Cabinet Mission (in context of Indian Independence)

On 19 Feb, 1946, Clement Attlee announced the proposed visit of 3 members of British cabinet, and thus called Cabinet Mission. The biggest concern in mind of British was that of imperial defence, and for that purpose united India was considered the best bet.

Members

1. Lord Pethick Lawrence – Secretary of State for India
2. Sir Stafford Cripps
3. A.V. Alexander

Brief of the Mission

1. The principles and procedures for the framing of new constitution for granting independence
2. Formation of an interim government based on widest possible agreement among Indian political parties

Main Recommendations

1. Rejection of sovereign Pakistan
2. Grouping of existing provincial assemblies into 3 sections
   1. Section A: Hindu Majority Provinces
   2. Section B: Muslim Majority Provinces in NW India
   3. Section C: Bengal and Assam (Muslim Majority Provinces in East India)
3. Three tier executive and legislature at provincial, section and union levels
4. Constituent Assembly
   1. Elected by provincial assemblies by proportional representation (voting in three groups – General, Muslims, and Sikhs)
   2. 389 member body with provincial assemblies sending 292, princely states 93 and chief commissioner’s provinces sending 4
   3. Members from groups A, b and C to sit separately to decide the constitution for provinces and if possible for the group also. Then the whole assembly would sit together to formulate the Union constitution
   4. A common Centre would control defence, communications and external affairs
   5. Provinces were to have full autonomy and residual powers
5. Princely States
   1. Were no longer to be under paramountcy of British government. They were free to enter into an arrangement with successor governments of British government
   2. After first general elections, a province was to be free to come out of a group and after 10 years, a province was free to call for reconsideration

Response of parties

1. Muslim league accepted it on the assumption that the basis and the foundation of Pakistan was inherent in the plan
2. Congress
   1. Its first priority was independence
   2. It didn’t like the grouping of North West Frontier Province into Muslim majority section
   3. Sikh majority areas of Punjab was another cause of concern
   4. Also it wanted more powers for Centre so as it could intervene in breakdown of law and order

Sequence of event after Cabinet Mission

1. Congress wanted to include a Muslim candidate among its nominees. For Jinnah it was ultimate betrayal
2. Muslim League withdrew its approval of Mission’s long term plan and gave a call for direct action. ML was now on path of non-constitutional methods for first time.
3. It was followed by communal holocaust.