The Cabinet Mission Plan, 1946: A Way To Constitutional Government

Abstract

It was the day of February 19, 1946 when Lord Pethick Lawrence made a crucial and very important announcement in the House of Lords that a mission of Cabinet Ministers consisting of the noble Lord himself, the President of the Board of Trade, Sir Stafford Cripps and the First Lord of Admiralty, A.V. Alexander would go to India to seek in association with the Viceroy an agreement with Indian Leaders of the principals and procedures regarding the all constitutional issues in the country. Therefore, regarding the above state the British Prime Minister Mr. Attlee declared that we are going to be mindful of the rights of the minorities to live in India without any fear.  Consequently, on 24 March 1946, the Cabinet Mission reached in Delhi and prolonged discussions with Indian leaders of all parties and allied groups. The congress and the Muslim league could not come to any agreement on the fundamental issue of the unity or partition of India. Therefore, the Cabinet Mission put forward its own plan for the solution of the constitutional problem of India; which is regarded as the Cabinet Mission Plan. The present research paper highlights some important facts about the proposal made by the mission in the way of constitutional development in India.