The
growth of left wing influence and militancy within the
nationalist ranks the stage was set for another round of
nationalist mass movement but at this time there was a
crisis at the top level.
SC Bose was the unanimous choice of president in 1938 and he decided to contest once again in 1939 as the representative of militant nationalism and left wing. Bose declared that he represented new ideas, ideologies, programs and problems but other leaders like Sardar Patel, Rajendra Prasad issued a counter statement saying the president was just a constitutional head who represented unity and solidarity of the nation. With the blessings of Gandhiji they put P Sittaramaiya as the nominee. But he was defeated.
Bose after being elected declared that Gandhian supporters were right wing and were ready to compromise with the British and looked forward to ministerial and parliamentary work and hence opposed nomination of a leftist. Since he cast aspersions on the character of his colleagues Gandhiji and others including Nehru criticized him for this.
He differed with Gandhiji on matters of policy and estimating the strength of the congress. He felt that the world war could be used to our advantage and an ultimatum should be given to British failing which a mass civil disobedience should be launched. Gandhiji disagreed with him on this view as there was communal strife in the country, corruption within the congress and internal dissentions.
SC
Bose had overestimated his majority in the congress
elections. He was asked by other leaders to appoint a
working committee on advice of Gandhiji but Gandhiji
refused to impose a committee on him. Bose wanted Gandhiji
to head the struggle but use tactics and style laid by the
leftist and Bose. But Gandhiji refused to be in a
situation where strategy was not his but implementation
was his responsibility.
Bose made a mistake understanding the congress members mentality, although they had elected him but this didnt mean that they had lost belief in Gandhijis leadership. When Bose made comments on Gandhijis character he lost support of even his close allies in congress.
Bose resigned from president ship and Rajendra Prasad was elected.
The CPI and the congress socialists didn’t join Bose as they too wanted the support of a united congress under Gandhiji’s leadership.
Isolated Bose formed forward bloc within the congress and called for a nationwide strike. The congress took disciplinary action and barred him any congress office for 3 years. When Britain declared war on Germany, India too was dragged in it without being consulted. The congress was divided on this question. Gandhiji wanted support to the British, Bose and the leftist wanted a mass civil disobedience as the war was for imperialistic reasons [win colonies] but Nehru wanted the middle path that India shouldn’t fight the war till it gained independence nor launch a civil disobedience. Nehru asked the British government to issue a statement giving freedom to India after the war but the British reply was completely negative.
Claiming that the congress represents only Hindus, the British propped up communalists and declared that in the interest of minorities freedom can’t be given at this stage or after the war too. This was met with anger by all leaders and the congress ordered its ministries to resign immediately. However a mass struggle wasn’t launched as of yet
An alternative to the position of the gandhian's was that of the forward bloc, CSP, CPI and other leftists. They believed that the war was an imperialist’s war and the situation should be used to the advantage of Indians by means of an all out struggle for independence. They accepted that weaknesses in the congress organization existed but these could be easily handled once the mass struggle began. Subhash Bose wanted the left wing to leave the congress and believed that people would support the left led mass movement. But even the left parties doubted this as they felt he overestimated their strength and no movement was possible without the support of Gandhiji and the congress.
Finally
the
majority of the congress party decided that no mass
struggle for now but their patience was wearing and the
government too was in no mood to relent and went on
issuing ordinances that took away civil liberties. Finally
government asked Gandhiji to take charge.
To get congress support in the war British government made an announcement known as the August offer to it. The offer said that after the war a representative body of Indians would be setup to form the new constitution. Gandhiji wasn’t satisfied with this offer.
Gandhiji
decided
to launch individual Satyagraha [in response to august
offer] – satyagrahi would inform the district
magistrate about the place of making anti war speeches. If
the government didn’t arrest the satyagrahi he would move
to the next villages progressively towards Delhi [Chalo
Delhi]. Thus Satyagraha in small doses was necessary so
that the British would know that India doesn’t support
their war efforts but at the same time not to disrupt the
fight against Nazism.
The war by 1941 had reached the borders of India and the congress leaders released from prison were anxious in this situation working committee passed a resolution that if British agreed to give freedom after the war then congress would support British in war effort.
The British responded to the pressure put by the allies of the war by sending Stafford Cripps to meet and negotiate with the leaders. The draft declaration made had the following points:
1. Constitution making body after the war
2. Dominion status
3. Members of the constituent assembly shall be elected from provinces and nominated members from the princely states.
4. Pakistan demand was partly accepted by giving freedom to provinces who didn’t want to join the constitution could sign a separate agreement with British.
The congress didn’t support the Cripps proposal as it didn’t have provision for complete independence. Gandhiji called it a post dated cheque from a crumbling bank. People frustration was at its peak and now a time comes for the final assault on imperialism.
Stafford Cripps was sent to India with constitutional proposals to seek Indian support for the war. Stafford Cripps was a left-wing Laborite, the leader of the House of Commons and a member of the British War Cabinet who had actively supported the India national movement.
Cripps Mission was Sent because :
Because of the reverses suffered by Britain in South-East Asia, the Japanese threat to invade India seemed real now and Indian support became crucial
There was pressure on Britain from the Allies (USA, USSR, China) to seek Indian cooperation.
Indian nationalists had agreed to support the Allied cause if substantial power was transferred immediately and complete independence given after the war.
The main proposals of the mission were as follows :
An Indian Union with a dominion status would be set up; it would be free to decide its relations with the Commonwealth and free to participate in. the United Nations and other international bodies.
After the end of the war, a constituent assembly would be convened to frame a new constitution. Members of this assembly would be partly elected by the provincial assemblies through proportional representation and partly nominated by the princes.
The British Government would accept the new constitution subject to two conditions: (i) any province not willing to join the Union could have a separate constitution and form a separate Union, and (ii) the new constitutionmaking body and the British Government would negotiate a treaty to effect the transfer of power and to safeguard racial and religious minorities.
In the meantime, defence of India would remain in British hands and the governor-general's powers would remain intact.
Departures from the Past and Implications
The making of the constitution was to be solely in Indian hands now (and not "mainly" in Indian hands — as contained in the August Offer). A concrete plan was provided for the constituent assembly.
• Option was available to any province to have a separate constitution—a blueprint for India's partition.
Free India could withdraw from the Commonwealth. Indians were allowed a large share in the administration in the interim period.
Why Cripps failed
The Cripps Mission proposals turned out to be merely a propaganda device for US and Chinese consumption.
The Congress objected to the offer of dominion status instead of a provision for complete independence. Representation of the states by nominees and not by elected representatives. Right to provinces to secede as this went against the principle of national unity.
Absence of any plan for immediate transfer of power and absence of any real share in defence; the governorgeneral's supremacy had been retained, and the demand for governorgeneral being only the constitutional head had not been accepted.
The Muslim League criticised the idea of a single Indian Union. It did not like the machinery for the creation of a constituent assembly and the procedure to decide on the accession of provinces to the Union. It thought that the proposals denied to the Muslims the right to self-determination and the creation of Pakistan.
Other groups also objected to the provinces' right to secede. The ,Liberals considered the secession proposals to be against the unity and security of India. The Hindu Mahasabha criticised the basis of the right to secede. The depressed classes thought that partition would leave them at the mercy of the caste Hindus. The Sikhs objected that partition would take away Punjab from them.
The incapacity of Cripps to go beyond the Draft Declaration and the adoption of a rigid "take it or leave it" attitude added to the deadlock. Cripps had earlier talked of "cabinet" and "national government" but later he said that he had only meant an expansion of the executive council.
Churchill (the British prime minister), Amery (the secretary of state), Linlithgow (the viceroy) and Ward (the commander-in-chief) consistently torpedoed Cripps' efforts.
It was not clear as to who would implement and interpret the treaty effecting the transfer of power.
C. Rajagopalachari, the veteran Congress leader, prepared a formula for Congress-League cooperation. It was a tacit acceptance of the League's demand for Pakistan. Gandhi supported the formula. The main points in CR Plan were:
Muslim League to endorse Congress demand for independence.
League to cooperate with Congress in forming a provisional government at centre
After the end of the war, the entire population of Muslim majority areas in the North-West and North-East India to decide by a plebiscite, whether or not to form a separate sovereign state.
In case of acceptance of partition, agreement to be made jointly for safeguarding defence, commerce, communications, etc. The above terms to be operative only if England transferred full powers to India.
Jinnah's Objections to the CR plan were : Jinnah wanted the Congress to accept the two-nation theory. He wanted only the Muslims of North-West and North-East to vote in the plebiscite and not the entire population.
He also opposed the idea of a common centre. While the Congress was ready to cooperate with the League for the independence of the Indian Union, the League did not care for independence of the Union. It was only interested in a separate nation.
Hindu leaders led by Vir Savarkar condemned the CR Plan.
DESAI-LIAQAT PACT
Efforts continued to end the deadlock. Bhulabhai Desai, leader of the Congress Party in the Central Legislative Assembly, met Liaqat Ali Khan, deputy leader of the Muslim League in that Assembly, and both of them came up with the draft proposal for the formation of an interim government at the centre, consisting of
An equal number of persons nominated by the Congress and the League in the central legislature.
20% reserved seats for minorities. No settlement could be reached between the Congress and the League on these lines, but the fact that a sort of parity between the Congress and the League was decided upon, which had far-reaching consequences.
WAVELL PLAN
Although the war in Europe came to an end in May 1945, the Japanese threat still remained. The Conservative Government in Britain led by Churchill was keen to reach a solution on the constitutional question in India. The viceroy, Lord Wavell was permitted to start negotiations with Indian leaders. Congress leaders were released from jails in June 1945.
The Government was Keen on a Solution Now :
The general election in England was scheduled for mid-1945. The Conservatives wanted to be seen as sincere on reaching a solution.
There was pressure from the Allies to seek further Indian cooperation in the war.
The Government wanted to divert Indian energies into channels more profitable for the British.
Features of wavell plan:
The idea was to reconstruct the governorgeneral's executive council pending the preparation of a new constitution. For this purpose, a conference was convened by the viceroy, Lord Wavell, at Shimla in June 1945. The main proposals of the Wavell Plan were as follows.
With the exception of the governor-general and the commander-in-chief, all members of the executive council were to be Indians.
Caste Hindus and Muslims were to have equal representation.
The reconstructed council was to function as an interim government within the framework of the 1935 Act (i.e. not responsible to the Central Assembly).
Governor- general was to exercise his veto on the advice of ministers.
Representatives of different parties were, to submit a joint list to the viceroy for nominations to the executive council. If a joint list was not possible, then separate lists were to be submitted.
Possibilities were to be, kept open for negotiations on a new constitution once the war was finally won.
The League wanted all Muslim members to be League nominees, because it feared that since the aims of other minorities—depressed classes, Sikhs, Christians, etc. were the same as those of the Congress, this arrangement would reduce the League:to a one-third minority.
(Wave wanted Khizr Hyatt Khan as the Muslim representative from Western Punjab.)
The League claimed some kind of veto in the council with decisions opposed' to Muslims needing a two-thirds majority for approval.
The Congress objected to the plan as "an attempt to reduce the Congress to the status of a purely caste Hindu party and insisted on its right to include members of all communities among its nominees".
Wavell announced a breakdown of talks thus giving the League a virtual veto. This strengthened the League's position, as was evident from the elections in 1945-46, and boosted Jinnah's position; and exposed the real character of the Conservative Government of Churchill.
Q.The plan of Sir Stafford Cripps envisaged that after the Second World War (UPSC CSAT 2016)
India should be granted complete independence
India should be partitioned into two before granting independence
India should be made a republic with the condition that she will join the Commonwealth
India should be given Dominion status
Ans . D
Cripps proposed to give dominion status to India after WW2
Q.With reference to cabinet mission, which of the following statements is/are correct?
1. It recommended a federal government.
2. It enlarged the powers of the Indian courts.
3. It provided for more Indians in the ICS
Select the correct answer using the code given below. (UPSC CSAT 2014)
1 only
2 and 3
1 and 3
None
Ans . A
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.
The Union Government and its legislature were to have limited powers, dealing with Finance, Foreign Affairs and Communications. The union would have powers necessary to raise the finances to manage the subjects.
All subjects other than the Union Subjects and all the residuary powers would be vested in the provinces.
Thus, the Cabinet Mission plan proposed a weak Centre with Provincial autonomy (federal structure).