Objective
- Stafford Cripps came to India with constitutional proposals to gain India’s support for the war.
Reasons for Cripps Mission
- In Southeast Asia, the Japanese threat of invading India became serious, and India’s cooperation became critical.
- Pressure from Britain’s allies in war (the United States, the Soviet Union, and China) to gain Indian participation.
- Indian nationalists pledged to assist the Allies if significant authority was handed immediately and total independence was granted after the war.
Proposals of Cripps Mission
- Setting up of an Indian dominion state. This dominion would have the freedom to remain with the British Commonwealth or to secede from it.
- A Constituent Assembly would be formed to frame a new constitution for the country.
- Any province unwilling to join the Indian dominion could form a separate union and have a separate constitution.
- The transfer of power and the rights of minorities would be safeguarded by negotiations between the Constituent Assembly and the British government.
- In the meantime, until this new constitution came into force, India’s defence would be controlled by the British and the powers of the Governor-General would remain unaltered.
Failure of the Cripps Mission
- The proposals were seen as too radical by the British and as too conservative by the INC who wanted complete independence.
- The Mission was rejected by the INC, the Muslim League, and other Indian groups.
- The Hindu Mahasabha and the Liberals were against the right of states to secede.
- The Depressed Classes objected because they were apprehensive about their status in a country where they would be in a minority.