Summary

Modern Indian History Class 35

Revision of the previous class (05:08 PM)

GOI Act 1935 (05:12 PM)

Provincial Autonomy
As of now federal distribution of subjects and Dyarchy ended( All subjects are equal to Transffered therefore very less powerful governor who is an agent of the centre therefore provinces are more independent from the centre).
Budget for provinces separated in GOI 1919 i.e Economic Autonomy(Therefore GOI 1919 +1935 led to Provincial autonomy conceptually but in the exam, the answer is 1935)
Fully responsible Government in provinces since all subjects were transferred.
Premier headed the council of Ministers in provinces and they were responsible to PLA.
Direct elections with separate electorates.
However 40% Budget is still not votable.
Governors still have too powerful-Had discretionary powers to summon the legislature.
Plus ordinance power plus veto power over the bill.
Plus administration of tribal regions{Link 5th scehedule i.e A 244(1) & see powers of the Governor}
Plus special powers to protect the rights of minorities, British business interests, and Privileges of Civil servants.
And power to take over the government and run it indefinitely.
Independent point from Now on (Provincial autonomy points done)
No Mention of Dominion status
The goal was to have strong control over the centre and get INC busy in provinces (Busy Running the Government).
Government formation by regional leaders will make them autonomous power centres, Independent of central INC leadership.
And therefore weaken INC at the All India level. (Example of Divide and Rule tactics)
INC opposed representation of 565 Princely states(PS) by nominees of princes i.e demanded elections in 565 PS for the central legislature.
ML had fear of the Hindu majority at the centre as more Hindu majority provinces and indirect elections to the federal assembly.
INC rejected GOI 1935 and demanded a constituent assembly(CA) elected by UAF.

Congress Ministries- 28-month Rule (05:57 PM)

INC Formed a government in many provinces after the 1937 elections under GOI 1935.
The goal of INC in fighting elections was to prevent other political power from coming to power. (Link logic by pro changers for 1923 elections to CLA)
Plus will be able to promote Constructive work better.
INC got a majority in all provinces except Bengal, Punjab, Sindh, NWFP, and Assam.
It was the largest party in Bengal, Assam, and NWFP and formed a coalition government in NWFP and Assam.
Congress's ministry boosted the morale of peasants and workers and strengthened their movements.
However, some right-wing INC leaders like KM Munshi used CID to spy on left-wing leaders of INC which created tensions.
INC gained important experience that came in handy later i.e post-1947.

World war II and INM 1939-45 (06:13 PM)

Make a flow chart at Home
August offer 1940 (06:14 PM)
Background/Context-
1939 INC demands in return for Supporting Britain in WW II that is supporting British war efforts.
Immediately responsible government at the centre.(All subjects =Transffered)
Constituent Assembly post-war.
Declare war aims @Indian future. (I.e INC wanted an official commitment to Independence post-war)
MG wanted unconditional support to Britain as Justice was on the allied side(Allied vs axis power=WWII as they were victims of aggression)
Plus MG did not want to benefit from the weakness of the British.
Netaji Bose wanted to take advantage of the war by starting a CDM.
Nehru stand=No support until actual independence and no advantage to be taken of war(Therefore INC demand was not equal to Bose, Nehru, MG).
The majority of INC leaders favoured allied victory as axis powers were dictators and aggressors.
Also if India became a colony of japan then all progress of INM will be lost as it was a dictatorship.
However, Britain dragged India into war without the consent of the Indians.
Therefore we should not actively support the British.
Therefore INC's position was neither support nor sabotage until demands were met.
Linlithgow 3643 rejected INC demands and stated that will set up an advisory committee of politicians and representatives of Indian princesses to advise the British in the war effort.

1939-CWC Wardha meet (06:53 PM)

INC decided to withdraw from PLAs and Resign from congress ministries.
Linlithgow 3643 panicked and declared-Dominion status after the war.
ML 1906 saw the opportunity and therefore passed the Lahore resolution 1940/ Pakistan Resolution.
Provisions of the August offer 1940 By Linlithgow 3643
@Transfer of power/TOP -will expand VEC to have more Indians.
Will set up advisory war council.
@CA/Right to frame own Constitution, will setup CA after the war where mainly Indians will frame the Constitution of India with Dominion status(Not solely Indians of Cripps mission 1942)
Therefore first time the British recognized the right of Indians to draft their constitution(Simon commission 1927 had No Indians plus RTC not equal to CA)
The first time the British promised Dominion status explicitly with a clear timeline. (1929 Irwin statement; Dominion in Future)
@Partition-AO 1940 stated-"No future Constitution without consent of Minorities" and therefore gave Veto power to ML regarding the framing of the Constitution.
Result=Rejected by INC at Wardha session 1940 as accepting AO 1940 is equal to accepting partition of India.
Plus AO 1940 did not promise Purna swaraj.
ML rejected it as No mention of two Constituent assemblies and No mention of Pakistan explicitly.

Individual satyagaraha 1940 (07:23 PM)

Under pressure to launch CDM, MG launched instead Individual satyagraha, with the goal of freedom of speech.
Vinoba Bhave, JL Nehru, and Brahmadutt became the first three satyagraha.
Satyagrahies now launched Delhi Chalo Movement and Jail Bharo Movement.
I.e Made a demand for freedom of speech, Got arrested, and if not then kept marching to Delhi until arrested.
1941-VIceroy executive council expanded from 3/8 Indians to 8/12 Indians but without defence, Home, and finance ministry to Indians.

Cripps Mission 1942 (07:37 PM)

Background
In June 1941 Germany attacked USSR.
Plus December 1941 Japan attacked the USA.
Therefore the fear of the Japanese invasion of India increased.
Therefore December 1941 INC overrides the objection of Nehru and MG and offered cooperation to the British if:
a)Poorna swaraj post WW II
b)Immediate TOP/Transfer of Power.
Now Japan Occupied Burma and pressure of the US on Britain led to sending of Cripps mission in 1942 to India
Provisions:
@R2COI-CA post-war having solely Indians and dominion status post-war.
CA has members nominated by the princess plus elected members from PLAs after elections in provinces under GOI 1935.
Foreign policy to be with Indians.
Option to provinces of British India and each 565 PS do not join the Union, frame their constitution, or set up their union.
If any province or PS is not in agreement with the constitution framed by CA.
Therefore legally 11 plus 565 dominions are possible.
@TOP- If TOP during the war then defence to continue under the viceroy and no dilution of the power of the viceroy.
Cripps Mission failed and MG called it Post dated Cheque.
INC wanted Poorna swaraj after the war and wanted 565 PS to be represented by elected members.
And No right to secede from any province or PS.
ML opposed because wanted 2 CA and Pakistan.
INC wanted immediate TOP and viceroy as the constitutional head.
And talks broke down on this point i.e Veto powers of the Viceroy.
Negative=@partition-INC agreed to the autonomy of Muslim-majority provinces.

Quit India Movement 1942 (08:01 PM)

Reasons:
Failure of Cripps mission 1942
Fear of Japanese Invasion.
British did not do enough to protect the people of colonies in southeast Asia when Japan Invaded.
Therefore MG wanted Indians to be high on the spirit of Nationalism if the Japanese invaded India and the British escaped.
Also, Anger was Rising due to war inflation.
Events:
QIM resolution passed by INC in a special session in Bombay on 8 August 1942.
MG's speech at Gowalia Tank on 8 August 1942. Therefore people knew only those parts of the QIM resolution that were revealed in MG's speech as on 9 th August 1942 INC leadership was arrested.
Therefore QIM resolution could not be made public.
QIM 1942, therefore, was led by local INC leaders and people themselves.
MG speech- Asked Government servants and soldiers to not resign but declare loyalty to INC and the people of India.
Asked Princes to accept Democracy and not support British
Asked people of 565 PS to support the prince only if he is anti-British and they also declared that they are part of India.
Asked students to leave their studies.
QIM resolution(Not Known to the Public)
Asked Peasants to not pay LR plus asked Tenants to pay only fair rent and only if Zamindar is anti-British else No Rent campaign. (First Time)
Plus stated that INC believes that land belongs to the actual cultivator.
Do or Die slogan by MG.
QIM was leaderless due to arrest but not leaderless as since 1920 MG had worked a lot to strengthen INC at the local level
Plus Due to INM and CW masses were trained in Mass movement.
QIM took place in two phases- The first phase was = Mass struggle of six weeks
Second phase =Underground activity.

Participation (08:20 PM)

People faced the harshest repression to date in INM in QIM
Rural and Urban India both participated.
Maximum participation was of peasants with a total focus on the British and Zero violence against Zamindars.
Big Zamindars stayed Neutral and Small Zamindars participated actively.
CPI did not support QIM, Since the USSR was now part of the allied powers but still many strikes by workers and 100 communists participated
School and College girls played important roles by acting as couriers during the second phase.
Aruna Asaf Ali and Sucheta Kriplani were active organizers.
Usha Mehta started Congress Radio for coordination in the second phase.
students led the procession in the first phase and couriers in the second phase.
Muslim participation was low because ML did not support QIM will establish Hindu Rule but even ML supporters gave food and shelter and did not act as informers in the second phase.
The total absence of Communal Violence.
CSP 1934 leaders provided leadership in the second phase, Ex: JP Narayan, Achyut Patwardhan, etc.

The topic for the next class: Continuation of the Second phase, INA trials, and Cabinet mission plan.