36.


a. Identify the event in the above picture. Name the Lady seen in the given picture. Mention the year when the current even took place.

b. What were the main provisions of the Indian Independence Act ?

c. Mention the reasons that made the congress accept the Partition Proposals.

 

a. The event is of Pt. Nehru being sworn in as Prime Minister of India. The lady is Edwina Mountbatten.

b.The provisions:

i. Two New Dominions

ii. Each Dominion to have a Governor General

iii. Princely States would become Independent 

c. 

1. Communal carnage raged in India amd people were getting butchered in frenzy. The British government was not doing any thing to check communalism. INC leaders felt that accepting Dominion status would at least give them some power to check further riots.

2. The INC had to accept its failure in building a strong base amongst the Muslims despite it being a secular party. Thus failure was most evident in growing popularity of Jinnah and sweep of electoral polls in Muslim areas by the League.

3. Failure of Cripps Mission, Shimla Conference, Cabinet Mission and the Interim government convinced INC that Muslim League will not relent. Also British had given virtual veto to the League at various stages of proposals.

4. Even graver threat to a future India's unity and integrity was secession of princely states. So it was more pragmatic to allow an obdurate leader have his way and focus more on what could become a deep internal crisis in future India in form of Balkanisation. Moreover, Gandhiji was also not able to contain communal frenzy and Gandhi-Jinnah talks had failed as well, so INC had to bow.