1. Partition of india Reasons for the Wavell Plan
Reaction to the Wavell Plan
Clauses of the Cabinet Mission Proposals
The Mountbatten Plan
The Indian Independence Act of 1947

2. The Wavell plan – [lord Wavell replaces Linlithgow as viceroy]
REASONS
Features of the Plan
Pressure from the Allies to seek further support from India in the war.
Threat of Japanese invasion in India, forcing the British to negotiate.
Elections due in England and the Conservatives wanted to appear serious in finding solution to Indian problems.
British to star negotiating on the new constitution for India once the war was over. The Executive council of the Governor to have only Indian members except the Governor general and the commander in chief. Equal representatives from Hindus and Muslims to be taken. The council would function as an interim government and prosecute the war against Japan. Governor general to have veto power.

3. Reaction to the Wavell plan / reasons for the failure of Wavell plan
REACTION OF CONGRESS
REACTION OF MUSLIM LEAGUE
The Muslim League objected to the plan because it wanted all the Muslim representatives in the council to be nominees of the League.
It wanted veto power in the council to use if decisions taken by the council were not in favour of the Muslims.
Congress objected to the plan because it was treated as a Hindu dominated party.
It wanted to nominate members of all castes and religions including Muslims.

4. THE CABINET MISSION The mission consisted of
Pethick Lawrence, the Secretary of State for India:
Stafford Cripps, the President of the Board of Trade and
A.V.Alexander, the First Lord of Admirality.
It arrived in India in 1940 to have discussions with leaders of various parties on issues of the interim government and the procedure and principle on which the Constituent Assembly would frame the new constitution.

5. REASONS FOR SENDING THE CABINET MISSION TO INDIA
* The extent of public sympathy witnessed during the trial of the Indian National Army forced the British to change its policies towards India.
* The 1945 elections in England brought the Labour Party back into power. The Prime Minister Mr. Clement Attlee wanted to resolve the Indian situation as soon as possible.
*The elections to the central and legislative councils in India were announced in August It was declared by the British that after the elections, a constituent assembly would be convened. The Congress won the elections but the Muslim League managed to get about 90 percent of the Muslim votes. The Muslim League thus established as the sole representative of the Muslims wanted nothing less than a partition.

6. Main features of cabinet mission
* REJECTION OF THE IDEA OF PARTITION
WHY ? –
Pakistan if formed would contain a large non-Muslim population, for example the North West Frontier Province had a large number of non- Muslims..
The division of Bengal and Punjab would upset regional ties.
There would be difficulty in communication between West and East Pakistan.
Division of the army was not a good idea.
Britain wanted a strong and united India

7. Creation of an indian union
The Cabinet Mission offered to create a federal union comprised of British Indian provinces and princely states.
The centre would control the defence, communication and external affairs.

8. Grouping of the provincial assemblies
The British provinces were grouped into three sections –
Section A – Madras, Bombay, Central Provinces, United Provinces, Bihar and Orissa.
Section B – Punjab, North West Frontier Province, and Sindh.
Section C- Bengal and Assam
After the first general elections, a province was free to come out of the group.

9. Formation of the constituent assembly
The Mission proposed the formation of the constituent assembly to frame the new constitution.

10. Interim government
An interim government would be formed from the constituent assembly.

11. Princely states
The princely states would no longer be dependent on the British government.
They would be free to negotiate their position with the new government or with the British government.

12. Part of commonwealth
India was free to remain within the British Commonwealth or leave.

13. Transfer of power
The constituent assembly and the British government would sign a treaty that would take care of all the matters that would arise during the transfer of power.

14. Reaction to the cabinet mission plan
The Congress objected on the grouping of provinces.
The Muslim League believed that the provinces of Group B and C would gradually form a separate identity and would decide to secede into Pakistan.
The Muslim League thought that the Cabinet Mission Plan would not be acceptable to the Congress. As a result, it thought that the British government would have to invite the League to form the interim government.
The Muslim League accepted the plan , but the Congress also accepted the Plan , though a few days later.

15. WHAT HAPPENED LATER -
THE CONGRESS MANAGED TO WIN THE ELECTIONS TO THE CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY. THE MUSLIM LEAGUE THEN WITHDREW ITS ACCEPTANCE TO THE CABINET MISSION PLAN. COMMUNAL RIOTS BROKE OUT FOLLOWING THE CALL FOR ‘DIRECT ACTION’ BY THE MUSLIM LEAGUE IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE PAKISTAN.

16. ATTLEE’S ANNOUNCEMENT
THE BRITISH DECIDED TO GO WITHOUT THE LEAGUE AND FORM THE INTERIM GOVERNMENT WITH JAWAHARLAL NEHRU AS THE HEAD.
THE MUSLIM LEAGUE LATER WAS PERSUADED TO JOIN IN. BUT IT KEPT OBSTRUCTING THE FUNCTIONING OF THE GOVERNMENT.
THE CRISIS BETWEEN THE CONGRESS AND THE MUSLIM LEAGUE WAS TEMPORARILY AVERTED BY THE ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE BRITISH PRIME MINISTER ATTLEE REGARDING THE WITHDRAWAL OF THE BRITISH FROM INDIA.

17. MOUNTBATTEN PLAN MAIN PROVISIONS OF THE PLAN –
THE PROVINCIAL ASSEMBLIES OF PUNJAB AND BENGAL TO DECIDE ON ISSUE OF PARTITION. IF VOTED FOR PARTITION, THERE WOULD BE TWO DOMINIONS AND TWO CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLIES.
THE SINDH PROVINCE , NORTH WEST FRONTIER PROVINCE FREE TO DECIDE.
INDIAN PRINCELY STATES WERE TO EITHER JOIN PAKISTAN OR THE INDIAN UNION.
IF PARTITION WAS ACCEPTED THEN A BOUNDARY COMMISSION WOULD BE SET UP.
BOTH THE DOMINIONS WOULD BE INDEPENDENT IN DETERMINING THEIR FOREIGN RELATIONS / COMMONWEALTH MEMBERSHIP.
INDEPENDENCE TO BE GIVEN ON 15TH AUGUST 1947.

18. REASONS FOR CONGRESS ACCEPTING MOUNTBATTEN PLAN
PEACEFUL AND IMMEDIATE TRANSFER OF POWER.
GETTING RID OF UNDEMOCRATIC MEANS LIKE SEPARATE ELECTORATE.
COMMUNAL SITUATION VERY CRITICAL IN THE COUNTRY.
MUSLIM LEAGUE’S NEGATIVE TACTICS TO DISRUPT WORKING OF THE CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY.
THREAT TO THE UNITY OF INDIA IF PRINCELY STATES ARE GIVEN INDEPENDENCE.
CONGRESS BELIEVD THAT A SMALLER INDIA WITH A STRONG CENTRE WAS BETTER THAN A LOOSE FEDERATION WITH A WEAK CENTRE.
NON-ACCEPTANCE OF THE PLAN WOULD FURTHER DELAY TRANSFER OF POWER AND INCREASE THE RISK OF A CIVIL WAR.

19. INDIAN INDEPENDENCE ACT OF 1947
TWO DOMINIONS TO BE CREATED – INDIA & PAKISTAN, BOTH WITH A SEPARATE GOVERNOR GENERAL AND ARMY.
TWO CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLIES FOR INDIA & PAKISTAN.
PRINCELY STATES FREE TO DECIDE WHETHER TO JOIN INDIA OR PAKISTAN.
OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY OF STATE TO BE ABOLISHED.
JINNAH TO BECOME THE GOVERNOR GENERAL OF PAKISTAN AND LORD MOUNTBATTEN OF INDIA. RAJAGOPALCHARI BECAME THE LAST VICEROY OF INDEPENDENT INDIA IN 1948.