Union of India
| DOI | 10.1177/002070204700200301 |
| Published date | 01 September 1947 |
| Date | 01 September 1947 |
| Subject Matter | Article |
Union
of
India
Robert
Holland
ast
year,
on
the departure
of
the
Cabinet
Mission
to
India,
Mr.
Attlee,
in
a
declaration
of
policy,
emphasized
the
estab-
lished
principle
that
it
was
for
the Indian
peoples
themselves
to
choose
their
future
status
and
constitution.
When,
after
months
of
laborious
mediation,
the
Mission
failed
to
induce
agreement
between
contending
elements
in
India,
the
British
Government
was
constrained
to
modify
the
principle
to
the
extent
of
per-
mitting
the
Mission
to
put
forward
"recommendations"
as
to
the
basic
form
of
the
new
constitution. The
Mission's
Statement
of
May
16
in
effect
amounted
to
a
veiled
arbitral
award
between
rival
claims of
the
Hindu
and
Muslim
parties.
The
scheme
bore
some
fruit
in
the
setting
up
of
an
interim
government
at
the
centre,
composed
of
political leaders
of
the
maj or
communities
and exercising
wide
powers
within
the
limits
of
the
existing constitution;
but
it proved
to
be
an
uneasy
fellow-
ship,
riven
by
intrigue
and
animosity.
The Muslim
League
refused
to
enter
the
Assembly
which
was to
create
the
new
constitution,
and
the Indian
Princes
appeared
to
be
hesitant
also.
Each
of
the
two
major
parties
voiced
continuing
suspicion
of
Britain,
accusing
it
of
bad
faith
and
partisanship;
but
each
also
constantly
pressed
its
claims
for
preferential
treatment
at
the
final
showdown.
In
February
of
this
year,
Mr.
Attlee
announced
that,
since
persistent
differences
between
the Indian
parties prevented
the
Constituent
Assembly
from
functioning
as
intended,
Britain
would
take
steps
to effect
the
transference
of
power into
responsi-
ble
Indian hands
by
a
date
not
later than
June,
1948.
He
added
that
if,
by
that
time,
a
constitution
had
not been
evolved by
a
fully
representative
Assembly,
Britain
would
have
to
consider
to
whom
the
powers
of
the central
government
should
be
handed
over-.whether
as
a
whole
to
some
form
of
central
government
for
British
India,
or
in
some
areas to
the
existing
provincial
government,
or
in
such
other
way
as
may
seem
most
reasonable
and
in
the
best
interests
of
the
Indian
people.
187
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