Indian Independence 1914-1947
India 1945-1947: Essay Questions
Viceroy Wavell's Initiative: Wavell sought a new approach, lobbying Churchill to release the Congress Working Committee (CWC) from prison and initiate a conference at Simla in June 1945. However, this conference failed to reach an agreement.
Labour's Victory: The Labour Party's surprise victory in 1945 brought renewed hope for progress.
Indian Elections (1945-1946): Elections for the central council and provincial assemblies revealed a polarized India.
Cabinet Mission (March-June 1946): Atlee sent the Cabinet Mission, including Pethwich-Lawrence, Cripps, and A.V. Alexander, to India. The Second Simla Conference in 1946 proposed two options:
Federal India: Provinces could secede via plebiscite.
Partition: Creation of two separate states.
INC Rejection: The Indian National Congress (INC) rejected both options.
May Statement: Despite the failure, the Cabinet Mission announced the May Statement, proceeding with elections to a constituent assembly (chosen by provincial assemblies). This assembly would form an interim Indian Government until independence.
Disputes over Interim Government: The INC and Muslim League (ML) argued over the composition of the interim government and the selection of Muslim members.
Wavell's June Statement: To resolve the dispute, Wavell announced he would select members of the interim government if necessary.
INC Acceptance: The INC accepted the proposals, including the Federal India option, with the condition that provinces leaving India could rejoin through a plebiscite. Wavell agreed, viewing it as a victory.
Jinnah's Discontent: Jinnah considered this a betrayal, leading to the Muslim Hartal and widespread disorder in August 1946.
Atlee and Mountbatten: Keen to expedite Indian independence before Britain lost authority, Atlee replaced Wavell with Mountbatten as Viceroy in March 1947.
Plan Balkan & Menon Plan: Mountbatten initially planned to announce Plan Balkan but was persuaded by Nehru to scrap it and adopt the Menon Plan, a two-state solution, which was eventually agreed upon by all parties.
Partition Council: A partition council was established to divide assets from the Raj at a ratio of . Personnel opting for Pakistan were immediately dismissed.
Radcliffe's Commission: A British lawyer, Cyril Radcliffe, was appointed to head the boundary commissions for East and West Pakistan. He began work 36 days before Independence, basing decisions on maps, many of which were outdated.
Independence Awarded: Independence was awarded on August 14th-15th at midnight.
Post-Partition Chaos: The ensuing disorder led to upheaval for 10 million people and approximately 1 million deaths.
UN Enquiry: A UN enquiry blamed the tragedy on Radcliffe and the British Government's mismanagement. Radcliffe refused payment in protest.
INC (1945-1947)
Election Results (1945-1946): Reflected a polarized India:
Central Council: INC won of the vote.
Provincial Assemblies: INC won of all seats, forming governments in 8 provinces.
Second Simla Conference (1946): The INC rejected both the Federal India and Partition options, maintaining the impasse.
Rejection of May Statement: The INC initially opposed the May Statement.
Wavell's June Statement & INC Acceptance: Wavell successfully brought the INC back into negotiations, with the INC accepting the Federal India option, provided provinces could rejoin via plebiscite.
Mountbatten's Appointment: Atlee replaced Wavell with Mountbatten, who was seen as a Labour party ally and had warm relations with Nehru.
Balkan Plan Rejection: During a private meeting, Mountbatten revealed his