Author, Burning for Freedom

Author, Burning for Freedom
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Tuesday, November 6, 2012

The Pakistan Plant Blossoms, Part II


“A deed without a name . . .”

Hi, Everyone! After the WWII, Britain was left in such dire straits that it was imperative for her to find some solution to the Indian problem and get out of India.

Prime Minister Atlee sent a delegation of Ministers to find a solution to the problem of India. After studying the situation well, the delegation came to one, and only one, conclusion.

“The delegation were therefore unable therefore unable to advise the British Government to transfer power in India to two entirely separate sovereign States.”[1]

There was hope for a united India yet! I have put the Cabinet Mission Plan proposal in a nutshell in my novel.

“An agreement being impossible, the Cabinet Mission announced a plan: formation of a Union of India, embracing all the provinces and Princely States, which would deal with the foreign affairs, defense, and communications along with the power to raise the finances required for them; provinces to be divided into three sections—effectively representing what could be West Pakistan, Hindustan, and East Pakistan; a provincial autonomy to be established by vesting all other subjects and residuary powers in the provinces; a Constituent Assembly to be formed to map out the constitution of free India; and an Interim Government to be formed immediately for the day-to-day running of the country in the transition period, while a permanent deal was negotiated with Britain.”[2]

The delegation left, and it was up to Wavell now to get the Congress and the Muslim League to agree to the Cabinet Mission Plan.

This was, of course, easier said than done! But after much argument and putting forth of reservations, both the Congress and the League decided to accept the Cabinet Mission Plan in spirit (though with reservations.)

 “Jinnah proposed to hold out his hand of ‘co-operation’ to the Congress. The Congress, too, accepted the plan of May 16 as it stood, and declared its willingness to join the Constituent Assembly with a view to framing the constitution of a free, united and democratic India.”[3]

“The Congress and the Muslim League had indeed accepted the long-term plan . . . hereafter it was not to be so much a struggle to wrest power from the British, as a dispute as to how that power, once inherited, should be shared by the parties concerned.”[4]

Pakistan scheme was off the table . . . ! For the first time in the last ten years, the dreaded vivisection of India was shelved, at least for the moment.

In 1946, the scene was all set to save India from being hacked!

·        Why then did India get partitioned?

·        Why was there practically a civil war in India?

·        Why did rivers of blood flow in India?

·        At whose door can we lay this responsibility?

Read on tomorrow.

Anurupa



[1] Transfer of Power, V. P. Menon, page 264.
[2] Burning for Freedom, Anurupa Cinar, page 280.
[3] Mahatma Gandhi, Keer, page 746.
[4] Transfer of Power, V. P. Menon, page 279.

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