1940-1947 Pakistan Movement Events PDF

# **Pakistan Movement 1940-1947** ## **Key Events** - Pakistan Resolution 1940 - Cripps Proposal 1942 - Quit India Movement 1944 - Gandhi-Jinnah Talks 1944 - Wavell Plan 1945 - Simla conference 1945 - Elections 1945-46 - Cabinet Mission 1946 - 3rd June Plan 1947 - Radcliffe Award 1947 - Independen...

# **Pakistan Movement 1940-1947** ## **Key Events** - Pakistan Resolution 1940 - Cripps Proposal 1942 - Quit India Movement 1944 - Gandhi-Jinnah Talks 1944 - Wavell Plan 1945 - Simla conference 1945 - Elections 1945-46 - Cabinet Mission 1946 - 3rd June Plan 1947 - Radcliffe Award 1947 - Independence Act of 1947 ## **The Pakistan Resolution** - **Annual session of Muslim league 23 March 1940** - Liqat Ali Khan presented the annual report of Muslim League - Resolution moved by Molvi fazal-Ul-Haq - Resolution seconded by Ch. khaliquzaman - **Resolution** - They decided that the Federal system under Government of India Act, 1935 was not acceptable for the Muslims. - No revised constitutional plan would be acceptable unless it was framed with their approval and consent. - Adjacent units where Muslims are in a majority, as in Northwest and East, should be constituted as Independent States where the constituent units will be autonomous and sovereign. - Protection of minorities would be given priority ## **Importance of Resolution** - The passing of the resolution was a huge step for the Muslim League. - The Pakistan Resolution offered a fair and attractive solution to the problem, the Muslims had grappled with constant strain of being refer to second-class status. - Had given the enthusiasm to Muslims - This resolution was passed unanimously and soon became known as 'Pakistan Resolution'. - The Muslims of subcontinent had finally got their rallying call. - The years of oppression from British and Hindus were to be put behind them and it was ML which was undisputed leader of Pakistan Movement. - It joined all the Muslims together to demand for a separate homeland. ## **Significant Moments of Resolution** - An image is provided, with the caption "Quaid-e-Azam is presiding over the session while Chaudhry Khaliquzzaman is seconding the Resolution" - Another image is provided, with the caption "Quaid-e-Azam is Explaining the Significance of Pakistan Resolution" ## **Reaction on Lahore resolution** 1. The Hindu press published news that the Muslim league had a dangerous design to disintegrate the country by the creation of Pakistan. 2. Congress, which was dreaming to establish 'Hindu Raj' had manipulated Lahore resolution as: - ML creating problems in the way of independence and wanted to retain the British predominance over the subcontinent. - Raised slogan that people of India wanted to form one United Nation - Congress hostility grew towards Muslim league. ## **British Offer of August 1940** - **Introduction** - On August 8, 1940, the British Government issued a White Paper that after the war a constituent assembly would be formed in India. - The August Offer showed a clear change in the approach of the British towards the constitutional problems of India. - For the first time, it promised the formation of a Constituent Assembly for Indian representatives. - It was also said that in the proposed assembly the rights of all the minorities, especially the Muslims, would be safeguarded. - Moreover, it removed the fear of the Muslims that the Government would surrender to the demands of the Congress. - However, it was made clear that such a development could only take place if all parties and communities in India would cooperate with the British Government during the war. - **August 1940 Offer** - A constitutional settlement was proposed. - Dominion Status - Rejected by Congress - Viceroy Linlithgow promised a crack down on Congress if it initiated civil disobedience. - Congress called for individual acts of disobedience. - Linlithgow wanted to declare Congress a treasonable organisation but Churchill turned him down (why?). - 20,000 imprisonments inside one year ## **Proposals of Cripps Mission 1942** - An image is provided, with the caption "Proposals of Cripps Mission 1942" ## **Causes of Cripps Mission 1942** - **Japan's Attack:** Japan had already attacked Pearl Harbour on 7th December 1941, the American Naval Base and destroyed it. It had taken over Philippines, Malaysia, and come to the borders of Assam. Japan could easily attack India. To check the situation, Sir Stafford Cripps, a member of the war cabinet, was sent in March 1942 to India to get India's cooperation to fight the war. ## **Cripps Proposal 1942** 1. Give India Dominion status after war like that enjoyed by Canada and Australia. 2. Promise of the formation of a Constituent Assembly to finalise the Constitution. 3. Princely States to be free to join India or remain independent. 4. Provinces could decide to be separate from India and frame their own Constitution. 5. Till further notice, the Defence would be handled by the British government. ## **Rejection of Cripps Proposal 1942** 1. **Division of the Nation.** The proposal put up the point of division of India into a number of independent States which was against its unity. 2. **No Time Limit for the Dominion Status.** British did not declare when the dominion status would be given. The declaration was vague. 3. **Representatives of Princely States Nominated.** The people of the Princely States were denied the right to elect a representative of their own. They would be nominated by the rulers of those States. 4. Gandhiji criticised Cripps Proposal as 'post dated cheque on a failing bank'. The Muslim League reject the Cripps Proposal as it did not clearly state the decision of partition and the formation of a Muslim State. ## **Quit India Movement** - **On This Day 8 August 1942** Quit India Movement Was Started ## **Circumstances Leading to QIM** - On April 11, 1942, suddenly the Cripps proposals were withdrawn. Before the outside world, Britishers painted a dark picture of India as a divided house unfit for the immediate freedom, but in India, there was utter frustration and disgust. - The government had acquired a vast land for military purpose in East Bengal. Thousands of farmers were thrown out of their ancestral fields. They destroyed country-made boats which were the principal means of livelihood for lakhs of people. - The national leaders were convinced that the English were too weak to defend India. They felt that the Japanese had a grudge only with the British and if they left India immediately, the Japanese might give up the idea of invading India. ## **'Quit India' resolution, August 8, 1942** - On 7 to 8 August 1942, the All India Congress Committee met in Bombay and ratified the 'Quit India' resolution. Gandhi called for “Do or Die”. - An image is provided, with the caption "M. Ayub Khuhro (first from left) seen with M. A. Jinnah, Liaquat Ali Khan & other Muslim League leaders during the ML Working Committee meeting in Bombay in 1942" ## **Importance** - The importance of the Quit India Movement can never be undermined. It witnessed nationalistic feeling of the people at the zenith. For the first time, the government was astonished by observing the powerful nationalistic feelings of the Indians, added with anti-British feeling. - Over 100,000 arrests were made, mass fines were levied, and demonstrators were subjected to public flogging. Hundreds of civilians were killed in violence, many shot by the police army. Many national leaders went underground and continued their struggle by broadcasting messages over clandestine radio stations, distributing pamphlets and establishing parallel governments. ## **Causes of Failure** - An image is provided, with the caption "A 1942 group photo of freedom fighters and sympathisers of the Quit India movement" - The revolt of 1942 lasted for three months only. - It failed in its attempt to paralyze the government machinery in order to seize power. The three main causes of failure according to Dr. Amba Prasad are: - Tactical mistakes of organization and planning - Loyalty of the services - Superior physical strength of the government ## **The Gandhi-Jinnah Talks - 1944 (2059)** - An image is provided, with the caption "The Gandhi-Jinnah Talks - 1944 (2059)" ## **Gandhi-Jinnah Talks (1944)** - The Gandhi-Jinnah talks have great importance with regard to political problems of Pakistan and India movement. - The talk between them began because of general publics desire for settlement of Hindu-Muslim differences. - M.A Jinnah was invited by Gandhi for the talk. - The talks began in Bombay on September 19,1944 and lasted till 24th of the month. - Gandhi's real purpose behind these talks was to extract from Jinnah an admission that the whole proposition of Pakistan was absurd. ## **Gandhi-Jinnah Talks 1944** - An image is provided, with the caption "پاکستان کا مطلب کیا" - Gandhi-Jinnah talks on the issue of Pakistan - Mr. Gandhi was opposed to the two-nation theory which formed the basis of the Pakistan demand and he refused the Muslims the right of self-determination. - Talks failed. ## **Gandhi-Jinnah Talks (1944)** - Lord Wavell released Gandhi from prison in May 1944. Gandhi proposed Jinnah that they should meet to consider the future of India after the British departure, which now seemed inevitable. - Throughout September 1944, the two met at Jinnah's home in Bombay. - Though many people expected a comprise to be reached, the talks broke down for a number of reasons: - Gandhi wanted the Muslim league to give immediate support to Congress in its struggle to remove the British. Only after the British left could partition be considered. Jinnah knew that he had to secure partition before the British left. - Gandhi also wanted the central government to have control over key areas such as defence and foreign policy. Jinnah wanted these matters to be in the hands of the provinces. - Gandhi considered himself to be speaking for all India. Jinnah reminded him that really he was just the sposeman of Congress. - Gandhi gave the impression that he did not support the 'Two Nation theory', whereas this had now become official Muslim League policy. - **Importance:** Though the meeting ended on failure, it was a great technical and political achievement of Muslim league and Jinnah. As the Congress through its main leader (Gandhi) had been forced to negotiate with the Muslim league on equal footing and recognize that there were two leaders in India, Jinnah representing the Muslims, and Gandhi representing the Hindus. ## **Conclusion of Gandhi-Jinnah Talks** - This meant, in effect, that power over the whole of India should first be transferred to Congress, which thereafter would allow Muslim majority areas that voted for separation to be constituted, not as an independent sovereign state, but as part of an Indian federation. - Gandhi contended that his offer gave the substance of the Lahore Resolution. Quaid-i-Azam did not agree to the proposal and the talks ended. ## **Wavell Plan and Simla Conference** - An image is provided, with the caption: "Wavell Plan and Simla Conference" ## **Wavell Plan and The Simla Conference** - **Introduction** - In May 1945, Lord Wavell, the Viceroy of India, went to London and discussed his ideas about the future of India with the British administration. - The talks resulted in the formulation of a plan of action that was made public in June 1945. The plan is known as the Wavell Plan. - **Plan Suggestion** - The Plan suggested reconstitution of the Viceroy's Executive Council in which the Viceroy was to select persons nominated by the political parties. - Different communities were also to get their due share in the Council and parity was reserved for Cast-Hindus and Muslims. - While declaring the plan, the Secretary of State for Indian Affairs made it clear that the British Government wanted to listen to the ideas of all major Indian communities. - Yet he said that it was only possible if the leadership of the leading Indian political parties agreed with the suggestions of the British Government. ## **Calling for The Conference** - To discuss these proposals with the leadership of major Indian parties, Wavell called for a conference at Simla on June 25, 1945. Leaders of both the Congress and the Muslim league attended the conference, which is known as the Simla Conference. - However, differences arose between the leadership of the two parties on the issue of representation of the Muslim community. - The Muslim League claimed that it was the only representative party of the Muslims in India and thus all the Muslim representatives in the Viceroy's Executive Council should be the nominees of the party. - Congress, which had sent Maulana Azad as the leader of their delegation, tried to prove that their party represented all the communities living in India and thus should be allowed to nominate Muslim representatives as well. - Congress also opposed the idea of parity between the Cast-Hindus and the Muslims. All this resulted in a deadlock. - Finally, Wavell announced the failure of his efforts on July 14. Thus the Simla Conference couldn't provide any hope of proceeding further. ## **Election 1945-46** - An image is provided with the caption "تاریخ هندوستان " "HISTORY OF INDIA" "1500 BC TO 1947 AD " "1945-46 کے انتخابات" "ELECTION 1945-46" ## **General Elections 1945-46** - **Introduction** - After the failure of the Simla conference, Lord Wavell announced general and provincial elections after which a constitutional making body was to be set up. - Viceroy announced the formation of executive council with the support of both Muslims and Hindus parties.. - But both parties rejected the proposal. Quaid-i-Azam declared that Muslims were not ready to accept any settlement less than a separate homeland for them and the All India Congress Committee characterized the proposal as vague, inadequate, and unsatisfactory because it had not addressed the issue of independence. Despite this, both parties launched election campaigns. - Because they knew that the elections were essential for the future of India, as the results were to play an important role in determining their standing. ## **Both Raised Different Slogan** - The League wanted to sweep the Muslim constituencies so as to prove that they were the sole representatives of the Muslims of India, while on the other hand Congress wanted to prove that they represent all Indians. - Both parties raised different slogans during the whole election campaign. Congress tried to get support of all those parties who were against the Muslim League. ## **Conclusion** - Elections for central legislature were held on December 1945 with the limited franchise. During these elections, Congress won about 80 percent of the general seats and 91.3 percent general votes and Muslim League won all 30 reserved seats for Muslims. - Provincial election held on 1946 results was not different. The Muslim League won 95 percent seats for Muslims, and Congress won all seats for non-Muslims. ## **Cabinet Mission (1946)** - An image is provided with the caption "Cabinet mission (1946)" ## **Cabinet Mission in India** - On Feb 19, 1946, Clement Attlee - the new British PM, declared that Cabinet Mission would be sent to India to facilitate the process of transfer of power. - Cabinet Mission arrived in India in March 1946. It consisted of three cabinet members: - Pethic Lawrence - Sir Stafford Cripps - A.V.Alexander ## **Clauses of the Cabinet Mission Plan** 1. **Grouping of Provinces:** The British Provinces would be divided into groups. - **Group A:** Six Hindu Majority Provinces like Madras, Bombay, Bihar, Orissa etc. - **Group B:** Three Muslim Provinces- Punjab, NWFP (North West Frontier Province), and Sindh. - **Group C:** Bengal, Assam etc. 2. **Formation of Constituent Assembly:** 389 Members would form the Constituent Assembly (296 Members of British Provinces and 93 from Princely States. 3. **Representation of Minorities:** Separate representation was to be given to Muslims and Sikhs. 4. **Formation of an Interim Government:** An interim government at the Centre would be formed with 14 members. 5. **Freedom to join the Commonwealth:** India would have a choice to join or not to join The British Commonwealth. ## **Reaction to The Cabinet Mission Plan** - **Reaction of Congress:** - Congress accepted the plan but with some reservations. - It accepted that part of the plan that spoke about the Constituent Assembly and Constitution. - It proposed that Grouping of provinces should be made optional and not compulsory. - Congress rejected the formation of the Interim Government because it gave parity (equality) to the Muslim league at par with Congress. - **Reaction of Muslim League:** The Muslim League accepted the plan entirely as it saw the Grouping of Muslim Provinces was a way to form Pakistan, and it welcomed the ## **Direct Action Day - 1946** - An image is provided, with the caption "Direct Action Day - 1946" ## **Vultures and corpses in the street of Calcutta, August 1946** - The 'Direct Action' was announced by the Muslim League Council to show the strength of Muslim feelings towards its demand for an "autonomous and sovereign" Pakistan. The Action resulted in the worst communal riots that British India had seen. ## **Direct Action Day, Great Calcutta Killings** - An image is provided, with the caption "Dead and wounded after the 'Direct Action Day' which developed into pitched battles as Muslim and Hindu mobs rioted across Calcutta in 1946, the year before independence" ## **June 3rd Plan** - In March 1947, Lord Wavell was replaced by Lord Mountbatten. He found India in a grip of civil war. He soon realized that there was no way out of the tangle other than partition. Then he gave a plan of independence named as the 3rd June Plan. ## **June 3rd Plan** - When all of Mountbatten's efforts to keep India united failed, he asked to chalk out a plan for the transfer of power, and the division of the country. It was decided that none of the Indian parties would view it before the plan was finalized. - The plan was finalized in the Governor's Conference in April 1947, and was then sent to Britain in May where the British Government approved it. ## **Cont.** - The plan was made public on June 3, and is thus known as the June 3rd Plan. - June 3 Plan (1947) was comprised of the following main points on the basis of which Britain, after dividing it, was to quit India: - Two separate states will be established in India. - The present constitution assembly will to act but its constitution will not be applicable on the areas which will not accept it. - The power will be transferred the same year (1947) to the representatives of India. - The Muslim majority areas, and the Hindu majority distinct of Bengal and Punjab will decide in separate meetings to accept or not to accept the division of the provinces. If anyone of the two groups will opt division, the province will be divided. - The Muslim majority areas which will not opt to join the present constituent assembly will create their separate constituent assembly. ## **Radcliffe Award, a Divided Punjab** - An image is provided with two maps, with the caption "Radcliffe Award, a Divided Punjab." The first map shows Punjab with detailed labels for Lahore, Jammu & Kashmir, Amritsar, and Patiala. The second map shows a more detailed view of Punjab, with labels such as Pakistan, India, Jammu & Kashmir, Punjab, Punjab Detail, Gurdaspur, Amritsar, Ferozepore, Hosharpur, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Moga, Sangrur, and Patiala . ## **Radcliffe Award** - It was provided in the June 3 plan that as soon as the legislatures of Punjab and Bengal decided in favor of partition, a boundary commission should be set up to demarcate the boundaries. - The legislatures of Bengal and Punjab voted in favor of partition. Boundary commissions were set up for Punjab and Bengal under the chairmanship of Sir Radcliffe. Each commission was to consist of an equal number of representatives of India and Pakistan and one or more impartial members. ## **Cont.** - The final award was announced on 17 August, 1947. The Radcliffe Award was unfair to Pakistan because it awarded many Muslim majority areas in Punjab and Bengal to India. Calcutta was given to India. - Muslim majority tehsils of Gurdaspur and Batala were given to India along with Pathankot tehsil. The Muslim majority tehsil Ajnalain in Amritsar district was also handed over to India. - In Jullundur district, the Muslim majority areas in Ferozpur district were also given to India. All of these areas were attached to western Punjab. This unfair award resulted in India's occupation of Kashmir, and snatching from Pakistan important head works and giving them to India. ## **Indian Independence Act of 1947** - An image is provided showing three men, with the caption "Indian Independence Act of 1947." ## **The Indian Independence Act 1947** - After the acceptance of the Mountbatten Plan by all the Indian leaders, then British PM introduced the Indian Independence Bill in the British Parliament and it was passed by both the British Houses on July 1, 1947. - The main Clauses/Provisions of the Indian Independence Act 1947 were as follows: - **Two New Dominions** (Pakistan would include Sindh, British Baluchistan, NWFP, West Punjab, and East Bengal. The remaining territories would be included in India.) - **Boundary Commission:** exact boundary - **Provisions of Partition:** - Bengal and Punjab would be divided if desired by its people. - Through Plebiscite (Voting), people of NWFP and Sylhet would decide whether to join India or Pakistan. Later they joined West and East Pakistan. ## **The Indian Independence Act 1947: Clauses** - Governor - General for Each Dominion - Separate Constituent Assemblies to serve as Central Legislatures. - **End of Jurisdiction of the British Parliament:** - From 15th August 1947, control of the British parliament would end. - Emperor of India and King of England- titles would be dropped. - Till separate new constitutions are framed, the country would be governed as per the Act of 1935. - The Governor-General would have the powers to modify or adopt the Government of India. - The right of the king to veto (refuse) laws would be given up. - Princely states would be free from all British treaties. They were free to join either of the Dominions. - Treaties and Agreements with the Govt. of India would lapse. - Division of Army and Assets - Bringing Act into Operation (Governor-General) - **Office of Secretary of State, and Interest of Existing Officers:** The interest of the existing officers would be safeguarded. And the Office of Secretary of State would be abolished. ## **Thank you!** - An image is provided with the caption "Thank you"