Transfer of Power in India, 1942–47: The Post-war Phase - New Moves by the Labour Government, Aug.1 1945–Mar.22 1946 v. 6 PDF
Preview Transfer of Power in India, 1942–47: The Post-war Phase - New Moves by the Labour Government, Aug.1 1945–Mar.22 1946 v. 6
POWER THE TRANSFER OF 1942-7 TOP OTFT. VlftRortsCAW. (Calcutta) '«'* 27th December L Ku. 8354 nrdL ; INolXLO : I a!n_convinced that »e inuct have & ,,l8n on whicl. we «ari proceed ii, ae is quite likely, the Coii^jress uiidihe Muslim WBgue are unarle to come to any pfreeiiient on the Pakistan issue. I enclose a paper giving my views. This should be consicered at an early date by H.M.G, It involves an ii%.ort- ant Decision of policy, which we cannot postnone. He cannot ermit another deadlock in tlie event of the Jjarties failing f0 come to terms and we niust be ready to make our own ewerd. I need not say that I will do my utmost to avoid being forced to disclose the award. But unless it is th- re in reserve, I snail have to refer tp for orders on the occuiTencf of a bre^dovm and tne situation in the couni-ry woulc; ’.eterioratc considerably while a decision was being made. 2, It is of course essential that knowledge of tnis breakdown pirn should be restricted to the smallest possible numier of people and that there should b( no disclosure. Otherwise my negotiations will be seriously prejudicte. I hope you ,wul specially warn all concerned on this point. The J^i^ht Hon'Llf Lord Pot;.ick-L:iwrenc€,?C. LonI liiiirll lo Lord Potliiik-Liitnciicc, Jj Dmwlhr liUSllllilo oj No. uO. CONSTITUTIONAL RELATIONS BETWEEN BRITAIN AND INDIA THE TRANSFER OF POWER 1942 Volume VI The post-war phase: new moves by the Labour Government — I August 1945 22 March 1946 Editor-in-Cbief NICHOLAS MANSERGH, Litt.D., F.B.A. Master of St. John’s College, Cambridge Assistant Editor PENDEREL MOON, M.A. UBS Publishers* Distributors Ltd New Delhi Bombay Bangalore Calcutta Kanpur Ik UBS Publishers’ Distributors Ltd 5 Ansari Road, New Delhi 110002 Savoy Chambers, 5 Wallace Street, Bombay 400001 10 First Main Road, Gandhi Nagar, Bangalore 560009 8/l-B Chowringhee Lane, Calcutta 700016 80 Canning Road, Kanpur 208004 CONTENTS Foreword Pa^e vii Introduction to Volume VI ix Abbreviations xxiv Principal Holders ofOffice xxviii Clironological Table ofPrincipal Events xxxii Summary ofDocuments XXXV Documents I Glossary 1238 Index ofPersons 1241 Index ofSubjects 1269 ILLUSTRATIONS Frontispiece Lord Wavell to Lord Pcthick-Lawrcncc, 27 December 1945. Facsimile of No. 316 Between pa^es 592 and 593 Lord Pethick-Lawrence in the Secretary ofState’s room, India Offipc, 1945 '* {Press Association) Members ofthe I.N.A. Defence Committee leaving the Red Fort, Delhi at the start ofthe first I.N.A. trial Gandhi on liis day of silence, 3 December 1945, with Mr Casey at Government House, Calcutta. Sec document 264 [Rt. Hon. Lord Casey) The ParliamentaryDelegationinMrM. A.Jinnali’s garden, 10January 1946 {Publications Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government ofIndia) MAP At end ofvolume India 1945-6 XXXVl SUMMARY OF DOCUMENTS CHAPTER I First formulation of Labour Government policies and Viceroy’s visit to London: i August to 19 September 1945 NameandNumber Date Main subjectorsubjects Page ms August Govt, ofIndia, Information and I Indian reactions to outcome ofU.K. Broadcasting Dept, to S. ofS. election Tel. 6727 Agenda, MemorandaandMinutes 1-2 Consideration ofpolitical situation and ofGovernors’ Conference future ofNationalDefence Council Wavellto Pctliick-Lawrence 5 Looks forward to theirassociation and 27 Tel. 1253-S hopesPethick-Lawrence mayvisitIndia WavelltoPethick-Lawrence 5 Value ofPetliick-Lawrencevisiting India 27 Letter29 and ofexchanges between officials; pro- ceedings of, and reflections on, Governors’ Conference; value oftreating Indiamore as aDominion activities ofCongress and ; Muslim League; Assam and Sind politics; extension ofSection93 in Bengal; return ofIndiandelegation from San Francisco Conference; Indianinterests inFar East; future ofGurkhaunits ofIndian Army Wavell to Pcthick-Lawrencc 6 Summarises conclusions ofGovernors’ 34 Tel. 1254-S Conference Wavell to Pctliick-Lawrence 6 Comments on conclusions ofGovernors’ 37 Tel. 1255-S Conference Supimary ofStatementby 6 Views on interim government and 39 Rajagopalachariar permanentsolution Pctliick-Lawrence to Wavell 7 Asks to beconsulted beforeexecutions 40 Tel. 17436 arecarriedoutin ChimurandAshti cases, andto beinformedifsentences arecommuted 9 Pctliick-Lawrenceto Wavell 8 Refers to No. 8 andasksliimto act 41 Tel. 17563 similarly regarding pending Madras cases 10 Statement by Petliick-Lawrence 8 Spiritinwhich heapproachesliistaskas 41 S. ofS. H Cunningham toWavell 9 Pakistan question 42 Report II, para. 2. 12 Pethick-Lawrence to Wavell 10 Refersto Nos. 8 and9; recognises 43 Tel. 17694 argumentsforallowing lawto take itscourse; butexplains force of considerationsforcommutingsentences 13 Wavell to Pcthick-Lawrencc 11 Refers to Nos. 8and9; outlines 44 Tcl. 1279-S backgroundto Chimur, Ashti, Fatwa andKulasekharapatnam cases; reluctantlyrecommends thatdeath sentencesbecommutednowon humanitariangrounds CH. -I FORMULATION OP LABOUR GOVT POLICIES XXXVU NameandNumber Date Mainsubjectorsubjects Page August 14 WavelltoPcthick-Lawreiice 11 ReferstoNo. 13 andexplainslikely 46 Tcl. 1280-S consequencesofcommutationof sentences 15 JenkinstoMudie ii Informshimofactionbeingtakento 47 Letter 1157 representIndianinterestsregarding surrendertermsimposedonJapan;asks himforhisviewsonwhetherBoseand hisassociatesshouldbetriedinIndia 16 WavelltoPctliick-Lawrence ii Sendsdetailsofnumbersofdetenus 48 Tel. 1288-S remaining incustody;asksforimmediate instructionsonholdingofelections 17 G.-G. (WarDept.) to S. ofS. 11 Policytowardscapturedmembersof 49 Tcl. 10234 LN.A.;sendstextofproposedPress communiqud 18 CabinetIndiaandBurma 11 MemorandumbyPethick-Lawrence 53 Committee commentingonNos. and6and 5 PaperLB. (45) 3 annexingdrafttel.replyingtoNo.6 which (t)agreesthatnomoveis possiblebyH.M.CL atthemoment; (2)agreestotheholdingofelections inProvinces (andatcentreifWavell considersthisessential); (3) welcomes liberalisingstepsandenquiresabout furtherproposalsonreleaseofdetenus 19 Petliick-LawrencetoWavell ii Natureofprivatecorrespondence 57 Letter between S. ofS. andViceroy; reconstitutionofExecutiveCouncil; S. ofS.’sconcernoverdetenus 20 WavelltoPethick-Lawrence 12 EffectsofearlyendingofJapanesewar; 58 Letter30 MuslimLeague'selection prospects; Congressattitudes;decisiontocommute sentencesinChimur,Ashtiandother cases;Choudhurycase;situationin Bengal,N.-W.F.P. andPunjab;monsoon fears;Councildiscussiononindustrialisa- tionofNepal 21 JenkinstoTurnbull 13 Gandhi’sstatementonChoudhury's 63 Letter423 (15) execution 22 CabinetIndiaandBurma 13 NotebyBridgesonMembershipand 65 Committee TermsofReferenceofIndiaandBurma PaperLB. (45) i Committee 23 Pethick-LawrencetoAttlee 13 Seekshisauthority (i)toproceedvidth 66 Minute2/45 legislationtopreventIndianelectors losingthevotethroughwarservice; (2) toinstructWavelltoarrangefor holdingofatleastProvincialelections 24 AttleetoPcthiA-Lawrcncc 13 ReferstoNo.23;agreesthatprdiminary 67 Minute workonelectionscangoaheadpending finaldecision 25 HallctttoWavell 14 Congressactivities; convincedelectiona 67 LetterU.P. 262,para. 2 desirablefirststep XXXVUl SUMMARY OF DOCUMENTS NameandNumber Date Mainsubjectorsubjects August 26 Pcthick-Lawrencc to Wavcll 15 Refers to Nos. 13 and 14; agrees to Tcl. 1H107 commutation ofdeath sentences; assures himheis entirely opposedto setting the men atliberty 27 Pcthick-Lawrcncc to Attlee 15 Asks that Henderson be invited to be Minute 3/45 present at India Committee meetings 2S Cabinet India and Burma 15 Memorandum by Pcthick-Lawrcncc Committee circulating No. 16 andexplaining some Paper LB. (45) 4 termsused therein; annexes revised draft ofpara. 6 ofAppendix III to No. 18 29 Glancy to Wavell 16 Muslim League electioneermg; fears of Letter 561 (extract) bloodshed onwide scale should Pakistan becomeimminent reality; need to deflate conceptof‘crude Pakistan’ 30 Wavcll to Petlnck-Lawrencc 16 Refers to No. 16, para. 6 andexplains Tel. i324“S whyhe urgently needs his views on elections 31 Minutes by Cursoii, Monteatli, 16-T7Adviceonanswerto begivenbyAttlee Henderson andPethick-Lawrence to P.Q. asking when India Officeis to becloseddown 32 S. ofS. to G.-G. (War Dept.) 17 Refers to No. 17; explains his anxieties Tcl. 18179 onproposal to detain some categories ofcaptives withouttrial; in light of Japanesesurrendersuggests he sends revised proposals 33 Cabinet India and Burma 17 General discussion on Nos. 18 and 28; Committee nature ofinterim reply to Nos. 5, 6 and LB. (45) first meeting t6; procedure forconsidering long- termsolution ofIndian problem 34 Pethick-Lawrence to Wavell T7 Refers to No. 35; explainsprocedure Tel. 450 Cabinetarc adopting to consider questionandthat they are disposed to Viceroy’s cominghomeat early date 35 Pctliick-Lawrcncc to Wavcll 17 Refers to Nos. 5, 6 and 30; informshim Tel. 18211 H.M.G. is urgently and comprehensively considering Indian problem; asksliim toprepare forProvincialelectionsin coming coldweather;informshim of attitude to remaining detenus 36 Wavcll to Pethick-Lawrence 18 Refers to No. 35; explainshe docsnot Tel. 1333-S now favourreconstructing Council on efficiencybasis; considers nothing more can be done on elections untilpublic announcementismade; explains Punjab position 37 Cabinet Paper 18 Memorandum byPethick-Lawrence on CP. (45) 121 long-term solution oftheIndian problem 38 Petliick-Lawrcncc to Wavell 18 Refers to No. 4; LabourParty’s attitude Letter toIndian question; ideaPcthick- Lawrcnccshould visitIndia and ofcxchang CH. I FORMULATION OF LABOUR GOVT POLICIES XXXIX NameandNumber Date Main subjectorsubjects Page August 38 {conL) betweenofficials; concern oneffects of inflation and deflation; policy towards Hifs andJifs; filling Govcrnorsliips 39 Wavell to Petliick-Lawrence 19 Refers to Nos. 35 and 36; explains why 93 Tel. 1337-S hefeels it most unwise forIl.M.G. to announce its long-term intentions until ithas formed definiteconclusions onPakistan issue; summarises Glancy’sviews on effectofPakistan on Punjab 40 Colville to Wavell Patel’sspeeches; need to definePakistan; 94 Report 48, para. 4 Congress’s attitude to elections 41 Wavell to Pethick-Lawrcncc 20 Refersto No. 36, para. 2; Glancy and 95 Tel. 1342-S Klnzaragree that Punjabelections shouldbeheldat same time as those in other Provinces 42 Cabinet Decision to authorise announcements 95 C.M. (45) 24tli Conclusions (1) onholding ofProvincial and Minute T Central elections (without reference to anyconstitutionalimplications); (2) that Viceroywas returning for discussions withH.M.G. 43 Pcthick-Lawrence to Wavell 20 Invites himhome fordiscussions with 98 Tel. 455 H.M.G. enquiriesaboutappointment ; ofacting Viceroy 44 Pethick-Lawrcncc toWavell 20 Refers to Nos. 36 and 39; autlioriseshim 99 Tcl, 18412 to make announcement on holding of 48 elections 45 Monteath to Abell 20 Labour government’s attitude to Indian 99 Letter (extract) question 46 Sliiva Rao to Pcthick-Lawrence 20 Encloses Note on India 100 49 Letter 47 Wavell to Petliick-Lawrence 20 Refersto Nos. 4and 19; nature of 105 Letter 31 private correspondence between S. of S. and Viceroy; importantH.M.G. has clearpolicy on Pakistan; Glancy’sviews on theeffect ofPakistan onPunjab; policy towards detenus and Hifs and Jifs; reactions to commutation of Chimur, Ashti andotherdeath sentences; Dalai’s visits to U.S. and U.K.; Dalai’sviews on industrialisation andcommercial discrimination; appointment ofPresident ofNizam’s Council;foodsituation G.-G. (WarDept.) to S. ofS. 21 Refersto No. 32; furtherexplains 109 Tel. 10494 reasons forpolicy recommendedinNo. 17; presses to be allowed to issue communique asearlyas possible in orderzo forestallcriticism Wavellto Petliick-Lawrence 21 Informsliim Noonhasasked to resign 112 Tel. 1361-S from Council to take partinelections
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