Cripps Mission, 1942
Modern History › The Second World War and the Nationalist Response · Topic 22.6
The Cripps Mission, headed by Sir Stafford Cripps, came to India in March 1942 with proposals for a post-war Indian Union with dominion status, a constituent assembly, and the right of any province to stay out, while the British kept defence. The Congress objected to dominion status, the provincial option and the lack of real power now, and the League disliked the single Union; the talks failed, which left Indians embittered.
7 min read · UPSC Prelims · History · The Second World War and the Nationalist Response
At a Glance
- Led by Sir Stafford Cripps, March 1942
- Offer Dominion status Indian Union after the war; constituent assembly; provinces may opt out
- Interim Defence stayed with the British; Governor-General’s powers intact
- Result Failed; Gandhi called it a post-dated cheque
- Exam link UPSC Prelims, Modern History: The Second World War and the Nationalist Response
Where Does It Fit?
This is the sixth and last topic of the category on the Second World War and the nationalist response. The previous topic covered the individual satyagraha and Nehru as successor. This topic covers the Cripps Mission. The next category begins with the Quit India Movement. Previous topic: Individual Satyagraha and Nehru as Gandhi’s Successor.
Why Was the Mission Sent?
In March 1942 a mission headed by Stafford Cripps was sent to India with constitutional proposals to seek Indian support for the war. Cripps was a left-wing Labourite, leader of the House of Commons and a member of the British War Cabinet, who had actively supported the Indian national movement.
- Because of British reverses in South-East Asia, the Japanese threat to invade India seemed real and Indian support became crucial.
- The Allies, the USA, the USSR and China, put pressure on Britain to seek Indian cooperation.
- Indian nationalists had agreed to support the Allied cause if substantial power were transferred at once and complete independence given after the war, as in Individual Satyagraha and Nehru as Gandhi’s Successor.
What Were the Main Proposals?
| Proposal | Detail |
|---|---|
| 1 | An Indian Union with dominion status would be set up, free to decide its relations with the Commonwealth and to take part in the United Nations and other international bodies |
| 2 | After the war a constituent assembly would be convened to frame a new constitution, its members partly elected by the provincial assemblies by proportional representation and partly nominated by the princes |
| 3 | The British would accept the new constitution subject to two conditions: any province unwilling to join could have a separate constitution and form a separate Union; and a treaty between the constitution-making body and the British would effect the transfer of power and safeguard racial and religious minorities |
| 4 | In the meantime, defence of India would stay in British hands and the Governor-General’s powers would remain intact |
How Did It Differ From Earlier Offers?
- The constitution was to be made solely by Indians, and not mainly by Indians as in the August Offer of 1940, described in August Offer, 1940.
- A concrete plan was given for the constituent assembly.
- Any province could have a separate constitution, which was a blueprint for partition.
- Free India could leave the Commonwealth.
- Indians were allowed a large share in the administration in the interim period.
Why Did the Mission Fail?
The proposals failed to satisfy Indian nationalists and are described as merely a propaganda device for the US and the Chinese. Nehru and Maulana Azad were the Congress negotiators.
| Group | Objection |
|---|---|
| Congress | Dominion status instead of complete independence; representation of princely states by nominees and not elected representatives; the right of provinces to secede, against national unity; no plan for immediate transfer of power and no real share in defence, with the Governor-General’s supremacy kept and the demand that he be only a constitutional head not accepted |
| Muslim League | Criticised a single Indian Union; disliked the machinery for the constituent assembly and the procedure for provincial accession; held that the proposals denied Muslims the right to self-determination and a Pakistan |
| Liberals | Saw secession as against the unity and security of India |
| Hindu Mahasabha | Criticised the basis of the right to secede |
| Depressed classes | Feared partition would leave them at the mercy of caste Hindus |
| Sikhs | Objected that partition would take Punjab from them |
The mission’s explanation that the proposals did not replace the August Offer but gave it precision cast doubt on British intentions. Cripps could not go beyond the Draft Declaration and adopted a rigid take-it-or-leave-it attitude, adding to the deadlock. He had earlier spoken of a cabinet and a national government but later said that he meant only an expansion of the Executive Council.
What Was the Accession Procedure and Where Did Talks Break?
The procedure of accession was not well defined. A province’s decision to stay out was to be taken by a resolution in its legislature with a 60 per cent majority; if less than 60 per cent supported it, a plebiscite of adult males of the province would decide by simple majority. This scheme weighed against Hindus in Punjab and Bengal who wanted to join the Indian Union. It was also unclear who would implement and interpret the treaty effecting the transfer of power. Churchill, Amery, Linlithgow and the Commander-in-Chief Ward consistently undermined Cripps’s efforts, and the talks broke down on the question of the Viceroy’s veto.
Churchill is quoted as saying that he had not become the King’s first minister to preside over the liquidation of the British Empire. Maulana Azad said that the offer gave nothing, and that the war was an opportunity for freedom that should not be lost by depending on a promise. Gandhi described the scheme as a post-dated cheque. Nehru said that the existing structure and autocratic powers would remain and a few of the Indians would become the Viceroy’s liveried camp followers, looking after canteens.
Cripps returned home leaving a frustrated and embittered Indian people who still sympathised with the victims of Fascist aggression but felt that the situation had become intolerable and that the time had come for a final assault on imperialism. As an analytical point, the mission tried to answer both the Congress demand for a constituent assembly and the League’s demand for a recognition of the right of Muslims, and the compromise it offered, a provincial option, satisfied neither, since the Congress saw it as a threat to unity and the League as too weak a guarantee of Pakistan. The movement that followed is in Why Quit India: The Resolution and Gandhi’s Instructions.
Why Is This Topic Important?
- Proposals Four proposals and the provincial option are stock Prelims facts
- Objections Group-wise objections are a frequent Mains question
- Link to Quit India The failure led to the 1942 movement
What Came Next?
The next category begins with the Quit India Movement. Next topic: Why Quit India: The Resolution and Gandhi’s Instructions.
Key People and Terms
- Stafford Cripps Leader of the mission, a member of the War Cabinet
- Indian Union The proposed dominion after the war
- Provincial option The right of a province to remain outside the Union
- Post-dated cheque Gandhi’s description of the offer
- Draft Declaration The text Cripps would not go beyond
- Viceroy’s veto The point on which the talks broke
Exam Corner
Points to Remember
- Cripps Mission: March 1942; Nehru and Azad negotiated for the Congress.
- Dominion status Union; constituent assembly after the war; provincial option.
- Defence stayed British in the interim.
- Gandhi: post-dated cheque.
- Talks broke down on the Viceroy’s veto.
Do Not Confuse With
- Cripps Mission and August Offer 1942: constitution solely by Indians; 1940: mainly by Indians
- Congress and League objections Congress feared secession; League feared a single Union
- Constitutional head and Viceroy’s veto Congress wanted the Governor-General as a constitutional head only
Memory Hook
A cheque dated after the war on a bank that kept the veto.
Mains Angle
Questions ask about the proposals and why they failed. These points add depth.
- Proposals Union, assembly and provincial option
- Objections Congress, League and others
- Failure Veto and British intransigence
A Question You May Face
An original practice question, not a past paper question.
“Examine the proposals of the Cripps Mission and explain why it failed to win Indian acceptance.”
How to Answer
- Context Japanese threat and Allied pressure.
- Proposals Four main proposals.
- Objections Congress, League and others.
- Conclude Breakdown and bitterness.
GS Relevance
Frequently Asked Questions
Why was the Cripps Mission sent to India in 1942?
Japan's advance in South-East Asia made an invasion of India seem real, the Allies pressed Britain to win Indian cooperation, and nationalists had offered support if power was transferred immediately and independence promised after the war. Stafford Cripps came in March 1942 with proposals.
What were the main proposals of the Cripps Mission?
It proposed an Indian Union with dominion status after the war, a constituent assembly partly elected by provincial assemblies and partly nominated by princes, the right of any province to remain outside the Union, and British control of defence in the interim.
Why did the Congress reject the Cripps proposals?
The Congress objected to dominion status instead of complete independence, to nominees for princely states, to the provinces' right to secede, and to the lack of immediate transfer of power and real share in defence, with the Governor-General's supremacy retained.
What objections did the Muslim League and others raise?
The League disliked a single Union and the accession machinery, and said that Pakistan was denied. Liberals and the Hindu Mahasabha opposed secession, the depressed classes feared partition, and the Sikhs feared that partition would take Punjab away from them.
How did Gandhi and Nehru describe the Cripps offer?
Gandhi described it as a post-dated cheque. Nehru said that existing autocratic powers would remain and that a few Indians would become the Viceroy's liveried camp followers, looking after canteens. The talks finally broke down on the question of the Viceroy's veto, which the British would not give up.
PYQ Practice — Statement Analysis
1 The Cripps Mission came to India in March 1942.
Stafford Cripps led it.
2 The Cripps proposals allowed any province to remain outside the Indian Union.
The Congress objected to this.
3 Gandhi called the Cripps offer a post-dated cheque.
Nehru and Azad negotiated for the Congress.
4 Under the Cripps proposals, defence would pass to Indian hands immediately.
Defence stayed in British hands in the interim.
5 The Muslim League accepted the Cripps proposals because they created Pakistan.
It criticised a single Union and said Pakistan was denied.
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