Q. Comment on “The Cripps Proposal opened the door for the possibility of an indefinite number of partitions. टिप्पणी लिखिये : ‘क्रिप्स प्रस्ताव ने अनिश्चित संख्या में विभाजनों की संभावना के लिये द्वार खोल दिया। [UPPSC- 2000]

Ans:

From 22 March to 11 April 1942, the Cripps Mission headed by Stafford Cripps, a member of the War Cabinet, was dispatched to India to discuss the British Government’s Draft Declaration on the Constitution of India with representative Indian leaders from all parties.   The Cripps Mission was a failed attempt by the British government to secure full Indian cooperation and support for their efforts in World War II.©selfstudyhistory.com

The main proposals of the mission were as follows:

• During the war, the British would retain their hold on India. Once the war finished, India would be granted dominion statuswith complete external and internal autonomy.
  • It would, however, be associated with the United Kingdom and other Dominions by a common allegiance to the Crown.
• At the end of the war, a Constituent Assemblywould be set up with the power to frame the future constitution of India.
  • The members of the assembly were to be elected based on proportional representationby the provincial assemblies.
  • The Princely States would also be given representation in the Constituent Assembly.
• The provinces not agreeing to the new constitution would have the right to keep themselves out of the proposed Union. Such provinces would also be entitled to create their own separate Union. The British government would also invite them to join the commonwealth.
• During the war, an interim government comprising of different parties of India would be constituted. However, defence and external affairs would be the sole responsibility of the viceroy.

It opened the door for the possibility of an indefinite number of partitions:

• One of the proposal of the Cripps Mission was that “any province or provinces which did not acquiesce in the new constitution would be entitled to frame a constitution of their own giving them ‘the same full status as the Indian Union’. The non-acceding provinces could then form their own union with ‘complete self-government.
• Hence both the British provinces and Indian states were granted the right to opt out of the proposed union which would result in the dismemberment of the country and opening a wide road towards the vivisection of India.
• The provinces not agreeing to the new constitution would have the right to keep themselves out of the proposed Union and such provinces would also be entitled to create their own separate Union. This would lead to infinite number of partition of India.
• As pe Nehru, the Cripp’s proposal was not mere acceptance of Pakistan or a particular partition, bad as that would have been, but something much worse opening the door to the possibility of an infinite number of partitions.
• Also the Indian princes had been given the right to nominate/appoint their representatives to the Constituent Assembly instead of the people being given the right to elect them directly. The Congress Working Committee expressed its disapproval of the proposed Composition of the Constitution-making body and the right of the rulers of the Indian States to decide the future of millions of people living in these states. This was a “negation of both democracy and self-determination.”
• Thus the Cripps proposal encouraged the divisive powers in India which finally led to partition of India in 1947.

But still the Cripps proposal was significant:

• For the first time, the British Government clearly accepted the principle of self-determination for the people of India as it conceded their right to frame their own constitution, which was a long-standing demand of the Indian National movement.
• A concrete plan was provided for the constituent assembly.
• Free India could withdraw from the Commonwealth.
• Indians were allowed a large share in the administration in the interim period.

The Cripps mission finally failed due to various reasons like incapacity of Cripps to go beyond the Draft Declaration and the adoption of a rigid “take it or leave it” attitude, objections by the Congress, Muslim League, Hindu Mahasabha, Liberals, the Depressed Classes due to various provisions of the mission. But the immediate impact of the failure of the Cripps Mission was that it left the Indian people more determined to preserve on the path of struggle and provided a historical backdrop to the Quit India Movement but it also had the path of the partition of India which happened in 1947.