Thread by @umar8528

Why Jinnah accepted the Cabinet Mission Plan?

Does this prove that Jinnah never wanted a partition as some of his critics argue?

Or was it an attempt by Jinnah to expose Congress's plan of splitting the Muslims and secure Hindu domination once British leaves?

Thread:

On 23rd March 1946, 3 members came to India for Cabinet Mission Plan on behest of British Cabinet, Members were:
1/Pethink Lawrence
2/A.V Alexander
3/Stafford Cripps.

(Viceroy Wavell considered Cripps "sold to the congress point of view & not quite straight in his methods)

On 28th March, Cripps Assistant -- Woodrow Wyatt met Jinnah, he noted:
"Jinnah was calm & reasonable but completely firm on Pakistan"

On 4th April, Jinnah met with commission members -- Pethick & Cripps.

..they tried to convince Jinnah on joint defense structure, however, Jinnah stood his ground on a totally sovereign Pakistan demand.

On 16th April, mission members presented their plan to Jinnah.
Jinnah insisted on Pakistan and emphasized that the unity of India was a myth.

On 24th April, mission met Jinnah, Ghandi and Nehru.
Gandhi and Nehru rejected a three-tier federation with provinces grouped to embrace the areas of Pakistan demanded by ML.
Mission then proposed the formation of a commission, if 20% of the commission voted for Pakistan..

..than Muslim reps of Muslim majority provinces will meet & if 75% of Muslim reps vote in favor they would become part of Pakistan and out of Indian Union.
Jinnah said if Congress agrees to this proposal than he would put them to the ML working committee for approval.

Nehru rejected this proposal too.

Cripps than met Jinnah & again put to him the previous plan-A and B. Jinnah rejected plan-B but prepared to put Plan-A (three-tiered federal union) to ML working committee "if" congress were prepared to consider it.

On 5th May, Commission, ML & Congress memeber met at Simla to hammer out details of three-tiered federal union solution.
ML was represented by:
Jinnah
Liaqat Ali Khan
Sardar Abdur Rab Nishtar
Muhammad Ismail Khan.

Congress was represented by
Azad
Nehru
Patel
Abdul Ghaffar Khan

Nehru insisted that ML should first come into the constitution-making body while Jinnah replied that he would *if* the congress would accept the "Groups" (Virtual autonomy of Muslim Majority provinces), ML would accept the union.

Cripps showed the new "points of agreement"..

..document to Gandhi, he initially rejected the newly proposed solution but then later agreed. In a meeting with Wavell, Jinnah expressed his mistrust of Congress. He was convinced of their intention to split the Muslims and secure Hindu domination.

On 8th May, Pethick sent Jinnah and Azad 9 suggested points of agreement. Jinnah rejected it as it deviated from earlier suggested plan whereas Gandhi rejected for the reason that 90mil Muslims would enjoy parity over 200mil Hindus an idea he termed "really worse than Pakistan".

On 12th May, Jinnah and Nehru met at Jinnah's residence along with commission member Pethick, Jinnah was told to put his precise condition in writing, which he did the next day. Jinnah wrote 10 principles, he demanded:

1/ Separate constitution-making bodies for Pak & Hindustan groups (provinces)
2/ Parity of reps between groups in union executive or legislature

On 13th May, Wavell met Jinnah and proposed ML parity with Congress in Viceroy's interim Govt. Jinnah reiterated his skepticism about Congress plan to get control of Central & provincial Govts.

On 16th May, Cabinet mission announced their own plan..

rejected fully independent sovereign Pakistan due to various reasons. CMP recommended a three-tier federation with minimal central Union.
Gandhi welcomed the commission plan and raised questions about provincial groups.

This made Viceroy Wavell suspicious that Congress' primary objective was to get power at the center & torpedo the constitution-making body.

Nehru viewed the Cabinet mission plan as too generous to Jinnah's demands.

On 18th May, Jinnah registered his protest against the commission statement and requested a month before coming to any decision.

On 19-20th May, Gandhi again raised questions on provincial grouping.

CMP member Lord Alexander was then convinced that Congress' aim is to secure power to abandon the *just* claims of Muslim League.

On 24th May, Cripps assistant -- Wyatt met Jinnah and convinced him for a settlement.

On 6th June, ML council accepted the cabinet mission plan.

On 10th June, Azad and Nehru met Wavell and opposed giving parity to ML in the interim government.

Cripps met Jinnah to persuade him to meet Nehru on parity demand, Jinnah refused and said parity discussion is not negotiable and he already has shown flexibility by accepting..

..the cabinet plan despite huge opposition in ML.

On 16th June, Wavell noted: "..all this huckstering and bargaining by Congress has shown their complete inability to take a broad or statesmanlike view; Jinnah has shown up well in comparison"

On 10th July, after assuming the presidency of Congress Nehru insisted that Congress is not bound by agreements & had made no commitments on groupings (Muslim provinces autonomy, ML-Congress Parity in interim setup) and would enter the forthcoming constituent assembly..

..free to meet all situations as they arise.

Azad blamed Nehru for the failure of Cabinet Mission Plan and said nominating Nehru was the greatest blunder of his political life.

On 29th July ML working committee withdrew League acceptance of the cabinet mission's May proposal & chartered ML course of future direct action.

In Aug Wavell wrote to Pethick:

"..It is to my mind convincing evidence that congress always meant to use their position..

..in interim govt to break up the ML and in the constituent assembly to destroy the grouping scheme which was the one effective safeguard for the Muslims"

References:

1/ Jinnah of Pakistan

2/ Gandhi's Passion

3/ NEHRU -- A Tryst with destiny

4/ Jinnah -- Creator of Pakistan.