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Mountbatten Plan and Independence

On February 20, 1947, British Prime Minister Clement Atlee announced plans for British withdrawal from India by June 1948, appointing Lord Mountbatten as Viceroy. The Mountbatten Plan, announced on June 3, 1947, proposed the partition of India into India and Pakistan, with provisions for provincial assemblies to vote on partition. The Indian Independence Act, enacted on July 18, 1947, formalized this partition, leading to the establishment of India and Pakistan on August 15, 1947, amidst significant violence and displacement.

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26 views

Mountbatten Plan and Independence

On February 20, 1947, British Prime Minister Clement Atlee announced plans for British withdrawal from India by June 1948, appointing Lord Mountbatten as Viceroy. The Mountbatten Plan, announced on June 3, 1947, proposed the partition of India into India and Pakistan, with provisions for provincial assemblies to vote on partition. The Indian Independence Act, enacted on July 18, 1947, formalized this partition, leading to the establishment of India and Pakistan on August 15, 1947, amidst significant violence and displacement.

Uploaded by

amlanpadhan1
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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By – Dr.

Vipan Goyal
Atlee’s Declaration – February 20, 1947
 The Prime Minister of Britain, Clement Atlee declared on February 20, 1947
in the House of Commons that the British would quit India after transferring
power into the responsible hand not later than June 1948.

 The idea was that the Indians should settle their issues before that.

 He also announced the appointment of Lord Mountbatten as Viceroy in


place of Lord Wavell.
Plan Balkan/Dickie Bird Plan

 Between March and May of 1947, Mountbatten decided that the Cabinet Mission
Plan had become untenable and formulated an alternative plan.
 This plan envisaged the transfer of power to separate provinces
 Punjab and Bengal were given the option to vote for partition of their provinces.
 The various units thus formed along with the princely states would have the option
of joining India or Pakistan or remaining separate.
 The plan was quickly abandoned after Nehru reacted violently to it.
Mountbatten Plan/3 June Plan (June 1947)

 Partition of India and the creation of Pakistan appeared inevitable to


Mountbatten.
 Prime Minister Atlee announced the Partition Plan or June 3 Plan in the House of
Commons.

 The plan laid down the following provisions.


 India to be divided into India and Pakistan.
 Bengal and Punjab will be partitioned - The provincial legislative Assemblies of
Bengal and Punjab would meet in two parts separately, one representing Muslim
majority districts and another representing the Hindu Majority districts to decide
by the vote on partition.
 In case of Sind and Baluchistan, the provincial assemblies would take the
decision.
 In case of NWFP, the decision had to be taken on the base of referendum.
 A referendum was to be organized in Sylhet region of Assam which was
Muslim majority.
 There would be a separate constituent assembly for Pakistan to frame its
constitution.
 The Princely states would enjoy the liberty to join either India or Pakistan or
ever remain independent.
 August 15, 1947, was date fixed for handling over power to India and Pakistan.
 The Congress and the Muslim League ultimately approved the Mountbatten
Plan.
Indian Independence Act 1947

 British Government accorded formal approval to the Mountbatten Plan by enacting


the Indian Independence Act on 18 July 1947.
 The salient features of this Act were –
 Partition of the country into India and Pakistan would come into effect from 15
August 1947.
 British Government would transfer all powers to these two Dominions.
 A Boundary Commission would demarcate the boundaries of the provinces of the
Punjab and Bengal.
 Act provided for the transfer of power to the Constituent Assemblies of the two
Dominions to frame their respective Constitutions.
 Radcliffe Boundary Commission drew the boundary line separating India and
Pakistan.

 On 15th August 1947 India, and on the 14th August Pakistan came into existence as
two independent states.

 Lord Mountbatten was made the first Governor General of Independent India.
 Mohammad Ali Jinnah became the first Governor General of Pakistan.(Head of
state – British Monarch till 1956)
 4 lakh people died in riots
 Millions displaced
 Greatest man made cause for migration
 Humanitarian crisis
 At the time of independence, there were 562 small and big princely states in
India except Jammu and Kashmir, Junagarh and Hyderabad
 Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel, the first home minister, used the iron hand in this
regard.
 By August 15, 1947, all the states, with few exceptions like Jammu & Kashmir,
Hyderabad and Junagarh had signed the Instruments of Accession.

**Goa was with the Portuguese and Pondicherry with the French.
THANK YOU

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