Spectrum Test: Post-war National Scenario - UPSC MCQ

• These upsurges were like a direct and violent conflict with authority, which had obvious limitations.

• Only the more militant sections could participate. 

• These upsurges were short-lived and were confined to a few urban centres while the general INA agitation reached the remotest villages. Communal unity witnessed was more organizational than unity among the people. 

• Muslim ratings went to the League to seek advice and the rest to the Congress and the Socialists.

In the provincial elections, it got a majority in most provinces except in Bengal, Sindh and Punjab. The Congress majority provinces included the NWFP and Assam which were being claimed for Pakistan.

• It got 86.6 per cent of the Muslim votes. 

• It captured the 30 reserved seats in the Central Assembly. 

• In the provincial elections, it got a majority in Bengal and Sindh. 

• Unlike in 1937, now the League clearly established itself as the dominant party among Muslims.

The Correct Answer is C: Both of them

• The most significant feature of the election campaign was that it sought to mobilize the Indians against the British; it did not just appeal to the people for votes. 

• The election campaign expressed the nationalist sentiments against the state repression of the 1942 Quit India upsurge. This was done by glorifying martyrs and condemning officials. 

• The brave resistance of the leaderless people was lauded; martyrs' memorials were set up; 

  • relief funds were collected for sufferers; the officials responsible for causing pain were condemned, and promises of inquiry and punishment threats to guilty officials were spelt out.

• A constituent assembly was to be elected by provincial assemblies by proportional representation (voting in three groups-General, Muslims, Sikhs). 

• This constituent assembly would be a 389-member body with provincial assemblies sending 292, chief commissioner's provinces sending 4, and princely states sending 93 members. (This was a good, democratic method not based on weightage.)

In March 1942, a mission headed by Stafford Cripps was sent to India with constitutional proposals to seek Indian support for the war.
The main proposals of the mission were as follows.
An Indian Union with a dominion status would be set up; it would be free to decide its relations with the Commonwealth and free to participate in the United Nations and other international bodies.
After the end of the war, a constituent assembly would be convened to frame a new constitution. Members of this assembly would be partly elected by the provincial assemblies through proportional representation and partly nominated by the princes.
The British government would accept the new constitution subject to two conditions: (i) any province not willing to join the Union could have a separate constitution and form a separate Union, and (ii) the new constitution making body and the British government would negotiate a treaty to effect the transfer of power and to safeguard racial and religious minorities.
In the meantime, defence of India would remain in British hands and the governor-general’s powers would remain intact.

• The League had only sought a foothold in the government to fight for Pakistan. For them, it was a continuation of the civil war by other means. 

• The Congress demand that the British get the League to change its Interim Government attitude or quit was voiced ever since the League joined the Interim Government. 

• In February 1947, nine Congress members of the cabinet wrote to the viceroy demanding League members' resignation and threatening the withdrawal of their own nominees. 

• The last straw came with the League demanding the dissolution of the Constituent Assembly. A crisis seemed to be developing rapidly.

1. Success of nationalist forces in the struggle for hegemony 

2. Demoralization among the bureaucracy and the loyalist sections 

3. Limitations of the British strategy of conciliation and repression 

4. Demands of leniency for INA by army men and RIN ratings' revolt 

5. An entirely official rule was impossible