Cabinet Mission Plan:
Outline:
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Background
• Indian Situation Before Cabinet Mission Arrival
• Negotiations
• Three-tier Constitutional Plan
• Long-term And Short-term Plan
• Muslim Direct Course To Achieve Pakistan
• Establishment Of Interim Government
• Critical Analysis
a) Merits Of Cabinet Mission Plan
i) Democratic Principles
ii) Minority Protection
iii) All Indian Members
iv) Indirect acceptance of Idea Of Pakistan
b) Demerits Of The Plan
i) Other Minorities Were Ignored
ii) Unclear Position Regarding The Grouping Of Provinces
iii) Defective Method Of Drafting Constitution
• The Reaction Of The Political Parties
Background:
When Labour Party came in power in England in 1945, it ordered the holding of the elections in India. After that the Labour Government sent the famous Cabinet Mission to India in March, 1946. The Cabinet Mission consisted of the Lord Panthic Lawrence, the Secretary of State Of India, Sir Stafford Cripps, the President of Board of Trade and Mr. A.V Alexander. The Mission arrived on 24th March, 1946.
Condition Before The Arrival Of The Cabinet Mission:
When the Cabinet Mission came to India, the situation there was very tense. Both Hindus and Muslims were at daggers drawn against each other. Freedom was in sight but there was no clear indication about future of the sub-continent. Hindus wanted that the British should go at once giving Congress the reins of the government without dividing it or giving any part of it to the Muslims. On the other hand, Muslims wanted the establishment of Pakistan, according to the Resolution which they had passed on 23rd March 1940. They wanted the freedom from both the British and the Hindus. Quaid-e-Azam made it clear to the mission that in India there were two-nations not one nation, the Hindus and the Muslims. There is no way other than the partition of India.
Negotiations:
The Cabinet mission held negotiations with the political leaders of the country and arranged a joint Conference at Simla. The congress was represented by Abdul Kalam Azad, Jawaharlal Lal Nehru, Valabhai Patel and Ghaffar Khan. Muslim League was represented by Quaid-e-Azam, Liaquat Ali Khan, Nawab Ismail and Sardar Abdul Rab Nishtar. Both the parties put their proposals. The fundamental issue at Conference was that whether there should be two independent states or one state. There was a deadlock as neither party accepted the proposals of the other. They could not
come to mutual understanding. As a result, the mission had to give its own formula.
Three-tier Constitutional Plan:
On May, 1946, the Cabinet Mission and Viceroy published a statement containing their own plan of the constitutional problem. The focal point in the plan was the preservation of a single federal system for India. On administrative, economic and military basis, they rejected the proposal of two independent sovereign states. The Mission was, however, of the opinion that Muslim culture might submerge in purely unitary India dominated by Hindus.
These considerations led them to formulate a three-tier constitutional plan, which was as under:
i) First, there should be union of India embracing both British India and Indian States which should deal with the subjects of Communication, Defence and Foreign Affairs and have power to raise finance required for the subjects.
ii) There should be three groups of provinces.
Group A, consisting of six Hindu majority provinces; Bombay, Madras, United provinces, Central provinces and Bihar.
Group B, consisting of Punjab, Sindh, NWFP and Baluchistan.
Group C, Bengal and Assam.
iii) Third, all the provinces and States should be the basic unit. All the subjects other than union subjects and all the residuary powers should be vested in provinces; States would retain all the subjects and powers other than those ceded to them.
The Mission also proposed of setting up of an interim central Government in which all the portfolios should be held by the Indian nationals.
Long-Term And Short-Term Plan:
The plan consisted of two parts; a long-term plan and a short-term plan. The long-term plan was concerned with a constitutional making body and short-term with interim government.
The Viceroy also announced the importance of the plan, that if any party did not accept the plan, other would be allowed to make an interim government. Muslim League pondered over the plan and after great consideration, it decided to accept the plan even if it was not devoid of shortcomings. On the other hand, Congress immediately rejected the plan and decided to accept the plan and decided to accept it partially.
According to its promise, Viceroy was obliged to call the Muslim leaders to form an interim government along with any other party. But the Viceroy went back on his words and said that there was no question of interim government without participation of Congress. Everyone condemned this partial attitude of the Viceroy.
Muslim’s Direct Course To Achieve Pakistan:
Muslim League passed two resolutions on July 27, 1946. First resolution was concerned with the partial attitude of the Viceroy and the second explained Muslim League’s direct course to achieve Pakistan. Muslim League decided to denounce all the titles given by the British government and drew back from the acceptance of the Cabinet Mission Plan.
Establishment Of The Interim Government:
Muslim League celebrated the day of direct course on Aug 16, 1946. Strikes, demonstrations and meeting were held all over the country to protest against the partial attitude of the Viceroy. Consequently Hindu-Muslim riots stated. Congress met the Viceroy and asked him to allow for making of interim government. Viceroy said that it would be better to include Muslim League in the interim government. As a result, talks between Nehru and Quad-e-Azam became successful and interim government was formed.
Critical Analysis:
a) Merits Of The Plan:
• Democratic Principles:
Its greatest merit was that the Constituent Assembly was to be constituted on the democratic principles of population strength. The principle of weightage was discarded at all.
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Minority Protection:
The democratic method of decision of issues by simple majority in the case of communal issues. However, safeguards were provided for minorities.
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All Indian Members:
The scheme required that all members of the constituent assembly were to be Indians. Neither the British Government nor the non-official Europeans in India were to be given representation in the constituent assembly.
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Recognition Of Pakistan:
Though the idea of Pakistan was discarded by the Cabinet Mission but in the division of the provinces we find the clear demarcation of Muslim and Hindu majority areas. This indirectly concede the idea of separate state for the Muslims of India.
b) Demerits Of The Plan:
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Other Minorities Were Ignored
Although the rights of the Muslims were protected, it was not done with regard to other minorities such as Sikhs in the Punjab.
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Unclear Position Regarding The Grouping Of Provinces:
The proposals of the Cabinet Mission with regard to the grouping of the provinces were not clear. Both the Congress and the Muslim League interpreted the provisions differently. The Muslims regarded the compulsory grouping of the provinces as one of the cornerstones of the Cabinet Mission proposals and were not prepared to come to a compromise on that question. The Congress stand was that the making of groups was optional for the matter of fact, and they were to join the groups or not join the groups at all. However, the British Government gave its verdict in favour of compulsory grouping of the provinces.
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Defective Method Of Drafting Constitutions:
Another defect of the scheme was the order in which the union and the sectional assemblies were to meet and work and draft their constitutions. It looked ridiculous first to form the constitution of the provinces and then to frame the constitution of the union. It was like putting the cart before the horse.
The Reaction Of The Political Parties:
The Cabinet Mission plan met different reactions by the political parties of the sub-continent. The Congress Working Committee rejected it and demanded an immediate withdrawal of the British; Gandhi regarded this plan as
“an apple and an advice”.
The Muslim League Council also weighed its pros and cons for three days and finally for the greater benefit of the Muslims, it gave its acceptance to both term and short term plan.
The Sikhs rejected the scheme completely on the ground that compulsory grouping was suicidal to their interests.