The plan of Sir Stafford Cripps envisaged that after the Second World ...
Upon his arrival in India, Cripps held talks with Indian leaders and attempted to satisfy all communities through his proposals. He was a friend of Nehru and did his utmost to arrange an agreement. However, the distrust was too high and many people of influence did not want a settlement to be reached. There is some confusion over what Cripps had been authorized to offer India's nationalist politicians by Churchill and Leo Amery, the Secretary of State for India, and Cripps faced hostility also from Viceroy Linlithgow. Cripps began by offering India full dominion status at the end of the war, with the chance to secede from the Commonwealth and to go for total independence. Privately, Cripps also promised to get rid of Linlithgow and grant India dominion status with immediate effect and insisted only for the Indian Defence Ministry to be reserved for the British.
However, in public, Cripps failed to present any concrete proposals for greater self-government in the short term other than a vague commitment to increase the number of Indian members of the Viceroy's Executive Council. Cripps spent much of his time in encouraging Congress leaders and Jinnah to come to a common, public arrangement in support of the war and the government.
There was little trust between the British and Congress by that stage, and both sides felt that the other was concealing its true plans. The Congress stopped talks with Cripps, and guided by Gandhi, its national leadership demanded immediate self-government in return for war support. Gandhi said that Cripps' offer of Dominion Status after the war was a "post-dated cheque drawn on a failing bank".
The plan of Sir Stafford Cripps envisaged that after the Second World ...
Sir Stafford Cripps was a British statesman and diplomat who played a significant role in India's struggle for independence. In 1942, during the Second World War, Cripps was sent to India by the British government with a proposal known as the Cripps Mission. The plan put forward by Cripps had several key elements, with the main objective being to secure Indian support for the war effort.
Objective: Secure Indian support for the war effort
The primary aim of the Cripps Mission was to gain India's support in the war against the Axis powers. The British government recognized that they needed the cooperation of the Indian National Congress and other political parties to effectively fight the war.
Proposal: Dominion status for India
Cripps proposed that India be given Dominion status, similar to that of Canada or Australia within the British Commonwealth. This would grant India a significant degree of self-governance and autonomy, while still remaining a part of the British Empire. The proposal aimed to satisfy the demands of the Indian National Congress for complete independence, while also addressing the concerns of the British government regarding the stability of the Empire.
Conditions:
The plan came with certain conditions that needed to be fulfilled. These conditions included:
1. Indian participation in the war: India was expected to fully cooperate with the British government in the war effort, providing military support and resources.
2. Princely states: The proposal also acknowledged the separate existence of the princely states and allowed them the option to join or stay out of the Indian Dominion.
3. Future constitution: The plan stated that a constituent assembly would be set up after the war to draft a new constitution for India, which would be acceptable to all parties involved.
Rejection and aftermath:
The Cripps Mission was ultimately rejected by the Indian National Congress and other political parties because it did not offer immediate and complete independence. The Congress demanded that the British government grant India immediate independence, which led to the Quit India Movement in 1942.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the plan proposed by Sir Stafford Cripps envisaged granting India Dominion status within the British Commonwealth, with the condition that India would fully support the war effort. However, the plan was rejected by the Indian National Congress and other parties, leading to further demands for immediate independence.
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