Cripps Mission (1942) – Indian National Movement

Sir Stafford Cripps led the Cripps Mission in the March of 1942. He had with him constitutional proposals on behalf of the British, to gain war support from the Indians. A left-wing laborite, Stafford Cripps was also a member of the British War Cabinet.

Indians were agreed on dominion status after the war in exchange for their support.

The meetings took place in Delhi between March 22 till April 12, 1942. It was marked as an attempt to rally Indian support for the defense against Japanese invasion.

Cripps Mission – Background

• Continuous victories of the Japanese alarmed the Britishers in the 1940s.
• The concern majorly began after the Japanese attacked Burma, and war reached the Indian borders.
• Congress accelerated their efforts to gain independence from Britishers during this time.
• Further, the widening gaps between Congress and Muslim League complicated Britishers future in India.
• These circumstances further pushed Britishers to send a mission to India.
• Thus, in 1942, the Cripps Mission arrived in India under Stafford Cripps, the Lord Privy Seal.
  • The idea was to achieve a Hindu-Muslim consensus over constitutional process, and to convince Indians to postpone struggle till end of second world war.

Members of Cripps Mission

• Headed by Stafford Cripps (Lord Privy Seal accompanied him).
• Other members from the State Council including the leader of the House of Common.

What were the proposals made in Cripps Mission?

• Dominion Status: Post war, India would be granted a dominion status with internal autonomy and external freedom.
  • The dominion status would mean India would have the freedom to either be a part of, or part ways from the British Commonwealth.
  • It would further grant India the liberty to participate in International Organizations.
  • That the Defense sector was to continue under British Control.
  • Governor General’s powers were preserved.
• Constituent Assembly: The demand for a Constituent Assembly was finally fulfilled. The Constituent Assembly would consist of members elected from the provinces, as well as nominated by the Prince of the Princely States.
  • The British government were to accept the new constitution under two conditions:
    • Any province not willing to join the Union could have the Constitution of its own.
    • The new constitution-making body and British Government would protect minority and racial rights.

Significance of Cripps Mission

• The British government acknowledged India’s right to be a dominion.
• Indians could make their own Constitution solely and not primarily.
• Any province not willing to join the Indian dominion could have its own separate constitution. This was the seed sown for partition.
• Interim government guaranteed Indians a good share in administration.

Reactions of Indian Political Groups

Congress

• Congress didn’t accept the offer of dominion status, but instead wanted a provision of complete independence.
• Congress objected to the representation of the princely states by nominees and not by elected representatives;
• Congress objected to idea of right to provinces to secede, as it was against the principle of national unity;
• Defense to be in the hands of the British, and Governor General’s supremacy to remain didn’t go well with the Congress.

The Muslim League

• They criticized the idea of a single Indian Union;
• They rejected the idea of Constituent Assembly which was to decide on the accession of provinces to the Union and
• The denial to self-determination and creation of Pakistan didn’t go well with the Muslim League.

Why did the Cripps Mission fail?

• The British intentions were being doubted the moment they claimed to be clothing the general provisions of the August Offer.
• While previously Cripps mentioned “national government” and “cabinet”, he later denied it saying he only meant an expansion of the executive council through this.
• Procedure of accession wasn’t defined.
  • Example – The decision on secession was to be confirmed by a resolution passed with 60% majority.
  • If less than 60% supported the secession, it was to be decided by a plebiscite.
    • The Plebiscite would include adult males and the decision was to be pronounced by a simple majority.
• Churchill, the then Prime Minister, along with Amery (Secretary of State) & Lord Linlithgow (Viceroy) torpedoed Cripps’ Mission.
• Thus, Cripps was called back.
• Some analysts also believe that this could have just been an effort to appease Americans and Chinese, considering their concerns against British imperialism.
• Further, the ‘Quit India Movement’ called for a voluntary British withdrawal from India, further putting pressure from the masses towards British rule.