HM211 Pakistan Studies

Course Instructor:
Mahboobul Rahman Khan

The Cabinet Mission- March 1946

The Cabinet Mission consisting of three cabinet
Ministers, Secretary of State for India (Lord Pethick
Lawrence), the President of the Board of Trade (Sir
Stafford Cripps) and the First Lord of the Admiralty (A.V.
Alexander) Arrived in India on 24th March,1946. For the
next fourteen days the Mission interviewed and
exchanged notes, with party leaders, provincial chief
ministers, leaders of the opposition ,spokesmen of
minorities, representatives of special interests, rulers
of native states and their ministers and advisers.
They met Gandhi, Jinnah, Nehru, Azad and many
others.
The Congress-Muslim league gulf could not be bridged.

 The Mission published the following plan on 16

May,1946. Some of the Salient recommendations were
as follows:
1. A union of India comprising both British India and the
states having control over foreign affairs defense and
communications and with powers necessary to raise
finances required for these subjects.
2. The Union executive and Legislature to be constituted
from the British India and the states representatives.
A decision by the legislatives would require a majority
of the members present and voting of the two major
communities as well as majority of all the members
present and voting.

3. All the residuary subjects would rest in the

provinces.
4. The Cabinet Mission plan established a threetier government: Federal, Groups and Provincial.
5. The provinces would form three groups as
under:
GroupA: Madras,Bombay,U.P,Bihar,C.P and Orissa
Group B:Punjab,N.W.F.P(K.P) and Sindh
Group C:Bengal and Assam
6. Each group would have its own Executive and
legislature. Each province will also form its own
Executive and Legislature.

7. The chosen representatives would meet to

draft a new constitution for each level:
Federal, group and provinces.
8. Provinces were given the right to opt out
after first general elections under the new
constitution.
9. The constitution could be revised after ten
years.
10.An interim government having the support of
major political parties will be formed. All
portfolios would be held by Indians.

 The Cabinet Mission tried to achieve the impossible as

the two main contending parties had totally different
views on the future shape of India. The Congress
advocated strong Central government while the
Muslim League demanded partition of India creating
Pakistan for the Muslims.
The Cabinet Mission plan tried to keep India undivided
by introducing a federal system. The mission did not
concede Pakistan but suggested a weak Federal
Government with limited authority, main powers
resting with the units. It also suggested Grouping
provinces on Hindu majority/Muslim majority basis.
Indirectly, the Mission conceded the possibility of
Pakistan by giving the provinces the right to concede
and revision of the plan after ten years.

Reactions to the Plan

The Congress noted with satisfaction that Jinnahs
Pakistan was not conceded. The Congress gave its own
interpretation of the plan. They were against the group
system and Nehru spoiled any chances of agreement
by saying that the constituent assembly will be free to
bring changes in the plan. They accepted the plan but
their acceptance made nonsense of the entire plan and
the intensions of the Cabinet Mission.
The Muslim League initially accepted the plan but later
rejected it due to unreasonable attitude of the
Congress. Maulana Azad holds Nehru responsible for
the rejection of the plan. The last chance for keeping
India together was lost for ever.