CABINET MISSION PLAN 1946 Three members sent by

CABINET MISSION PLAN 1946 Three members sent by Labour government in UK with Clement Attlee as the British PM. Three members were : Lord Pethick Lawrence, Sir Stafford Cripps and Mr. A. V. Alexander. They arrived on 24 th March 1946 and submitted their plan in May 1946. Muslim League accepted it on 6 th June 1946 and Congress on 24 th June 1946. Muslim League under Mr. Mohammad Ali Jinnah celebrated ‘Deliverance Day’ or ‘Thanksgiving’ on 22 nd December 1939 when Congress Ministry resigned. Direct Action Day on 16 th August 1946 announced by the Muslim League under Jinnah to take action to safeguard Pakistan. There were communal riots in India. (Jinnah’s Two Nation Theory 1940)

CABINET MISSION PLAN 1946 1. FEDERAL UNION: There would be an Indian Federation or Federal Union of Princely States together with the British territories in India. The Central government would have the matters of Defence, Foreign Affairs, Communication and Finance under it. 2. PROVINCES /PRINCELY STATES TO RETAIN SUBJECTS: The Provinces and Princely States would enjoy autonomy with respect to the matters of the State List and Concurrent List. The important matters like Defence, Finance, Foreign Affairs and Communication would be handled solely by the government at the Centre.

CABINET MISSION PLAN 1946 3. GROUPING OF PROVINCES: Provinces would be grouped on regional basis. Group ‘A’ would have Madras, Bombay, U. P. , Bihar, Orissa and Central Provinces. Group ‘B’ would have Punjab, NWFP and Sindh and Group ‘C’ would have Assam and Bengal. 4. CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY: There would be a Constituent Assembly which would finalise the Preamble and the Constitution. The Federal Union would have a three tier set up with the Union Government at the Centre, Regional Group of Provinces and the Provincial Government at the state level itself.

CABINET MISSION PLAN 1946 5. JOIN THE COMMONWEALTH: India would be free to decide on its own whether it would be a member of the Commonwealth or not. 6. MINORITY INTERESTS SAFEGUARDED: The interest of minorities like the Muslims, Sikhs and the Depressed Classes would be safeguarded. 7. INTERIM GOVERNMENT: In the meanwhile the British would constitute a interim government with the representation of all the different communities, thereby safeguarding their interests and taking good care of their opinions.

CABINET MISSION PLAN 1946 8. TREATY BETWEEEN UK AND CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY: The final transfer of power would take place and be decided formally between the UK government and the Constituent Assembly of India.

CONGRESS RESPONSE TO THE CABINET MISSION PLAN The Congress rejected the Cabinet Mission Plan as it had very few powers and Muslim League was given parity like the Congress accepted ONLY THAT CONDITION which was the formation of the Constituent Assembly as an INDEPENDENT BODY to finalise the Preamble and the future Constitution of India. Congress also disliked Muslim League’s claim that it alone could send Muslim representatives. Congress was a national cum secular party having Muslim representatives therefore it fully represented the entire Indian nation on merit. Congress suggested that any Province later on could opt out of a group in which it did not want to stay. When the Cabinet Mission rejected this claim then the Congress accepted it to preserve India’s unity.

WHY CABINET MISSION PLAN 1946 REJECTED PAKISTAN’S CLAIM FOR PAKISTAN Cabinet Mission Plan rejected Muslim League demand for Pakistan as : 1. The number of non-Muslims in East and West Pakistan was on the higher side and it would be injustice to make them a part of a Muslim state. 2. Likewise giving away non-Muslim part to Bengal, Assam and Punjab would be wrong. 3. The division of the Army , post & telegraph and the assets would be difficult as they had been made for India and not Pakistan. 4. The Princely States would find it difficult which nation to join. 5. East and West Pakistan would be separated by 700 miles which would pose a different challenge.

MUSLIM LEAGUE’S RESPONSE TO THE CABINET MISSION PLAN The Muslim. League rejected the Cabinet Mission Plan as Pakistan had not been guaranteed. But after some time on 6 th June 1946 it accepted the plan as it read the grouping of the provinces as an idea to form Pakistan as the Muslim provinces had been clubbed together. Muslim League accepted the plan thinking that the Congress would never accept it. Congress accepted the Cabinet Mission Plan on 24 th June 1946.