The Cabinet Mission: Negotiatory Efforts by the British Authorities

Abstract

The last years of British rule in India were significant due to the initiation of
a new phase of political negotiations. It is termed as a new political phase
as the two major stakeholders of Indian politics had substantially revised
their policies, which were totally contrasted to the earlier. Those political
negotiations were moved around Indian communal settlements. Some of
those political dialogues were between the British government and Indian
stakeholders, while the others were between the Indians themselves. Cabinet
Mission was one of the political dialogues by the British authorities. To lead
this Mission, three prominent British Cabinet members named Sir Pethick
Lawrence (Secretary of the State for India), Sir Stafford Cripps (President of
the Board of Trade), and A.V Alexander (first Lord of Admiralty) were chosen.
After discussions with the Indian leadership, they presented their own plan,
in which they tried to appease both the major political stakeholders of India
i.e. All India National Congress and All India Muslim League. This Plan
succeeded in getting approval from the main political stakeholders but
ended in failure. This article traces the causes which led Congress and the
Muslim League to approve the proposed Plan while discussing the causes of
its failure.