Cripps Mission - 1942

 Okay, here are the notes from the lecture on the Cripps Mission (1942), covering the points mentioned:

Topic: Cripps Mission - 1942

Context:

• Follows the August Offer (1940) and Individual Satyagraha.

• Takes place during World War II (WW-II).

Speaker's Structure for Discussion:

1. Who was Cripps?

2. Why was the mission sent?

3. What were the proposals (compared to the August Offer)?

4. What was the Indian response?

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1. Who was Cripps?

• Sir Stafford Cripps: A British MP and Minister of Labour (కార్మిక శాఖ మంత్రి).

• Party: Member of the Labour Party (లేబర్ పార్టీ).

• Government: Part of Winston Churchill's coalition wartime government (సంకీర్ణ ప్రభుత్వం).

• Attitude: Considered relatively sympathetic (సానుకులం) towards the Indian national movement compared to Churchill, Secretary of State Amery (అమేరి), and Viceroy Linlithgow (లిన్లిత్గో).

• Sending an MP-level minister to India was significant.

2. Why was the Cripps Mission Sent? (Reasons & Aim)

• Main Aim: To secure India's active participation and support for Britain in WW-II (ప్రపంచ యుద్ధం-II లో ఇండియా పాల్గొనేలా ఒప్పించాలి). India had rejected the August Offer.

• Key Reasons:

  • Japanese Threat: Japan's rapid advance in South-East Asia (మలయా, థాయిలాండ్, బర్మా) posed a direct threat of invading India (జపాన్ ఆక్రమణ భయము). Britain needed Indian cooperation for defence. Japan used the slogan "Asia for Asians".

  • Pressure from Allies: Pressure from Allied leaders, notably US President Roosevelt (రూజ్వెల్ట్) and Chinese President Chiang Kai-shek (చాంగ్ కే షేక్), urging Churchill to secure Indian cooperation.

  • Congress Working Committee (CWC) Resolution: The CWC indicated conditional support for the war effort if India was promised complete independence and immediate substantial power transfer (though Gandhi & Nehru initially objected to this conditional stance within CWC).

  • Churchill's Stance: Despite sending Cripps under pressure, Churchill instructed him with a "Take it or Leave it" policy (తీసుకోవాలి లేదా వదిలిపెట్టు), indicating limited room for negotiation.

3. Proposals of the Cripps Mission (Comparison with August Offer)

• Comparison stressed: The speaker emphasized the need to compare Cripps proposals with the August Offer (1940).

• Key Proposals (Mostly offered after the war - ఆఫ్టర్ వార్):

  • Dominion Status: Granting of Dominion Status to India after the war, forming an "Indian Union".

    • Comparison: Same as August Offer.

  • Constituent Assembly (CA): Setting up of a Constituent Assembly after the war to frame a new constitution.

    • Members to be ONLY Indians (ఓన్లీ ఇండియన్స్).

    • Comparison: August Offer proposed mainly Indians (మెయిన్లీ ఇండియన్స్). Cripps offer was an update here.

    • CA Composition:

      • Representatives from British Provinces: To be Elected (ఎన్నిక ద్వారా).

      • Representatives from Princely States: To be Nominated by the rulers (నామినేటెడ్ బై ప్రిన్స్).

  • Right to Secede: Any Province or Princely State unwilling to join the Indian Union could stay separate and frame its own constitution (సెపరేట్, సెపరేట్ CA).

    • Comparison: August Offer required minority consent but didn't explicitly offer secession. This was a major change.

    • Implication: Implicit (పరోక్షంగా / Implicit) acceptance of the possibility of Pakistan.

  • Immediate Measures:

    • Defence portfolio would remain with the British during the war.

    • Governor-General's powers would remain unchanged (సేమ్).

    • Comparison: Similar to August Offer regarding immediate power transfer.

4. Indian Response (Rejection)

• Overall: Rejected by almost all Indian parties (INC, Muslim League, Hindu Mahasabha etc.).

• Indian National Congress (INC) Rejection Reasons:

  • Rejected Dominion Status - demanded Complete Independence (Purna Swaraj) (సంపూర్ణ స్వరాజ్), their goal since 1929.

  • Objected to nominated members from Princely States – wanted elected members.

  • Strongly opposed the "Right to Secede" clause – feared it would disintegrate India (విచ్చిన్న భారత్) and indirectly supported Pakistan demand.

  • Rejected retention of Defence and Governor-General's powers during the war.

  • Rejected the "after the war" timeline for implementation.

• Mahatma Gandhi's Reaction:

  • Called it a "Post-dated cheque on a crashing bank" (దివాలా తీసే బ్యాంకు ముందస్తు తేదీతో ఇచ్చిన చెక్కు) – Britain was losing the war, and promises were for an uncertain future.

  • Announced Nehru as his successor (not Rajagopalachari, who some expected). Gandhi stated that Nehru might not understand his language/ideas now but would after his death, highlighting ideological nuances despite agreement on rejecting Cripps.

• Muslim League (ML) Rejection Reasons:

  • Rejected because the proposals did not explicitly guarantee the creation of Pakistan (పాకిస్తాన్ పేరు పేర్కొనలేదు). Implicit acceptance (via secession clause) was not enough.

• Hindu Mahasabha (HM) Rejection Reasons:

  • Rejected mainly due to the secession clause, fearing the division of India.

Important Distinctions/Exam Points:

• Constituent Assembly Recognition: First recognized by Britain in the August Offer (1940).

• Constituent Assembly Composition Method (Foundation): First outlined with specifics (election/nomination) in the Cripps Mission (1942) - considered a more "concrete" (కాంక్రీట్) plan in this aspect.

• CA Membership: Mainly Indians (August Offer) vs. Only Indians (Cripps Mission).

• Pakistan Demand: Implicitly addressed/accepted (via secession clause) in the Cripps Mission. Not addressed in August Offer (which stressed minority consent).

Outcome:

• The Cripps Mission failed completely.

• Its failure directly led to the launch of the Quit India Movement (క్విట్ ఇండియా ఉద్యమం) later in 1942 (Next Class Topic).