Cabinet Mission (1946)

Key Pointers

Background: British Labour government (Attlee's announcement, 19 February 1946); post-war unrest, INA trials, Royal Indian Navy Mutiny (Feb 1946).
Members: Lord Pethick-Lawrence (Secretary of State), Sir Stafford Cripps (President of the Board of Trade), A.V. Alexander (First Lord of the Admiralty); Viceroy Lord Wavell assisted. Arrived in Delhi 24 March 1946.
Plan (16 May 1946):
- Rejected the demand for a separate Pakistan.
- Union of India with three Central subjects: Defence, Foreign Affairs, Communications (plus power to raise finance).
- Provinces in three groups: Group A (Madras, Bombay, UP, Bihar, CP, Orissa – Hindu majority); Group B (Punjab, NWFP, Sind, Baluchistan – Muslim majority); Group C (Bengal, Assam). Provinces could opt out of groups after the first general elections.
- Constituent Assembly of 389 members (292 from provinces, 93 from princely states, 4 from Chief Commissioner's provinces) elected by provincial assemblies on communal proportional representation.
- Interim Government of major parties; residuary powers with provinces; paramountcy of the Crown to lapse.
Reactions: The Muslim League accepted the plan (6 June 1946); Congress accepted the Constituent Assembly but disputed compulsory grouping; Nehru's press statement (10 July 1946) that Congress would be free to modify the plan led the League to withdraw its acceptance (29 July 1946) and call Direct Action.
Outcomes: Interim Government (2 September 1946) headed by Nehru (Vice-President of the Viceroy's Executive Council); League joined on 26 October 1946 (Liaquat Ali Khan as Finance Member); Constituent Assembly met 9 December 1946 with Sachchidananda Sinha (temporary chairman) and Rajendra Prasad (president, 11 December).
Significance: Last major attempt to preserve unity; its failure led to the Mountbatten Plan.

MCQs

Q1. Which of the following was NOT a member of the Cabinet Mission? (a) Pethick-Lawrence (b) Stafford Cripps (c) A.V. Alexander (d) Lord Mountbatten Answer: (d).

Q2. The Cabinet Mission proposed a Constituent Assembly of: (a) 292 members (b) 389 members (c) 296 members (d) 300 members Answer: (b). 292 from provinces, 93 from princely states, 4 from chief commissioner provinces.

Q3. The Cabinet Mission Plan envisaged Central control over: (a) Defence, Foreign Affairs and Communications (b) Defence, Finance and Railways (c) Foreign Affairs and Education (d) Defence only Answer: (a).