab, and Sindh. The Congress ministries resigned in October and November 1939, in protest against Viceroy Lord Linlithgow's action of declaring India to be a belligerent in the Second World War without consulting the Indian people.

The Congress accepted the partition due to the long term failure t draw Muslim masses into the national movement. They realised that the seeds of communalism had been sown too deep and only partition could stop the spread of 'direct action' and communal violence.

Partition of India was mentioned in the Mountbatten Plan. It was also known as Indian Independence Act 1947 and was put forward by Lord Mountbatten on June 3, 1947. This plan was the last plan for independence. 

After the World War II, the change in government took place in Britain. Conservative party was replaced by the Labour party. The new government supported the Demands of Congress. They started working on the demands of independence of India and other demands. The British Parliament was actively working towards passing decolonization legislation.

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.

Congress  rejected the idea of a weak centre and division of India in small states. Congress was against decentralization and the idea was to have a strong centre.

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.

The Cabinet Mission arrived in Karachi on 23 March 1946. Lord Pethick Lawrence, Secretary of State for India,  stated at Karachi "We are convinced that India is on the threshold of very great future."