Independence and Partition of India icse Class 10 notes
•CABINET MISSION
Provisions or Clauses of the Cabinet Mission
(i) Federal Government : It recommended a federal type of government for the whole of India.
(1) The Federal Government (Central Government) was to have only three subjects under its jurisdiction, namely defence, foreign affairs and communication and also have the power to raise finances required for these subjects.
The rest of the subjects would be under the control of provinces and Princely States which would enjoy full autonomy.
(2) Grouping of Provinces : The British Provinces would be divided into groups. Each group could determine the provincial subjects to be taken in common.
(ii) Constituent Assembly : A Constituent Assembly consisting of 389 members - 292 members from provinces, 4 from the territories governed by a Chief Commissioner and 93 from Indian Princely States would draft the Constitution of India. The members of the Constituent Assembly would be elected by the Provincial Legislative Assemblies. The Constituent Assembly was to be split into three sections. Each group would frame provincial Constitution for the Provinces included in the group. Finally the Constituent Assembly would meet again jointly and frame the Union constitution.
(iii) Formation of Interim Government : An Interim Government at the Centre consisting of representatives of all communities would be installed on the basis of parity between the representatives of the Hindu and the Muslims
(iv) Treaty: It would be necessary to work out a treaty between the Constituent Assembly and the United Kingdom for matters arising out of the transfer of power.
(v) Freedom to join the Commonwealth : The Union of India would be free to remain in or walk out of the British Commonwealth. The Plan was to be totally accepted or rejected.
(vi) Representation of Minorities : Separate representation was to be given to Muslims and Sikhs.
In July 1946, Jinnah rejected the British plan for transfer of power to an interim government which would combine both the Muslim League and the Indian National Congress. He said that if the Muslims were not granted a separate state Pakistan, then he would launch "Direct Action". The Muslim League withdrew its acceptance of the Cabinet Mission Plan.
The Viceroy resumed negotiations with Nehru and Jinnah for the formation of an interim government. The Muslim league refused to join it. The Viceroy did not allow Jinnah to veto his proposals. On August 14, 1946, the Viceroy invited Jawaharlal Nehru to form the government. On the next day, Jinnah announced August 16, 1946 would be "Direct Action Day" for the purpose of winning a separate Muslim state.
•DIRECT ACTION DAY
In Calcutta, August 16 began with public demonstrations, hartals and hoisting of Muslim League flags. Soon communal violence spread over many areas. The mob-fury continued for four days. The Muslim League Ministry in Bengal proved utterly ineffective in meeting the emergency. The tragedy killed 5000 and 15000 were seriously injured in Calcutta alone. Property worth crores was looted and destroyed. The killings in Calcutta were followed by similar happenings in Noakhali and Tripura.
The Congress and the League could not work together for long. The Muslim League stepped up its demand for Pakistan.
For the purpose of transferring power and to take necessary steps in that direction Lord Wavell was recalled and Lord Mountbatten was appointed the new Viceroy. Lord Mountbatten assumed office on March 24, 1947. On 3rd June he announced his plan.
Reasons for passing Mountbatten Plan :
(i) The Cabinet Mission Plan failed to bring a settlement between the Congress and the League for the speedy transfer of power from the British to the Indian hands.
(ii) Moreover the situation in India was very tense. Communal riots broke out in Calcutta, Assam, Punjab and North West Frontier Province. Lord Mountbatten's immediate task was to restore peace among the two warring sections - the Congress and the League-both in his Executive Council, and in the country at large.
(iii) Lord Mountbatten lost no time in holding negotiations with the party leaders. Nehru, Patel, Azad, Liaqat Ali, Baldev Singh and others. In the course of his talks with them, Mountbatten was convinced that there was absolutely no possibility of an agreed solution on the basis of the Cabinet Mission Plan and that the partition of India was inevitable. He was successful in convincing both Patel and Nehru and other Congress leaders to the same view.
The Mountbatten Plan/Proposals :
On 3rd June 1947, Lord Mountbatten presented a plan for the division of India.
The main points of the June 3 Plan are mentioned as follows
1. Partition : The country would be divided into two Dominions i.e., India and Pakistan.
2. Relations between the two new Dominions : It was for the two Dominions to decide what relations they would have with the British Commonwealth and with each other.
3. A Boundary Commission : The Plan provided for the creation of a Boundary Commission to settle the boundaries of the two Dominions in case partition was decided upon.
4. The Princely States : As regards the Princely States, the treaties with them would come to an end. They would be free to associate themselves with either of the Dominions or to remain independent.
5. Bengal and Punjab : The partition of Bengal and Punjab was proposed provided that the Legislative Assemblies of the two provinces decided in favour of partition.
•ITS ACCEPTANCE BY THE LEAGUE AND THE CONGRESS
Both Congress and the Muslim League accepted the Mountbatten Plan.
(i) Non-Cooperative attitude of the League : The League had joined the Interim government to obstruct the working of the Congress and not to cooperate with it.
(ii) Communal Riots : The large scale communal riots that engulfed the whole country convinced all that the only solution to the communal problem lay in the partition of India. These riots were the outcome of "Direct Action Day" by the League.
(iii) To get rid of Undemocratic Procedures : The leaders felt that the constitution of separate electorate, British policy of Divide and Rule and other undemocratic procedures would weaken the democracy. So to get rid of these, partition was a must.
(iv) Immediate end of the British rule : All the people and leaders were so fed up with the British rule that they wanted to get rid of their rule immediately and were ready to pay any price. Hence, the partition was a price for immediate independence.
(v) The leaders felt a smaller strong central authority was better than a bigger state with a weak centre.
(vi) It was felt that further delay in transfer of power could find India in the midst of civil war.
•THE INDIAN INDEPENDENCE ACT, 1947
The following were its main provisions or clauses :
1. Two New Dominions : The Act provided for the creation of two independent Dominions from 15 August, 1947 to be known as India and Pakistan. An independent dominion of Pakistan was to comprise East Bengal, West Punjab, Sindh, Baluchistan, North-West Frontier Province and the district of Sylhet in Assam. India was to comprise all the remaining territories included in British India
2. Separate Governor General : There would be a Governor General for each of the Dominions who shall function as a Constitutional Head. There was no sphere in which he could act against the wishes of the Ministers. Similarly, the Provincial Governors were to act on the advice of their Ministers. The right of the King to veto laws was given up. This right was given to Governor General.
3. Power to Constituent Assemblies to make Laws : The Constituent Assemblies of the two dominions were to serve as their Central Legislatures also. They were to act as sovereign bodies for the purpose of making the Constitution as well as other laws for the dominions. Till the new constitution was framed, the Dominions were to be governed in accordance with the Act of 1935. Pakistan would have a separate Constituent Assembly.
4. Princely States would become Independent : The Princely states that were officially related to the British Empire were made free from all the treaties and relationships and they could decide which dominion to join. Arrangements concerning customs, transit and communication were to continue until they were denounced by the states or Dominions. Lord Mountbatten thought that if the princely state remained independent within the dominion that may lead to chaos and thus made their accession a necessity of the Indian Independence Act.
5. The Abolition of the Office of the Secretary of State : The office of the Secretary of State for India was to be abolished. The titles of 'Emperor of India' and 'King of England' were dropped from the royal style.
6. Division of the Indian Army and the Sharing of Assets : Provision was made for the division of Indian army and the sharing of assets and liabilities between the two Dominions.
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