Cabinet Mission Plan, 1946
Modern History › Post-War Scenario, Cabinet Mission and Communalism · Topic 24.4
The Cabinet Mission of Pethick Lawrence, Stafford Cripps and A.V. Alexander reached Delhi on 24 March 1946 to arrange a peaceful transfer of power. When the Congress and League could not agree, it put forward its own plan in May 1946: it rejected a full Pakistan, grouped the provinces in three sections A, B and C, provided a three-tier structure under a common centre for defence, communications and external affairs, and a 389-member constituent assembly.
7 min read · UPSC Prelims · History · Post-War Scenario, Cabinet Mission and Communalism
At a Glance
- Announced February 1946
- Members Pethick Lawrence (chair), Stafford Cripps, A.V. Alexander
- Arrived Delhi, 24 March 1946
- Plan May 1946: three groups of provinces, a federal Union, a 389-member constituent assembly
- Exam link UPSC Prelims, Modern History: Post-War Scenario, Cabinet Mission and Communalism
Where Does It Fit?
This is the fourth topic of the category on the post-war scenario, the Cabinet Mission and communalism. The previous topic covered the elections of 1945-46. This topic covers the Cabinet Mission and its Plan. The next topic covers the grouping clause and how it was interpreted. Previous topic: Elections of 1945-46.
Who Were the Members of the Mission?
The Attlee government announced in February 1946 the decision to send a high-powered mission of three British cabinet members to India to find ways of negotiating a peaceful transfer of power. They were Pethick Lawrence, Secretary of State for India and chairman of the mission, Stafford Cripps, President of the Board of Trade, and A.V. Alexander, First Lord of the Admiralty.
Why Did British Withdrawal Seem Imminent?
- Nationalism had clearly succeeded in the struggle for hegemony by the end of the war and had reached sections and areas that had been untouched.
- Even the bureaucracy and loyalists showed support for nationalism. A shortage of European recruits and Indianisation had ended British domination of the ICS as early as the First World War, and by 1939 there was parity. After the long war only a depleted, war-weary bureaucracy battered by 1942 remained.
- British strategy of conciliation and repression had limits: after the Cripps Offer there was little to offer except full freedom; repression exposed the naked force behind the government, while leniency made it appear unable to wield authority; and efforts to woo the Congress dismayed the loyalists.
- Congress rule in the provinces had boosted morale and spread patriotic sentiment.
- Demands for leniency for INA prisoners from within the Army and the naval revolt raised fears that the forces might not be reliable if the Congress started a 1942-type movement, this time aided by provincial ministries.
- The only alternative to all-out repression was wholly official rule, which seemed impossible for lack of numbers and efficient officials.
- The government realised that a settlement was needed to bury the ghost of a mass movement and to secure good future Indo-British relations.
The overarching aim of British policy-makers was now a graceful withdrawal after settling the modalities of the transfer of power and of post-imperial relations. Two quotations are recorded: B.R. Tomlinson says the British Cabinet saw the growing rift between the Congress and the League as its trump card, and Lord Wavell wrote in October 1946 that time in India was limited and power to control events almost gone. The earlier events are in Red Fort, Delhi,…">INA trials Second 11 February 1946, Calcutta, against Rashid Ali’s seven-year sentence…">The Three Upsurges of Winter 1945-46 and Cripps Mission, 1942.
What Was the Position on the Eve of the Plan?
The Congress demanded that power be transferred to one centre and that the demands of minorities be worked out in a framework ranging from autonomy to Muslim-majority provinces to self-determination or secession from the Indian Union, but only after the British left. The British wanted a united and friendly India as an active partner in the defence of the Commonwealth, since a divided India would lack defence and be a blot on British diplomacy. Their policy in 1946 clearly preferred a united India, in sharp contrast to earlier declarations. On 15 March 1946 Prime Minister Attlee said that Britain, though mindful of the rights of minorities, could not allow a minority to place its veto on the advance of the majority, a far cry from the Shimla Conference where Wavell had let Jinnah wreck the talks, as in Wavell Plan and the Simla Conference.
What Did the Mission Do in India?
The Cabinet Mission reached Delhi on 24 March 1946. It held long discussions with leaders of all parties and groups on the interim government and on the principles and procedures for framing a constitution giving India freedom. As the Congress and the League could not agree on the basic question of the unity or partition of India, the mission put forward its own plan for the constitutional problem in May 1946.
Why Did the Plan Reject a Full Pakistan?
| Reason | Detail |
|---|---|
| 1 | Pakistan would include a large non-Muslim population, 38 per cent in the North-West and 48 per cent in the North-East |
| 2 | The principle of communal self-determination would also claim the separation of Hindu-majority western Bengal and the Sikh- and Hindu-dominated Ambala and Jullundur divisions of Punjab, and some Sikh leaders were already asking for a separate state if the country was partitioned |
| 3 | Deep regional ties would be disturbed if Bengal and Punjab were partitioned |
| 4 | Partition would bring economic and administrative problems, such as communication between the western and eastern parts of Pakistan |
| 5 | The division of the armed forces would be dangerous |
What Were the Main Provisions?
| Provision | Detail |
|---|---|
| Grouping | Provincial assemblies to be grouped in three sections: A (Madras, Bombay, Central Provinces, United Provinces, Bihar, Orissa), B (Punjab, NWFP, Sindh) and C (Bengal and Assam) |
| Structure | A three-tier executive and legislature at provincial, section and union levels |
| Constituent assembly | Elected by provincial assemblies through proportional representation in three groups, General, Muslims and Sikhs; 389 members, with 292 from the provinces, 4 from chief commissioner’s provinces and 93 from the princely states, a democratic method without weightage |
| Procedure | Members of groups A, B and C to sit separately to decide the constitution for provinces and, if possible, for the groups; then the whole assembly to sit together for the union constitution |
| Centre | A common centre for defence, communications and external affairs; a federal structure |
| Communal questions | In the central legislature to be decided by a simple majority of both communities present and voting |
| Provinces | Full autonomy and residual powers |
| Princely states | No longer under British paramountcy; free to arrange with successor governments or the British government |
| Opting out | After the first general elections a province could leave its group, and after 10 years it could ask for reconsideration of the group or union constitution |
| Interim | An interim government to be formed from the constituent assembly |
As an analytical point, the Plan tried to keep a united India with strong provincial autonomy, giving the League a protected position through the sections while denying it a separate state. The disputes over how the groups worked are in Grouping Clause of the Cabinet Mission Plan and Its Interpretations.
Why Is This Topic Important?
- Provisions Grouping, assembly size and structure are Prelims facts
- Reasons for rejecting Pakistan A frequent Mains point
- British motives Shows the shift to withdrawal
What Came Next?
The next topic describes the grouping clause of the Plan and how the parties interpreted it. Next topic: Grouping Clause of the Cabinet Mission Plan and Its Interpretations.
Key People and Terms
- Cabinet Mission The three-member British mission of 1946
- Grouping The division of provinces into Sections A, B and C
- Paramountcy British overlordship of the princely states
- Proportional representation Seats in proportion to votes in the groups
- Weightage Extra representation for a minority, not used in this assembly
- Residual powers Powers not listed, left to the provinces
Exam Corner
Points to Remember
- Mission announced February 1946; reached Delhi 24 March; Plan May 1946.
- Members: Pethick Lawrence, Cripps, A.V. Alexander.
- Sections: A Hindu-majority; B Punjab, NWFP, Sindh; C Bengal and Assam.
- Constituent assembly: 389 = 292 + 4 + 93.
- Centre: defence, communications, external affairs.
Do Not Confuse With
- Cabinet Mission and Cripps Mission 1946 three cabinet members; 1942 Cripps alone
- Section B and Section C B: Punjab, NWFP and Sindh; C: Bengal and Assam
- Constituent assembly seats 292 provinces, 4 chief commissioner’s provinces, 93 princely states
Memory Hook
Three ministers, three sections, one centre, 389 members.
Mains Angle
Questions ask about the Plan and the reasons for the mission. These points add depth.
- Reasons British weakness and Indian pressure
- Plan A united India with groups
- Pakistan Rejected for five reasons
A Question You May Face
An original practice question, not a past paper question.
“Why did the British send the Cabinet Mission in 1946 and what were the main provisions of its Plan?”
How to Answer
- Reasons Imminent withdrawal and its causes.
- Mission Members and arrival.
- Plan Pakistan rejected; groups and assembly.
- Conclude A united India with autonomy.
GS Relevance
Frequently Asked Questions
Who were the members of the Cabinet Mission of 1946?
The mission consisted of Pethick Lawrence, Secretary of State for India and its chairman, Stafford Cripps, President of the Board of Trade, and A.V. Alexander, First Lord of the Admiralty. It reached Delhi on 24 March 1946 to arrange a peaceful transfer of power.
Why did British withdrawal seem imminent in 1946?
Nationalism had reached all sections, the bureaucracy was war-weary and partly nationalist, conciliation and repression had both failed, the armed forces seemed unreliable after the INA trials and the naval revolt, and the British could not afford wholly official rule.
Why did the Cabinet Mission reject a full Pakistan?
A Pakistan would include large non-Muslim populations, 38 per cent in the North-West and 48 per cent in the North-East, would raise claims to partition Bengal and Punjab, disturb regional ties, bring economic and administrative problems and divide the armed forces dangerously.
What was the grouping scheme of the Cabinet Mission Plan?
Provincial assemblies were to be grouped into Section A of Hindu-majority provinces, Section B of Punjab, the North-West Frontier Province and Sindh, and Section C of Bengal and Assam, with a three-tier structure of province, section and union.
What was the constituent assembly under the Cabinet Mission Plan?
It was to have 389 members, 292 elected by provincial assemblies by proportional representation, 4 from chief commissioner's provinces and 93 from princely states. The groups would first sit separately and then together to frame the union constitution.
PYQ Practice — Statement Analysis
1 The Cabinet Mission reached Delhi on 24 March 1946.
Pethick Lawrence chaired it.
2 The Cabinet Mission Plan accepted the demand for a full-fledged Pakistan.
It rejected it for five reasons.
3 Under the Plan the constituent assembly had 389 members.
292 came from provinces and 93 from the princely states.
4 Section C of the grouping included Bengal and Assam.
Section B included Punjab, NWFP and Sindh.
5 Under the Plan the princely states remained under British paramountcy.
Paramountcy was to lapse.
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