P R E S E N TAT I O N C O N V E N T

SR.SEC. SCHOOL JAMMU

SUBMITTED BY:NAME:- AAKARITI MAHAJAN

TH
CLASS:- 9TH
SECTION:- A

Mohandas Karamchand
Gandhi

Childhood to Assassination
(1869-1948)

CHILDHOOD AND EARLY

YEARS
* M.K. Gandhi was born on 2nd October, 1869 at Porbandar in the state of Gujarat of India.

Right from his early years, his sensitive mind was often stormed by various moral and
ethical questions. In his autobiography, Gandhi has put down in detail the various spiritual
and moral questions that troubled his young mind. Committed towards leading a
meaningful life right from his early years, Gandhi was disturbed by the condition of the
poor and the deprived. His studies of various religious and philosophical works also helped
him to develop a unique and individualistic view of the world, which although at its
nascent stage, would finally reach maturity in later years.
However, in the early years, there was nothing in Gandhi's life that would portend the
great things that would follow. Being married at a tender age of 13 to Kasturba Bai, Gandhi
sired four children. Gandhi left for his legal studies to London in 1891 and stayed there for
two years. Soon after his return to India, Gandhi left for South Africa for a one year
contractual legal job. The incidents there changed his life for ever, shaping and
strengthening him for the great endeavors that he would undertake in the later part of his
life.

Gandhi in South Africa

(1893-1915)
* Experiences

in South Africa changed Gandhi's life for ever. Gandhi in 1893, on his
arrival at South Africa, was already well versed in various theologies and
philosophies. Ruskin, Tolstoy and Thorough, with their theories of passive
resistance, were particularly strong influences on him. He was pained by the
treatment that was meted out to the Indians in South Africa by the British
authorities. However, history has shown us that it always takes the immediacy of
some momentous incident to finally bring into light what has been latent for a long
time.

Gandhi and the

Indian Struggle for
Freedom
(1915-1948)

Gandhi and Kasturba on their return to

India, January 1915

Major Movements Fought under

leadership of Gandhi ji
Three important milestones of India's pre independence history

he Non-Cooperation Movement
Civil Disobedience Movement
The Quit India Movement
1920)
(1930)
(1942)
Satyagraha or passive civilian resistance and ahimsa or non
violence was the unique weapons of Indian National
Movements.

Non-Cooperation
Movement
(Aug 1920-22)

Non-Cooperation Movement
Gandhi urged the Congress to launch a Non-Cooperation Movement on three issues

* Redressal

of the wrongs committed in Punjab that entailed the

Jallianwala Bagh massacre and the atrocities related to the marital laws
*Khilafat Issue.
*Accomplishment of swaraj.

Non-Cooperation Movement
Program & policy
*

Promotion of swadeshi and boycott of foreign made

articles

*
*
*
*
*
*

Surrender of honorary posts and titles

Rejection of official Durbars
Progressive rejection by lawyers of British courts
Boycott of elections appointing new Councils
Boycott of Government run and state assisted schools
Promotion of khadi

Result of Non-Cooperation
Movement
* In contradiction to the approach of non violence championed

by Mahatma Gandhi, the Non-Cooperation Movement sparked

off an incident of mob violence in Chauri Chaura in the
United Provinces. A few police constables were killed,
following an attack of a police outpost on February 5th,
1922. Disillusioned by this incident, Gandhi called for the
suspension of the movement in 1922.
* Gandhi ji return all the medals he had received in
recognition of his war services from the British government
(Kaiser-I-Hind" gold medal ).

THE SWARAJISTS
TheSwaraj Party,Swarajaya PartyorSwarajya Party, established as
theCongress-Khilafat Swarajaya Party, was a political party formed in India
in January 1923 after theGayaannual conference in December 1922 of the
National Congress, that sought greater self-government andpolitical freedom
for the Indian people from theBritish Raj. It was inspired by the concept of
Swaraj. InHindiand many otherlanguages of India,swarajmeans
"independence" or "self-rule." The main leaders were Motilal Nehru and C.R.
Das, among others.
Motilal Nehru and Chittaranjan Das thought of contesting elections to enter
the legislative council with a view to obstructing a foreign government. Many
candidates of the Swaraj Party got elected to the central legislative assembly
and provincial legislative council in the 1923 elections. In these legislatures
they strongly opposed the unjust government policies.
The establishment of fully responsible government for India, the convening of
a round table conference to resolve the problems of Indians, and the releasing
of certain political prisoners, were the resolutions in the central legislative
council.

Civil Disobedience
Movement
(1930-34)

Chauri Chaura
The Swaraj Party was formed on 9 January 1923 by Indian politicians
and members of theIndian National Congresswho had opposed
Mahatma's suspension of all civil resistance on 5 February 1922 in
response to theChauri Chaura tragedy, where policemen were killed
by a mob of protestors. Gandhi felt responsible for the killings,
reproached himself for not emphasizing non-violence more firmly, and
feared that the entireNon-Cooperation Movement could degenerate
into an orgy of violence between the British-controlled army and
police and mobs of freedom-fighters, alienating and hurting millions of
common Indians. He went on a fast-unto-death to convince all Indians
to stop civil resistance. The Congress and other nationalist groups
disavowed all activities of disobedience.
But many Indians felt that the Non-Cooperation Movement should not
have been suspended over an isolated incident of violence, and that
its astonishing success was actually close to breaking the back of
British rule in India. These people became disillusioned with Gandhi's
political judgments and instincts.

Pro-Changers and No-Changers,

and the Simon Commission
After his release from prison in 1924, Gandhi sought to bring back the Swarajists to the
Congress and re-unite the party. Gandhi's supporters were in a vast majority in the
Congress, and the Congress still remained India's largest political party, but Gandhi felt it
necessary to heal the divide with the Swarajists, so as to heal the nation's wounds over
the 1922 suspension.
The Swarajists sought more representation in the Congress offices, and an end to the
mandatory requirement for Congressmen to spinkhadicloth and do social service as a
prerequisite for office. This was opposed by Gandhi's supporters, men likeVallabhbhai
Patel,Jawaharlal NehruandRajendra Prasad, who became known as theNo Changersas
opposed to the SwarajistChangers. Gandhi relaxed the rules on spinning and named some
Swarajists to important positions in the Congress Party. He also encouraged the Congress
to support those Swarajists elected to the councils, so as not to embarrass them and
leave them rudderless before the British authorities.
When theSimon Commissionarrived in India in 1928, millions of Indians were infuriated
with the idea of an all-British committee writing proposals for Indian constitutional
reforms without any Indian member or consultations with the Indian people. The
Congress created a committee to write Indian proposals for constitutional reforms,
headed by now Congress President Motilal Nehru. The death ofLala Lajpat Rai, beaten by
police inPunjabfurther infuriated India. People rallied around the Nehru Report and old
political divisions and wounds were forgotten, andVithalbhai Pateland all Swarajist
councillors resigned in protest.
Between 1929 and 1937, the Indian National Congress would declare the independence
of India and launch theSalt Satyagraha. In this tumultuous period, the Swaraj Party was
defunct as its members quietly dissolved into the Congress fold.

NEHRU REPORT 1928

The Motilal Nehru Report 1928 was a report by a committee headed by Pt. Motilal
Nehru. This committee was created when Lord Birkenhead, Secretary of State of
India asked the Indian leaders to draft a constitution for the country. The report,
which demanded a Dominion Status for India was considered by the Congress.
Contents [hide] Background Key Points of Nehru Report Was Nehru Report a Reversal
of Lucknow Pact? Background in its annual session of 1928 held at Calcutta. While
Jawahar Lal Nehru and Subhash Chandra Bose were in favour of complete swaraj,
most of leaders were satisfied with the dominion status for the time being. At the
annual session of the Congress in Madras in December 1927, a resolution was passed
which advocated the boycott of the Simon Commission at every stage and in every
form. Other factions of the politicians also joined the suit. On February 3, 1928 a
complete Hartal was observed in Mumbai on the day when Simon Commission landed
in Bombay. Wherever the commission goes, people came out in processions and show
him Simon Go Back. But the commission had to do its duty. It visited twice in 1928
and 1929 and finally submitted its report in May 1930. But, it was not to be accepted
by the Indian Leaders. The secretary of state for India was Lord Birkenhead, who
threw a challenge to these congressmen to prepare a draft of constitution of India.
The political leaders accepted the challenge and this was followed by a call for All
party conference in February and May 1928.

Key Points of Nehru Report

Jinnahs 14 Points
In the All parties meeting at Calcutta in December 1928,
Jinnah moved certain amendments to the Nehru Report. But
these amendments were not accepted by Congress. So Jinnah
et al refused to participate further in the conference. A few
days later, there was a Muslim All Parties conference was held
in Delhi, in which the nationalist Muslims attended and
formulated a series of demands on behalf of the Muslims of
the Country. In this All Muslim Parties conference, it was made
clear that no constitution, by whomsoever proposed or
devised, would be acceptable to the Muslims of the country,
unless it conformed with those demands. At the same time
Jinnah after consulting the Muslim leaders formulated the
Fourteen Points for safeguarding the rights and interests of
the Muslims in any future constitution of the country.

Poorna Swarajya Resolution: Lahore Session 1929

When the Nehru Report came before the annual session of the Congress in Calcutta in
December 1928, the left lashed it out on the fact that it did not want the complete
Independence and wanted only a dominion status. Independence of India League
Meanwhile in April 1928, the Independence of India League was formed with Jawahar
Lal Nehru and Subhash Chandra Bose as Secretaries and S. Srinivasa Iyengar as President.
The Congress session at Calcutta marked an almost split among the leaders who wanted
dominion and leaders who wanted complete Independence. Ultimately it was resolved
that if the British parliament accepts the Nehru report by 31 December 1929, Congress
would adopt the report as it is. If the report is not accepted by the British parliament,
Congress would insist in Complete Independence and would organize a nonviolent Non
cooperation movement. The one year deadline passed and no positive reply came from
the Government. This was followed by Lahore Session of Congress which was presided by
Jawahar Lal Nehru. The most land mark resolution was that the Nehru Committee Report
had now lapsed and Dominion status will not be acceptable. A Poorna Swarajya Resolution
was passed and it was Swarajya means complete Independence. In pursuance with this
resolution, the Central and Provincial Legislatures had to be boycotted completely and all
the future elections were also to be boycotted. A Programme of the Civil Disobedience
was to be launched. On the midnight of December 31, 1929 and January 1, 1930, the
deadline of the Nehru Committee report expired and Jawahar Lal Nehru unfurled the
Flag of Indias independence on the bank of River Ravi in Lahore. The Congress working
committee met on January 2, 1930 and on that day it was decided that the January 26,
1930 should be observed as Poorna Swarajya Day., as on that day, a Poorna Swarajya
pledge was drafted by Mahatma Gandhi

Factor leading to
Civil Disobedience Movement
* Accused of being an 'All-White Commission', the Simon Commission
was rejected by all political and social segments of the country .
* Demand for status of dominion .
* Demand for release of the political prisoners .
* Holding the suggested Round Table Conference for reflecting on
the problems regarding the constitution of the country.

But None of the efforts made by the Congress received

any favorable response from the British government &
Gandhi ji decided to launch Civil disobedience
movement
Gandhi inaugurated The Civil Disobedience Movement by conducting the historic Dandi Salt
March, where he broke the Salt Laws imposed by the British Government. On 6th April
1930, Gandhi with the accompaniment of seventy nine satyagrahis, violated the Salt Law
by picking up a fistful of salt lying on the sea shore. They manually made salt on the
shores of Dandi. The entire nation amalgamated under the call of a single man, Mahatma
Gandhi . Dandi Salt March had an immense impact on the entire nation. Each and every
corner of the country was gripped in a unique fervor of nationalism

Civil Disobedience
Movement
Program & policy (1930)

*Breaking of the Salt Laws.

*Picketing of shops selling foreign goods and liquor.
*Bonfire of foreign cloths.
*Refusal to pay taxes.
*Avoidance of offices by the public officers and
Schools by the students.

Garndhi-Irwin Pact

* In the March of 1930, Gandhi met with the Viceroy, Lord Irwin and signed

an agreement known as the Gandhi-Irwin Pact. The two main clauses of

the pact entailed; Congress participation in the Round Table Conference
and cessation of The Civil Disobedience Movement. The Government of
India released all satyagrahis from prison
* Gandhi attended The Second Round Table Conference in London
accompanied by Smt. Sarojini Naidu . The Second Round Table Conference
proved to be futile for the Indians and Gandhi returned to the country
without any positive result. The political scene in India thereafter assumed
an acute dimension. The Viceroy, Lord Willingdon, in the absence of
Gandhi, adopted the policy of repression. The Gandhi-Irwin Pact was
violated and the Viceroy took to the suppression of the Congress

Result of Civil
Disobedience Movement

Karachi Session (1931)

The Gandhi Irwin Pact was endorsed by the Congress in the Karachi Session of 1931, that
was held from March 26-31. Gandhi was nominated to represent Congress in the Second
Round Table Conference. Just a week back, Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev and Rajguru had been
executed. So, there was anger in the public whose point was that why Gandhi did accept
to sign the pact. So, when Gandhi was on the way to attend the Karachi session, all over
the route, he was greeted with the Black flags. In the Karachi session, congress passed a
resolution to dissociate itself from and disapprove the political violence in any shape.
The resolution which was drafted by Gandhi, admired the bravery and sacrifice of the
three martyrs. In the same line, the Congress endorsed the Gandhi-Irwin Pact and
reiterated the goal of "Poorna Swaraj".

*Gandhi ji speech during

Civil
Disobedience Movement

Third round table conference

Third Round Table Conference was held in London on November 17,
1932. This was just a nominal conference, Congress refused to attend
it (not invited, in fact) and in Britain, the Labor party also refused to
not to attend it.
So, only 46 people reached out there.
Please note that it was this conference where a college student
Chaudhary Rahmat Ali proposed the name of the new land specially
carved out from India for the Muslims. The name of this holy land
was Pakistan.
Muslim leaders who attended the conference were Muhammad Ali,
Agha Khan, Fazlul Haq, Jinnah. The outcome of the Third Round Table
conference was the White Paper issued by the Government. On the
basis of this paper, the Government of India Act 1935 was to be passed.

Government of Indian Act, 1935

Government of India Act 1935was passed by British Parliament in August 1935.
With 321 sections and 10 schedules, this was the longest act passed by British
Parliament so far and was later split into two parts viz. Government of India Act
1935 and Government of Burma Act 1935. The Government of India Act 1935
derived material from four key sources viz. Report of the Simon Commission,
discussions at the Third Round Table Conference, the White Paper of 1933 and the
reports of the Joint select committees. This act ended the system of dyarchy
introduced by GOI Act 1919 and provided for establishment of a Federation of India
to be made up of provinces of British India and some or all of the Princely states.
However, the federation never came into being as the required number of princely
states did not join it.
Salient Features Salient Features of the Government of India Act 1935 were as
follows:
Abolition of provincial dyarchy and introduction of dyarchy at centre. Abolition of
Indian Council and introduction of an advisory body in its place. Provision for an All
India Federation with British India territories and princely states.
Elaborate safeguards and protective instruments for minorities.
Supremacy of British Parliament.
Increase in size of legislatures, extension of franchise, division of subjects into
three lists and retention of communal electorate.
Separation of Burma from India

CRIPPS MISSION, 1942

1942 saw the advancement of British forces in India. Apart from that there was a pressure from
the American President F. Roosevelt and Chinese premier Chiang Kai-Shek to concede the real
political power to the people of India. The fall of Burma was enough to frighten the British and
when the Japanese army began to knock the doors of India after Burma and Singapore, the war
cabinet of Britain sent Sir Stafford Cripps to India on March 1942 to elicit cooperation from the
Indians. It promised for the fulfillment of past promises to self government to Indian people.
The proposal of the Cripps mission was that:
India would be a dominion associated with the United kingdom. It promised that immediately
after the war is stopped, steps would be taken up to set up an elected body charged with the
task of making the constitution for India and provisions would be made so that the Indian states
could participate in the framing of the constitution.
Through the Cripps mission for the first time, British government recognized the Right of
Dominion for India.
Indians were given promise of liberty to frame their own constitution. The Cripps mission which
was a move to appease the Congress, Muslim League and Indian states at the same time was
rejected by all of them. Gandhi wanted an undivided India, Muslim league wanted a separate
Pakistan , Congress demanded a full control over defense stating that a slave country cannot
have any inspiration .
Muslim league said there was inadequate representation of Muslims. Sikhs rejected because of
non accession of provinces. Hindu Mahasabha rejected because the Pakistan Virus was alive.
The Dalits and depressed classed also rejected because there was nothing new for them.

*Quit India Movement

Quit India Movement

(Factors)
* In

1939, with the outbreak of war between Germany and Britain,

India was announced to be a party to the war for being a
constituent component of the British Empire & congress criticized
the decision as taken without Indian consent.
* The Cripps' Mission and its failure also played an important role in
Gandhi's call for The Quit India Movement
British government on 22nd March, 1942, sent Sir Stafford Cripps
to talk terms with the Indian political parties and secure their
support in Britain's war efforts. A Draft Declaration of the British
Government was presented, which included terms like
establishment of Dominion, establishment of a Constituent . These
would be, however, granted after the cessation of the Second
World War. According to the Congress this Declaration only offered
India a promise that was to be fulfilled in the future. Commenting
on this Gandhi said; "It is a post dated cheque on a crashing bank."

Gandhi's Call for Quit India

* The

Quit India Movement, inaugurated at the call of the Mahatma,

unfolded in four phases. In the first phase there were strikes,
processions, demonstrations and processions. This phase lasted for a
period of three to four days and commenced from the day of Gandhi's
arrest on August 9th , 1942. The factory and mill workers rose to the
cause and displayed maximum vigor and enthusiasm. The government
took recourse to repressive measures to subdue the movement.
Raids of municipal and government buildings characterized the second
phase of the movement. Police stations, post offices and railway
stations were attacked and set ablaze. Attempts were made by the
agitated mobs to capture court buildings. Troops fired to control mob
fury. September 1942, marks the beginning of the third phase of the
movement. It is said that during this phase of the movement, the mob
threw bombs on the police in Madhya Pradesh, Bombay and Uttar
Pradesh. With the emergence of the movement into the fourth phase,
it gained back its peaceful character and extended till Mahatma
Gandhi was released from prison in May, 1944.

DEMAND OF PAKISTAN
The All India Muslim League met in Lahore in March 1940. The League adopted a resolution that
has become known as the Lahore Resolution. March 23, the date on which this Resolution was
adopted, is celebrated in Pakistan every year. The resolution was moved in the general session
byA.K. Fazlul Huq, the chief minister of undividedBengal,and was seconded byChoudhury
Khaliquzzaman, a leader from what was United Provinces (now Uttar Pradesh). The full,
unedited text of the resolution is reproduced below.
While approving and endorsing the action taken by the Council and the Working Committee of
the All India Muslim League, as indicated in their resolutions dated the 27th of August, 17th &
18th of September and 22nd of October, 1939, and the 3rd of February, 1940 on the
constitutional issue, this session of the All India Muslim League emphatically reiterates that the
scheme of federation embodied in the Government of India Act 1935 is totally unsuited to, and
unworkable in the peculiar conditions of this country and is altogether unacceptable to Muslim
India.
It further records its emphatic view that while the declaration dated the 18th of October, 1939
made by the Viceroy on behalf of His Majesty's Government is reassuring in so far as it declares
that the policy and plan on which the Government of India Act, 1935, is based will be
reconsidered in consultation with various parties, interests and communities in India, Muslims in
India will not be satisfied unless the whole constitutional plan is reconsidered de novo and that
no revised plan would be acceptable to Muslims unless it is framed with their approval and
consent.

DEMAND OF PAKISTAN

The All India Muslim League Working

Committee, Lahore session, March 1940.
Jinnah in the centre, fourth from the left

INA TRIAL & End of INA

Ras Bihari Bose had died in January 1945 in Tokyo. Subhash Chandra Bose was also
presumed to have died. Before the war ended, the INA soldiers started falling into
the hands of the allies. These were taken as Prisoners of Wars and the Court martial
began as early as 1943. INA had around 43000 recruits out of which many perished,
many fled and mixed with the civilians, but 16000 were captured. They were stuffed
into the ships and sent to India via Rangoon. Various detention camps had been
organized in Jhingergacha and Nilganj near Calcutta, Kirkee near Pune, Attock,
Multan and at Bahadurgarh near Delhi.
The officers of the INA were taken to court martial at the Red Fort of Delhi from
November 1945 and May 1946. Around ten courts-martial were held.
The first of these was the joint court-martial of Colonel Prem Sahgal, Colonel
Gurubaksh Singh Dhillon and Major General Shah Nawaz Khan, who had been
taken Prisioners of Wars in Singapore.
They were charged of Waging War against the King Emperor as well as Murder
and abetment of Murder.
The Indian National Congress and the Muslim League both made the release of
the
three defendants, one Hindu, One Muslim and One Sikh !
They were sentenced to death, but under pressure from the political parties from
India, Army Chief Claude Auchinleck was forced to commute the sentences of the
three defendants in the first trial.

THE CABINET MISSION

Direct Action Day 16 August1946

Direct Action DayorThe Great Calcutta Killingwas a planned attack on the Hindus of
Calcutta by the Muslims under the leadership of HuseynShaheedSuhrawardy. On this day
more than5000 Hindus were killed by the fanatic Muslim mob.

It all started with Jinnahs declaration We shall have India divided or India destroyed.
He did both.
Jinnah was working for an armed struggle and violent attack on Hindus since July 1946. At
a press conference held at his Bombay home he openly declared his intentions of creating
Pakistan and that Muslim league waspreparing to launch a struggleand that they have
chalked a plan. He declared 16 August 1946 as Direct Action Day.
The Muslim League declared a complete strike on this day. Muslim mobs started gathering
in mosques from early morning. The League directed its workers to offer prayer for freedom
of Muslim India. Since it was a month of Ramzaan the Muslims called the struggle an
allegory of Prophet Muhammads Battle of Badr against heathenism and subsequent conquest
of Mecca. Even from early morning the Muslims started gathering in large numbers and forced
the Hindu shop owners to close their shops.
The meeting the largest ever Muslim gathering started by 4pm; more than 100,000
Muslims gathered in the meeting, many of them equipped with lathis, daggers and several
weapons. The main speakers of the meeting were HuseynShaheedSuhrawardyand
KhawajaNazimuddin. Both these leaders made speech that the government will not
interfere. This gave a direct indication to the Muslims that there will be nobody to stop them
from looting. Muslims started attacking Hindus and looting their shops just after they left the
meeting. More Muslims started coming in trucks with weapons lathis, iron bars , swords and
bottles prepared to attack Hindus and loot their shops.

INTERIM GOVERNMENT1946
On 2nd September 1946 the Interim Government of India was formed. This
temporary government was formed from the Constituent Assembly of India
(which was then newly elected).

This government was entrusted the task of helping the transition of India and
Pakistan from British rule to Independence as two separate nations. The Interim
Government was in place till 15th August 1947, when the nations of Indian and
Pakistan received Independence from colonial rule.

As the World War II ended, all political prisoners in India who had taken part in
the Quit India Movement were released by the British. The Indian National
Congress, Indias largest political party and a party which had taken part in the
freedom movement decided to participate in the elections for a Constituent
Assembly. Even the Muslim League decided to take part. The Constituent
Assemblyelections were not regarded as direct elections. The members of the
Assembly were elected from each of the provincial legislative assemblies. Owing
to this, the Indian National Congress won most of the seats, including seats in
areas with a Hindu majority. The Muslim League on the other hand won seats in
areas where there was a Muslim majority.

ATTLEES STATEMENT
The Prime Minister of Britain Clement Atlee
declared on February 20, 1947 in the House
of Commons that the British would quit
India after transferring power into the
responsible hand not later than June 1948.
The idea was that the Indians should settle
their issues before that. He also announced
the appointment of Lord Mounta batten as
Viceroy in place of Lord Wavell.

ATTLEES STATEMENT
His statement was at first unbelievable, in the context of
the previous betrayals by the British leaders.
But soon it became clear that Attlees pronouncement was
meant to undo what had been done by Clive, Wellesley,
Dalhousie, Curzon and Churchill.
3. On March 6, 1947, Attlee said in the House of Commons:
The national feeling runs right through all the Indian class
and that is why you cannot carry on against the will of the
people.
4. Partition of the country was implicit in the provision
that if the constituent assembly were not fully
representative then power would be transferred to more
than one central government.

MOUNTBATTEN PLAN
On 20 February l947, Prime Minister Atlee announced in the House
of Commons the definite intention of the British Government to
transfer power to responsible Indian hands by a date not later
than June 1948.
Thus, to effect the transference of that power Atlee decided to
send Lord Mountbatten as Viceroy to India. Lord Mountbatten
armed with vast powers became Indias Viceroy on 24 March 1947.
The partition of India and the creation of Pakistan appeared
inevitable to him.
After extensive consultation Lord Mountbatten put forth the plan
of partition of India on 3 June 1947. The Congress and the Muslim
League ultimately approved the Mountbatten Plan.

* MOUNTBATTEN PLAN
The Mountbatten Plan proposes the partition of India and the speedy
transfer of responsibility, initially in the form of Dominion Status, to
Indian Governments for the sections of a divided India.
Formally, the Plan does not lay down the partition of India, but
provides machinery for the areas affected by the Pakistan demand to
choose, either through their Legislative Assembly representatives or
through referendum, between a single Constituent Assembly in
accordance with the Cabinet Mission Plan, or a separate Constituent
Assembly for a separate State. This involves division of the Punjab
and Bengal so that the Moslem-majority areas and non-Moslem
majority areas can decide separately. In practice, on the basis of
existing representation, this means partition, including almost
certainly the partition of the Punjab and Bengal.
The position of the Princes States is left unchanged: that is, with the
ending of paramountcy they can join either grouping or proclaim their
independence and establish their separate relations with Britain.

*MOUNTBATTEN PLAN
Legislation is to be hurried through Parliament to establish the new Dominion Government or
Governments.
If the Plan goes through, the result will establish the following States or State areas in India:
(1) North West Pakistan, covering Western Punjab, Sind, and possibly the North West Frontier and
Baluchistan,
with a population of 25 millions (18 million Moslems);
(2) Note East Pakistan, covering Eastern Bengal and the Sylhet district of Assam, with a population of 44
millions (31
million Moslems). These two areas, divided by a thousand miles, would constitute the Pakistan
State or Federation, with a population of 70 millions
(3)
The Indian Union or Hindustan, covering the rest of British India, with a population of 225 millions.
(4) The Princes States, covering two-fifths of the area of India with a population of 93 millions or one
quarter, would join
one or other federation, or possibly, in the case of one or two larger States, such as Hyderabad and
Travancore, according to their present declared intentions, proclaim their separate independence.
Assuming that the Princes States all finally decide to link up with one or other grouping, then on a very
rough estimate Pakistan would represent about one quarter of India, covering mainly agricultural, feudal
and industrially -undeveloped, but strategically important territory; and the Indian Union would represent
about three-quarters of India, including the main industrial and commercial regions and urban centres,
and the most politically advanced and democratically developed sections of the population and the main
forces of the working class.
Relations of Britain with the States to be formed would finally be determined by special treaties. Military,
administrative and economic questions are left for future settlement.

* INDIAN INDEPENDENCE ACT, 1947

The Indian Independence Act was based upon the Mountbatten plan
of 3rd June 1947 and was passed by the British parliament on July
5, 1947. It received royal assent on July 18, 1947.

INTEGRATION OF STATE
At the time ofIndian independencein 1947, India was divided into two sets of territories,
one under the control of theBritish Empire, and the other over whichthe Crownhad
suzerainty, but which were under the control of their hereditary rulers. In addition, there
were several colonial enclaves controlled by France and Portugal. The political integration
of these territories into India was a declared objective of theIndian National Congress, and
theGovernment of Indiapursued this over the next decade. Through a combination of
factors, SardarVallabhbhai PatelandV. P. Menonconvinced the rulers of the various
princely statesto accede to India. Having secured their accession, they then proceeded to,
in a step-by-step process, secure and extend the central government's authority over these
states and transform their administrations until, by 1956, there was little difference
between the territories that had been part ofBritish Indiaand those that had been part of
princely states. Simultaneously, the Government of India, through a combination of
diplomatic and military means, acquiredde factoandde jurecontrol over the remaining
colonial enclaves, which too were integrated into India.
Although this process successfully integrated the vast majority of princely states into India,
it was not as successful for a few, notably the former princely states ofJammu and Kashmir
,TripuraandManipur, where active secessionist movements exist.

*Towards Independence
* August 1946 Viceroy of India announces invitation to

Congress to form Provisional Government; Gandhi opposes

partition of India
* June 1947 Indian leaders accept Mountbatten partition plan;
Gandhi opposes it.
* July 1947 Independence of India Bill passed
* August 14, 1947 Gandhi hails August 15 as a day for
rejoicing for the independence of India but deplores the
division of the country
* January 12, 1948 Gandhi begins fast for communal peace in
Delhi.
* January 18,1948 Gandhi ends fast after communal harmony is
assured when antagonistic parties came to a common
platform to settle the differences

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