PAKISTAN STUDIES NOTES-GRADE 11th & 12th

Chapter # 1 – Pakistan’s Ideology and its Historical Background

1.4.3. Discuss the Major Events that Took Place between 1940 and 1946.

• Cripps Mission (1942),

• Gandhi-Jinnah Talks (1944)

• Simla Conference (1945)

• General Elections (1945-46)

 • Cabinet Mission Plan (1946)

Between 1940 and 1946, several significant events occurred in British India, which had far-reaching implications for the country’s struggle for independence and the eventual partition that led to the creation of India and Pakistan.

Here’s a discussion of the major events during this period:

Crips Mission (1942)
Sir Stafford Cripps, accompanied by a team of six individuals, was dispatched with the objective of proposing new reforms and urging Congress leadership to support the war effort. The mission commenced discussions with Indian leaders upon their arrival in Delhi on March 23, 1942. The key proposals presented were:

• Granting Dominion status to India post-war, with provisions allowing provinces or states to opt out of the proposed Indian Federation.
• Establishment of a Constituent Assembly tasked with framing a new constitution, with members to be elected following the conclusion of the war.

The Congress Party, having observed the weakened position of the British Government, was disinclined to offer concessions, and instead sought to leverage the opportunity to exert pressure on the government. It demanded the immediate transfer of power to a Congress-dominated body. Gandhi dismissed the government’s proposals as akin to a “Post-dated Cheque on a falling bank”. Similarly, the All-India Muslim League rejected the proposals due to the absence of guarantees regarding the establishment of Pakistan.

Gandhi-Jinnah Talks (1944)
The Gandhi-Jinnah Talks hold significant importance in addressing the political issues of India and the Pakistan Movement, responding to the public’s desire for resolution of Hindu-Muslim differences.

Commencing on September 19, 1944, in Bombay and lasting until September 24, the talks, conducted both directly and through correspondence, were initiated after Gandhi expressed his wish to meet Quaid-i-Azam in a letter dated July 17, 1944.

Gandhi asserted that his participation was personal and not on behalf of Hindus or the Congress, aiming to challenge Jinnah’s notion of Pakistan’s feasibility.

Jinnah, in response, meticulously explained the rationale behind the demand for Pakistan, emphasizing the distinct Muslim identity and the Lahore Resolution’s vision.

However, Gandhi proposed a different approach, advocating for the demarcation of Muslim-majority areas through referendums under joint Congress-Muslim League supervision, ultimately advocating for a unified India with autonomous regions.

Disagreeing with Gandhi’s proposal, Jinnah rejected it, leading to the end of the talks.

Simla Conference (1945)

In May 1945, Lord Wavell, the Viceroy of India, visited London to discuss the future of India with the British administration, leading to the formulation of a plan known as the Wavell Plan, made public in June 1945.

The plan proposed reconstituting the Viceroy’s Executive Council, with members nominated by political parties, ensuring representation for different communities, including parity between Cast-Hindus and Muslims. The British Government aimed to engage major Indian communities’ leadership, contingent upon approval from leading Indian political parties.

To discuss these proposals, Wavell convened the Simla Conference on June 25, 1945, attended by leaders from the Congress and the Muslim League. However, discord emerged over Muslim representation. The Muslim League asserted its exclusive representation of Muslims, while Congress, led by Maulana Azad, argued for broader representation. Congress also opposed parity between Cast-Hindus and Muslims, leading to an impasse.

Wavell declared the conference unsuccessful on July 14, as the deadlock persisted, marking the end of the Simla Conference without progress.

General Elections (1945-46)

The 1945-46 general elections to the provincial and central legislatures were pivotal, as they determined the constitutional future of India. Both the Congress and the Muslim League actively participated in these elections, each championing opposing slogans: Congress advocated for the unity of the Subcontinent, while the Muslim League sought its division.

The election results demonstrated a clear victory for the Muslim League, securing all 30 Muslim seats in the Central Assembly and 446 out of 495 Muslim seats in the Provincial Assemblies. Conversely, Congress achieved significant success in Hindu-majority areas. In Bengal, the Muslim League dominated with 113 out of 119 Muslim seats and formed a ministry in Sindh. However, Congress’s victory in the North-West Frontier Province (N.W.F.P) dealt a blow to the League, as Dr. Khan Sahib formed a ministry with Congress after Congress won 19 out of 36 Muslim seats. In Punjab, the Muslim League secured 79 out of 86 Muslim seats, with Khizar Hayat Tiwana forming a ministry with Congress. Overall, Congress won 930 seats, gaining an absolute majority in eight provinces.

The election results not only divided the assemblies between the Muslim League and Congress but also validated the Muslim League’s claim as the sole representative party of the Subcontinent’s Muslims and affirmed the demand for a separate Muslim homeland.

The Cabinet Mission Plan (1946)

British Prime Minister, Lord Clement Attlee, announced the dispatch of a special mission comprising three Cabinet Ministers to India to discuss constitutional matters with the Viceroy and Indian political leaders. The Cabinet mission included Lord Oathic Lawrence, Sir Stafford Cripps, and A.V Alexander.

Quaid-e-Azam emphasized to the mission the necessity of grouping Muslim-majority areas together to form a sovereign and independent Pakistan consisting of six provinces. However, Congress adamantly opposed partition and rejected Jinnah’s proposal. During the mission’s meetings in Simla, Sir Stafford Cripps openly sided with Congress, with leaders such as Abdul Kalam Azad, Jawaharlal Nehru, Abdul Ghaffar Khan, and Vallabhai Patel representing the party. Conversely, Quaid-e-Azam, Liaquat Ali Khan, Nawab Ismail, and Abdul Rab Nishtar represented the Muslim League, advocating for two separate constitution-making bodies. However, both parties failed to agree on each other’s proposals.

The Cabinet Mission, in conjunction with the Viceroy, formulated a three-tier constitutional plan as follows:

Long-term Plan:

1. Rejected the notion of establishing Pakistan.
2. Proposed three distinct entities in post-British India: Hindu Majority Territories, Muslim Majority Provinces, and Bengal and Assam.
3. Granted each entity local autonomy and the ability to draft its own constitution.
4. Central Indian Union would oversee foreign affairs, defense, and communication.

Short-term Plan:

The mission also recommended the establishment of an interim Central Government, with all portfolios held by Indian nationals. Gandhi criticized and rejected the plan as “An appeal and an advice,” while the Muslim League accepted both the long-term and short-term plans. However, the Viceroy reneged on his promise to form a government solely with the Muslim League. Nehru stated that Congress would not be bound by the plan once the British departed, leading the Muslim League to view further discussions as futile, fearing any agreement could be overturned post-British withdrawal. Consequently, the Cabinet Plan was abandoned.