Quiz
Saad Bin Hassan
17U00680
Section: K-2
Q 1) Describe the constitutional crisis of 1942-46
The British were alarmed at the successive victories of Japan during 1940s. When Burma was
turned into a battle field and the war reached the Indian boarders, the British started feeling more
concerned about the future of India. Situation in the country was further complicated as the
Congress wanted to take advantage of the situation by accelerating their efforts in their struggle
for independence. Moreover the differences between the Congress and the Muslim League were
widening fast and visibly there was no chance to bring both the parties on a common agenda. In
these circumstances, the British Government sent a mission to India in 1942 under Sir Stafford
Cripps, the Lord Privy Seal, in order to achieve Hindu-Muslim consensus on some constitutional
arrangement and to convince the Indians to postpone their struggle till the end of the Second
World War. Cripps tried to pled his case as following.
During the course of the war, the British would retain their hold on India. Once the war finished,
India would be granted dominion status with complete external and internal autonomy. It would
however, be associated with the United Kingdom and other Dominions by a common allegiance
to the Crown. At the end of the war, a Constituent Assembly would be set up with the power to
frame the future constitution of India. The members of the assembly were to be elected on the
basis of proportional representation by the provincial assemblies. Princely States would also be
given representation in the Constituent Assembly.
October 1943 the British Government decided to replace Lord Linlithgow with Lord Wavell as
the Viceroy of India. Before assuming the charge, Wavell worked as the Chief of Indian army
and thus had quit an understanding of the Indian situation. Right after assuming charge as
Viceroy, Wavell’s most important task was to present a formula for the solution of the Indian
problem which was acceptable for both the Congress and the Muslim League. The Wavell plan
proposed proposal as followed:
1. f all the Indian political parties would help the British in the war then the British
Government would introduce Constitutional Reforms in India after the war.
2. Viceroy’s Executive Council would be immediately reconstituted and the number of its
members would be increased.
3. In that Council there would be equal representation of high class Hindus and the
Muslims.
4. Other minorities including low-caste Hindus, Shudders and Sikhs would be given
representation in the Council.
5. All the members of the Council, except the Viceroy and the Commander-in-Chief would
be Indians.
6. An Indian would be appointed as the member of Foreign Affairs in the Council.
However, a British Commissioner would be appointed to look after the matters relating to
the trade.
1945-46 elections were, by far, the most critical at all levels in the annals of the history of Indian
sub-continent. The first Shimla Conference had broken down on 14th July 1945 on the
controversial issue of the representative culture of the All India Muslim League (AIML). Also,
once World War II was over the new government in Britain took control. The new government
gave some new instructions to the Viceroy of India. So, on 21st August 1945 the Viceroy Lord
Wavell announced that elections to the central and provincial legislatures would be held in the
coming winter. As for the first phase it was decided that election to the central legislative
assembly would be held to be followed by the election to the provincial assemblies.
Pakistan is the national demand of the Muslims of India and the Muslim League is their sole
representative organization. Soon after the announcement regarding the general election the
Muslim league started preparation to contest them. The League’s position in 1945 was entirely
different from what it had been at the time of the previous election held in1937.It was now well
established as a mass organization with branches in every provinces, districts, tehsils and
villages. To cope with the finance of the election Quaid-i-Azam asked the Muslims in his
characteristic style “give us the silver bullets and we will finish the job.”
Q 2) Why was congress rule hated?
Congress Rule was hated by many Muslims for various reasons. Some were abused and some
were killed by some Hindus. Hindi was enforced everywhere as the official language and some
attacks were made on Muslim worshippers in mosques. Banda Matram, adopted as an unofficial
national anthem, had to be sung at the beginning of each day – Muslims felt that it made
degrading remarks about them and their faith. The Wardha Scheme was imposed. Under this,
students had to bow before Gandhi’s picture each day. Muslims saw this as offensive and some
saw it as an attempt to convert them to Hinduism.
Twenty-seven months of Congress rule were characterized by rising political Hinduism, which
seemed to be working only for the welfare of Hindu community and revenging the previous 700-
year Muslim rule over them, as stated by some Congress leaders. Educational reforms were
introduced that were purely anti-Muslim in spirit. The purpose of Warda Taleemi Scheme was to
displace the idea of two nation theory from minds of Muslim children, while Vidya Mandar
Scheme aimed at promoting Hindu culture by making Mandar education necessary at elementary
level. Muslims were also kept back in economic circle. They were expelled from government
offices and career opportunities were closed for them. Their trade and agriculture was a target of
Hindu’s harm, and they couldn’t appeal justice which already had Hindu imprints upon it. As a
result, and to nobody’s surprise but huge dismay, massive Hindu-Muslim riots took place which
was the reason that congress was hated.
