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The Lahore resolution
At the Minto park on 23rd March 1940,100,000 Muslims gathered to listen to Mr Jinnah explain that Muslims and Hindus cannot follow the same path and Muslims need a separate nation. Indians were never ready to accept it and termed it as mad scheme. -
The Crips proposal
The Cripps mission headed by Sir Stafford Cripps, was sent by the British Government to talk to the Indian leaders and obtain their cooperation for Britain's war efforts in World War 2 and they were about to give self rule to Indians but after world War 2.These proposals failed because full dominion status could only be given after the war. Impatient of the intentions of the British government Mr Gandhi asked them to quit India immediately and let the Indians rule themselves -
The Quit India movement
The Quit India movement was meant to disturb the working of the British government but the congress got just one day, 8 August, to protest.The next day,Mr Gandhi, Mr Nehru and most of the Congress leaders were arrested. A lot of damage was done to the government property and precious lives were lost. Mr Jinnah added an extra word to the movement, Divide and quit. -
The Jinnah-Gandhi talks
When Mr Gandhi was released from jail,a meeting between him and Mr Jinnah was set up at latter's residence in Bombay.An agreement could only be reached if congress accepted a separate state and nationality for the Muslims of India but Mr Gandhi wasn't willing to accept this.The talks were unsuccessful as Mr Jinnah wanted a complete acceptance of the Lahore resolution.The talks highlighted an important development in Hindu Muslim relations.Mr Jinnah was recognized as sole leader of Muslim League -
The Simla conference
World war 2 ended in 1945 with Britain facing a severe economic crisis.Viceroy Wavell called the Indian parties to Simla for a conference and made an offer to the parties to form a Viceroy's Council which would be the transfer of power from Britain.The conference failed because Mr Jinnah insisted that it was Muslim League's right to choose the Muslim members on the council. Meanwhile,the labor party took over and the Prime Minister was very determined to to give India independence -
The Elections of 1945-1946
Captain Attlee announced elections to both Central and Provincial assemblies in India which all parties decided to contest.The elections decided the future of the subcontinent. The elections demonstrated the Muslim League's success in convincing the Muslims of India that a separate state was the only solution for them.Muslim League won the all Muslim votes while Congress won all non-Muslim votes. The Muslim League proved that it was the sole leader of Muslim India and congress represented Hindus -
The Cabinet Mission Plan
In March 1946,the British government made a last attempt to keep a united India.It sent out a 3 member Cabinet Mission.The 3 members spent many weeks in disscussion with the Indian political leaders from all parties.When no progress was made,the Cabinet Mission announced their own plan.One of the proposal from the plan is that An All India Union with both British India and Princely states.Congress objected to the grouping of provinces while Muslim League objected to partition of large provinces. -
Direct Action Day
Quaid-e-Azam and Muslim League,who had accepted the Cabinet Mission Plan, were frustrated by negotiations between Congress and British,who appeared to favor former's plan rather than the idea of Pakistan.As a result,Muslim League completely rejected the Cabinet Mission Plan and Quaid-e-Azam announced direct Action day on 16 August 1946.Communal violence flared up after it was announced and thousands died on streets.Cabinet Mission admitted failure because the main parties were not compromising -
The Independence act
With Congress and Muslim League's acceptance of the 3rd June plan,the British parliament passed The independence act in July 1947,which marked the end of British rule in India.One of the direction provided by the act was "the creation of two independent dominions of Pakistan and India". The division of territory was to be accompanied by a division of the assets of the British Raj between the two Dominions. Everything from monetary assets,armed forces to office equipment like pen, paper clips. -
Independence day
Lord Mountbatten hoped to be made Governor-General of both India and Pakistan but Quaid-e-Azam disagreed with that and decided to be the first Governor-General of Pakistan.This would make the world view Pakistan as an independent state.On 7 August 1947,Quaid-e-Azam flew to Karachi to be sworn in as the Governor-General of the nation he had founded.He was accompanied by Fatima Jinnah, his sister.Allama Iqbal's dream and Quiad's mission were fulfilled.Pakistan became independent on 14 August 1947. -
The Radcliffe award
For division of territory,two boundary commissions were appointed with 2 Hindu and 2 Muslim judges.Sir Cyril Radcliffe was appointed chairman of both commissions.Since judges couldn't come to an agreement, Radcliffe took the final decision which came to be known as Radcliffe Award.What remained was fate of Princely states surrounded by either India or Pakistan.Most of them were Hindu majority states and were asked whether they want to be independent or join any of the two countries
