In the previous post, we studied that the Naval Mutiny and the refusal of the Cabinet Mission created havoc for the British Government in India. Though Congress accepted the Cabinet Mission Plan. But Muslim League did not accept it from the heart. Muslim League kept itself adhering to its demand for a sovereign state of Pakistan.
So, elections happened to elect the members of the constituent assembly. But as expected Congress captured 205 seats including all the General seats but 9 and the League 73 out of 78 ‘Muslim’ seats. This result disturbed Jinnah and in aggression, he announced 16th August 1946 as Direct Action Day. The Direct Action day is planned to have a sovereign state in any case.
Interim Government
In between the Direct Action Day, Viceroy asked Congress to form an interim government. This was totally unacceptable for the Jinnah. Though interim government officials offered Muslim League members to join the government. But Muslim League denied this proposal too.
So, on 11th December 1946, the Constituent Assembly elected Dr Rajendra Prasad as its president. J L Nehru passed the “Objective Resolution” on 22nd January 1947. In the next move, the British Prime Minister Mr Attlee came out with an announcement.
Attlee’s Announcement
On 20th February 1947, Attlee did one announcement and gave June 1948 as the deadline by which the British would quit India. He did declaration,
The present state of uncertainty is fraught with danger and can not be indefinitely prolonged. His Majesty’s Government wish to make clear that it is their definite intention to take necessary steps to effect the transfer of power to responsible Indian hands by June 1948.
The declaration of this statement irritated Muslim League and they organised a violent campaign to bring about at any cost the partition of the country. This outrage was so violent that finally, the British Government executed their last long wish of Balkanisation of the Indian Subcontinent.
Actually, the Muslim League was the creation of Britishers. They always followed the policy of divide and rule in India. Every imperialist government do like this, they first make the people victim of their suppressive policies and then divide them into religious or economic grounds.
So many riots took place after this declaration. So, British Government declared that the psychosis of hatred and fear of Indian unity was impossible to keep unimpaired.
Mountbatten Plan
To resolve!!! To resolve the circumstances the then viceroy came out with the resort which is the Balkanisation of the Indian Subcontinent. We call it as Mountbatten Plan. Lord Mountbatten was a man of tact, energy and determination and declared his intentions to complete the transfer of power into Indian hands within a few months.
The provisions of the Mountbatten Plan are as follows,
- To ascertain the wishes of the people he proposed that constitution be a frame in the existing Constituent Assembly or in a new and separate Constituent Assembly consisting of the representatives of those areas who decide not to participate in the existing Constituent Assembly.
- Mountbatten Plan also proposed the appointment of a Boundary Commission to demarcate boundaries in case partition was to be implemented.
Mountbatten Plan actually prepared the base for the Indian Independence Act, of 1947. The Mountbatten Plan also known as the Plan of 3rd June was accepted by all the political parties in the country. The Muslim League was happy because the Mountbatten Plan decided to go for the partition of India.
The Congress also accepted the partition of India as according to some Congress officials it was unavoidable. Though the pain of partition in Sikh and Bengal provinces was bored by the innocent people. So many innocent people lost their livelihoods as well as lives. It was a very sad movement for the entire Indian community but the people who cause this Ghadar to happen were the kings of the new countries.
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