The 1945-46 elections, the Cabinet Mission Plan and Direct Action Day

O Level Pakistan Studies History · The emergence of Pakistan: 1940 to 1947. A short explanation of the idea, the rules to remember, the mistake to avoid, a worked example and practice questions with answers.

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The idea

After the war Britain held elections to see who spoke for India. The Muslim League fought them on one issue, Pakistan, and won every Muslim seat in the central assembly and the great majority of Muslim seats in the provinces. The Congress swept the general seats. Jinnah's claim to speak for Muslims could no longer be denied.

In 1946 three British ministers, the Cabinet Mission, tried to keep India united through a weak centre and three groups of provinces. Both parties first accepted, then the plan collapsed.

The League called Direct Action Day on 16 August 1946. Terrible killing followed in Calcutta.

Rules to remember

Elections 1945-46: the League won all 30 Muslim seats in the central assembly (December 1945) and most Muslim seats in the provinces (early 1946).
Reasons for League success: a clear goal (Pakistan), better organisation since 1937, memories of Congress rule, and Jinnah's leadership.
In the Punjab the League won most Muslim seats, but Khizr Hayat Tiwana of the Unionist Party formed a coalition government.
Cabinet Mission, 1946: Lord Pethick-Lawrence, Sir Stafford Cripps and A. V. Alexander.
Plan of May 1946: no Pakistan; a union centre for foreign affairs, defence and communications only; all other powers with the provinces.
Groups: A = Hindu-majority provinces; B = the Punjab, NWFP, Sindh and Balochistan; C = Bengal and Assam.
Nehru said in July 1946 that the Congress would not be bound by the plan, so the League withdrew. In the interim government (1946-47) Liaquat Ali Khan was Finance Member.

Common mistake

Do not write that the Cabinet Mission offered Pakistan. It rejected a separate state and offered grouping inside one union. The League accepted because Groups B and C gave Muslim-majority areas wide self-rule.

Worked example

Under the Cabinet Mission Plan, which group would Sindh be in, and which matters would the union centre still control there?

Sindh was a Muslim-majority province in the north-west, so it fell in Group B with the Punjab, NWFP and Balochistan.
The union centre was limited to three subjects.
These were foreign affairs, defence and communications; everything else stayed with the province or its group.

Answer: Group B; the centre would control only foreign affairs, defence and communications.

Practice questions

Try each one, then open the answer.

1. Why did the Muslim League do so much better in 1945–46 than in 1937?

A
the Congress boycotted both sets of elections
B
the British reserved all Punjab seats for it
C
it had a clear goal and a stronger organisation
D
Muslims voted in joint electorates for the first time

Show answer

Answer: C. The single issue of Pakistan, Jinnah's leadership, a mass membership and support from students and religious leaders transformed its support.

2. Who were the three members of the Cabinet Mission of 1946?

A
Mountbatten, Wavell and Attlee
B
Pethick-Lawrence, Cripps and Alexander
C
Montagu, Chelmsford and Cripps
D
Simon, Attlee and Pethick-Lawrence

Show answer

Answer: B. Three cabinet ministers were sent by the Attlee government. Cripps had also led the 1942 mission.

3. Under the Cabinet Mission Plan, which provinces were placed in Group B?

A
Bengal and Assam
B
the United Provinces, Bihar and Bombay
C
the Punjab, NWFP, Sindh and Balochistan
D
the Punjab, Bengal and Kashmir

Show answer

Answer: C. Group B was the north-west Muslim-majority area and Group C was Bengal and Assam; Group A held the Hindu-majority provinces.

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