Question

What did Cripps Mission propose? How did the congress and Muslim league react to this?

Answer 1

Hint: The Cripps mission was sent to India by the British government in March $1942$ to obtain Indian cooperation for the British military efforts in the second world war. It is headed by Sir Richard Stafford Cripps, secretary of labour in the Winston Churchill coalition government Great Britain.

Complete answer:
1. Cripps Mission proposal: The British government will adopt a new constitution on two conditions,
2. Each province which does not wish to join the Union can have its own constitution and form its own Union.
3. A new constitutional body and the British government will negotiate a treaty on transfer of powers and protection of the racial and religious rights of monitories.

Congress wanted immediate self- government, so congress stopped negotiations with Cripps and, under Gandhi’s leadership, the national leadership demanded immediate self- government in exchange for military assistance. Gandhi said Cripps proposal for post- war domination status was a “post- dated cheque” while Nehru added it was a “post- dated cheque drawn on a crashing bank”. After Cripps proposal, the province could give up the Indian union, which the nationalists in congress obviously could not accept.
The Muslim league disliked the machinery for forming constituent assemblies and the decision- making process for provinces to join the union. In short, they believe that the proposal denies Muslims the right to self- determination and formation of Pakistan.

Note after the failure of his mission, Cripps returned to England and the Gandhi- led congress began his new campaign, the movement to leave India, in august $1942$ . on $8$ august $1942$ , Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi started “the Quit India movement”.