Question

With reference to the newspaper article, answer the questions that follow:

1. Which Plan is referred to in the given newspaper article? State any two features of this Plan.
2. How was the Plan supposed to solve the communal problem existing in India?
3. Why did Congress accept the Plan? State three reasons to justify its acceptance.

Answer 1

1. Plan and its Features:
   1. Plan Referred to: This article refers to the Mountbatten Plan (also famously known as the 3rd June Plan of 1947).
   2. Two Features of the Plan:
      • Partition of the Country: India would be partitioned into two independent dominions, the Union of India and the Dominion of Pakistan.
      • Boundary Commission: A Boundary Commission (led by Sir Cyril Radcliffe) would be set up to demarcate the international borders, specifically dividing the provinces of Bengal and Punjab.
2. Solution to the Communal Problem:
   The Mountbatten Plan aimed to resolve India’s deep-rooted communal deadlock by acknowledging that the coexistence of the Indian National Congress and the All-India Muslim League under a single unified government had become unworkable.
   • It sought to end the widespread communal riots and impending civil war by granting the Muslim League its long-standing demand for a separate sovereign Muslim-majority nation (Pakistan).
   • To ensure democratic self-determination along communal lines, it mandated that the legislative assemblies of Punjab and Bengal vote on partition, and arranged for plebiscites in disputed areas like the North-West Frontier Province (NWFP) and the Sylhet district of Assam.
3. Reasons for Congress Accepting the Plan:
   The Indian National Congress reluctantly accepted the Mountbatten Plan due to the following three reasons:
   • Failure of the Interim Government: The working of the Interim Government proved that cooperation between the Congress and the Muslim League was impossible. The League used obstructionist tactics inside the cabinet, paralysing the day-to-day administration of the country.
   • Avoidance of an All-Out Civil War: Widespread communal violence and bloodbaths across regions like Punjab, Bengal, and Noakhali convinced Congress leaders that forcing a unified India would lead to a permanent, uncontrollable civil war.
   • Need for a Strong Central Power: Leaders like Sardar Patel and Jawaharlal Nehru felt that a smaller India with a strong, highly secure central government was far better than a larger, weak federation prone to constant internal subversion and fragmentation.