History (Modern India History :- Cabinet Mission, Plan Balkan, Mountbatten Plan & Indian Independence Act Of 1947)

Modern India History :- Cabinet Mission, Plan Balkan, Mountbatten Plan & Indian Independence Act Of 1947

Cabinet Mission (1946)

 *On 15 March, 1946 Lord Atlee (PM of England) made a historic announcement in which the right to self-determination and the framing of a Constitution for India were conceded.

 *Consequently, 3 members of the British Cabinet – Pattrick Lawrence, Sir Stafford Cripps and A V Alexander – were sent to India, known as the Cabinet Mission.

 *Main features of Cabinet Mission were -

 - Provisions for three groups of provinces to possess their separate constitutions.

 - Proposed the formation of a Union of India, comprising both the British India and the Princely States.

 - Union would remain in charge of only foreign affairs, defense and communications leaving the residuary powers to be vested in the provinces.

 - Proposed setting up an Interim Government, which would remain in office till a new government was elected on the basis of the new Constitution framed by the Constituent Assembly

 - Rejection of the demand for a full-fledged Pakistan

 *Both the Muslim League and the Congress accepted the plan

 *Consequently, elections were held in July 1946 for the formation of a Constituent Assembly.

 *Congress secured 205 out of 214 General seats.

 *The Muslim League got 73 out of 78 Muslim seats.

 *An Interim Government was formed under the leadership of Jawaharlal Nehru on 2 September 1946.

Plan Balkan

 *Between March and May of 1947, Mountbatten decided that the Cabinet Mission Plan had become untenable and formulated an alternative plan.

 *This plan envisaged the transfer of power to separate provinces (or to a confederation, if formed before the transfer)

 *Punjab and Bengal were given the option to vote for partition of their provinces.

 *The various units thus formed along with the princely states (rendered independent by lapse of paramouncy) would have the option of joining India or Pakistan or remaining separate.

 *The plan was quickly abandoned after Nehru reacted violently to it.

Mountbatten Plan (1947)

 *On 20 February l947, Prime Minister Atlee announced in the House of Commons the definite intention

 *To affect the transference of that power Atlee decided to send Lord Mountbatten as Viceroy to India.

 *Lord Mountbatten armed with vast powers became India’s Viceroy on 24 March 1947.

 *Partition of India and the creation of Pakistan appeared inevitable to him.

 *After extensive consultation Lord Mountbatten put forth the plan of partition of India on 3 June 1947.

 *The Congress and the Muslim League ultimately approved the Mountbatten Plan.

Indian Independence Act 1947

- British Government accorded formal approval to the Mountbatten Plan by enacting the Indian Independence Act on 18 July 1947. The salient features of this Act were –

 *Partition of the country into India and Pakistan would come into effect from 15 August 1947.

 *British Government would transfer all powers to these two Dominions.

 *A Boundary Commission would demarcate the boundaries of the provinces of the Punjab and Bengal.

 *Act provided for the transfer of power to the Constituent Assemblies of the two Dominions, which will have full authority to frame their respective Constitutions.

 *Radcliff Boundary Commission drew the boundary line separating India and Pakistan.

 *On 15th August 1947 India, and on the 14th August Pakistan came into existence as two independent states.

 *Lord Mountbatten was made the first Governor General of Independent India, whereas Mohammad Ali Jinnah became the first Governor General of Pakistan.