Question

The attempt of the British to pacify the Congress and the Muslim League was clearly visible in the Cabinet Mission proposals but in reality neither could be pleased. With reference to this, explain:

1. Any three proposals of the Cabinet Mission.
2. The reasons for the Muslim League's acceptance and later rejection of the Cabinet Mission Plan.
3. Why did the Congress refuse to participate in the formation of the Interim Government under the Cabinet Mission Plari?

Answer 1

1. Three proposals of the Cabinet Mission were:
   1. Formation of a Constituent Assembly: A Constituent Assembly would be created to draft the new Constitution of the Indian Union. It would have 389 members:
      • 296 members elected from the British Provinces
      • 93 members elected from the Princely States
        The members would be elected by the Provincial Legislative Assemblies.
   2. Representation of Minorities: Separate representation would be provided to Muslims and Sikhs.
   3. Formation of an Interim Government: An Interim Government with 14 members would be formed at the Center. The Viceroy would also reconstitute his Executive Council to include representatives of all communities.
2. The Muslim League accepted the Cabinet Mission proposals in June 1946 because it believed that grouping Muslim-majority provinces would eventually lead to the creation of Pakistan. The League asked Viceroy Wavell to form an interim government. However, the League later rejected the plan for the following reasons:
   1. The Congress won two-thirds of the seats in the Constituent Assembly elections held in July 1946.
   2. The League feared that it would be outvoted in the Assembly and that the British withdrawal would transfer power to the Hindu majority.
   3. The League's representatives were unwilling to work under Nehru’s leadership and rejected the idea of collective responsibility.
3. The Congress refused the Viceroy's offer to form an Interim Government due to its limited powers. It also opposed the principle of parity with the Muslim League and disagreed with the League’s claim that only it could nominate Muslim members to the Executive Council.