ICSE STD X HISTORY CIVICS The Last Phase- Partition of Indai

MOUNTBATTEN PLAN

 

Who was Lord Mountbatten?

Lord Mountbatten was the last viceroy of British ruled India and the first Governor General of the Dominion of India.

 

What were the political conditions in India when Lord Mountbatten became the Viceroy?

When Lord Mountbatten took over from Lord Wavell in 1947

·         The Interim Government in India was not functioning properly due to the differences between the Congress and the League.

·         The Communal riots were at the peak.

·         Chaos and anarchy prevailed everywhere in the country.

 

Why was Lord Mountbatten sent to India? What was the immediate task before him?

Lord Mountbatten was sent to India for the purpose of taking necessary steps for the transfer of power to the Indians.

His immediate task was to restore peace among the warring sections-the Congress and the League-both in his Executive Council, and in the country.

 

Why did Lord Mountbatten sought to effect the transfer of power without any delay?

After assessing the situation in India Lord Mountbatten found and realized that

·         It was difficult to solve the deadlock between the Congress and the League

·         The Cabinet Mission Plan was unworkable

·         The partition of India was inevitable.

He, therefore, sought to effect the transfer of power without any delay.

 

Name the Big Seven leaders before whom Lord Mountbatten put his plan for the partition of India.

Mountbatten put his plan for the partition of India on June 3^rd 1947 before the 'big seven' leaders- Nehru, Patel, Kripalani, Jinnah, Liaquat, Nishtar and Baldev Singh.

 

Explain the main clauses of the Mountbatten Plan.

The main clauses/points/ features of the Mountbatten Plan are as follows:

1.   Partition:

The country would be divided into two Dominions i.e. India and Pakistan.

2.   Relations between the two new Dominions:

It was for the two Dominions to decide what relations they would have with

·         With the British Commonwealth and

·         With each other

3.   A Boundary Commission:

A Boundary Commission would be created to settle the boundaries of the two Dominions in case partition was decided upon.

4.   The Princely States:

·         All the treaties with the Princely states would come to an end

·         They would be free to associate themselves with

Ø  Either of the Dominions or

Ø  To remain independent

5.   Bengal and Punjab:

The Legislative Assemblies of Bengal and Punjab were to take decision to partition of their respective provinces.

6.   Sindh:

The Legislative Assembly of Sindh was to take its own decision at a special meeting.

7.   North West Frontier Province

A plebiscite was to be held in the North-West Frontier Province to ascertain whether the people wanted to join India or Pakistan.

8.   The District of Sylhet

The Muslim majority district of Sylhet was to decide by referendum whether it would join East Bengal or remain in Assam.

9.   The Constituent Assembly

·         The existing Constituent Assembly would continue to work

·         The Constitution framed by the  existing Constituent Assembly would not apply to Pakistan

·         A separate Constituent Assembly would be constituted for those parts of India which decided in favour of Partition

10.                Transfer of Power

The plan declared the British Parliament would pass and Act for the transfer of power before August 15, 1947 and not in June 1948 as stated earlier.

 

What was the Congress and League’s reaction to the Mountbatten Plan?

The Mountbatten Plan was received with mixed feelings by the public.

·         The nationalists deplored the partition of India

·         The Muslims of the League were not fully satisfied with the way Pakistan was divided, but they accepted the plan for partition.

 

Why did the Congress accept the Partition of India?

Though the nationalists deplored the partition of India; the All-India Congress Committee finally accepted the Mountbatten Plan for the following reasons:

1.   The whole country was engulfed with large-scale communal riots over the partition of India. The Congress was convinced that the only solution to the communal problem lay in the partition of India into India and Pakistan.

2.   The experience of working with the Muslim league had convinced the Congress that the League had joined the Interim Government to obstruct and not to cooperate and that having a joint administration with the League was not feasible.

3.   The Congress also understood that the only alternative to partition was a Federation with a weak centre. A smaller India with a strong central authority was better than a bigger State with a weak Centre.

4.   The Congress got ready for partition as it would lead to immediate independence from the British because any further continuation of British rule would mean a greater calamity for India as the British were instigating the rulers of the Indian States to remain independent.

5.   The Congress leaders felt that further delay in the transfer of power could find India in the midst of a Civil War.

6.   The leaders felt that partition would evolve India as a truly secular and democratic polity as it would get rid of the Constitution of separate electorates and other undemocratic procedures.

 

What was the most important but tragic provision of the Mountbatten Plan?

The most important but tragic provision of the Mountbatten Plan was that the united country of India would be divided into two Dominions i.e. India and Pakistan.

 

To whom was the power to be transferred according to the Mountbatten Plan?

According to the Mountbatten Plan there would be complete transfer of power to the two new dominions India and Pakistan and the Governor General appointed by the British king on advice of the Cabinet of the concerned Dominion would govern till the new Constitutions were framed.

 

What did Mountbatten Plan provide in regard to the princely states?

According to the Mountbatten Plan all the treaties with the Princely states would come to an end. They would be free to associate themselves with either of the Dominions or to remain independent.

 

Mention any two reasons why Congress finally accepted the Partition of India.

All-India Congress Committee accepted the Mountbatten Plan for the following reasons:

1.   The whole country was engulfed with large-scale communal riots over the partition of India. The Congress was convinced that the only solution to the communal problem lay in the partition of India into India and Pakistan.

2.   The experience of working with the Muslim league had convinced the Congress that the League had joined the Interim Government to obstruct and not to cooperate and that having a joint administration with the League was not feasible.

 

Mountbatten formula was to divide India but to retain maximum unity. In the light of the statement answer the following questions

State the basis of the partition of India.

After assessing the situation in India Lord Mountbatten found and realized that since it was difficult to solve the deadlock between the Congress and the League and the Cabinet Mission Plan was unworkable; the partition of India was inevitable and the only option.

 

State any three features of the Mountbatten Plan

1.   Partition:

The country would be divided into two Dominions i.e. India and Pakistan.

2.   Relations between the two new Dominions:

It was for the two Dominions to decide what relations they would have with

·         With the British Commonwealth and

·         With each other

3.   A Boundary Commission:

A Boundary Commission would be created to settle the boundaries of the two Dominions in case partition was decided upon.

 

Why did the Congress and Muslim League accept the Mountbatten Plan?

The All-India Congress Committee accepted the Mountbatten Plan for the following reasons:

 

1.   The whole country was engulfed with large-scale communal riots over the partition of India. The Congress was convinced that the only solution to the communal problem lay in the partition of India into India and Pakistan.

2.   The experience of working with the Muslim league had convinced the Congress that the League had joined the Interim Government to obstruct and not to cooperate and that having a joint administration with the League was not feasible.

3.   The Congress also understood that the only alternative to partition was a Federation with a weak centre. A smaller India with a strong central authority was better than a bigger State with a weak Centre.

4.   The Congress got ready for partition as it would lead to immediate independence from the British because any further continuation of British rule would mean a greater calamity for India as the British were instigating the rulers of the Indian States to remain independent.

5.   The Congress leaders felt that further delay in the transfer of power could find India in the midst of a Civil War.

6.   The leaders felt that partition would evolve India as a truly secular and democratic polity as it would get rid of the Constitution of separate electorates and other undemocratic procedures.

The Muslim League though not fully satisfied with the way Pakistan was divided accepted the plan of partition as their idea of separate Muslim State was being realized.