August Offer

Last updated

The August Offer was an offer made by Viceroy Lord Linlithgow in 1940 promising the expansion of the Viceroy's Executive Council to include more Indians, the establishment of an advisory war council, the giving of full weight to minority opinion, and the recognition of the Indians' right to frame their own constitution after the end of the war. In return, it was hoped that all parties and communities in India would co-operate in Britain's efforts furing the Second World War. However, the proposal was rejected by the Indian National Congress.

Contents

Moreover, the minorities, especially the All-India Muslim League, were assured that no constitutional scheme was acceptable to the government without their agreement, which thus provided a veto power to the League. As the offer did not give a clear assurance for the establishment of Pakistan, the League did not accept it and it was assured for the establishment of Pakistan

Background

A change of government took place in Britain in May 1940, when Winston Churchill became prime minister. The Fall of France in June left Britain in immediate danger of German occupation. As the war was taking a menacing turn from the Allied point of view, the Indian National Congress softened its demands and offered to cooperate in the war if a transfer of authority in India was made to an interim government. The British government's response to these demands was a statement delivered by the Viceroy, Lord Linlithgow, known as the August Offer. [1]

August Offer

On 8 August 1940, early in the Battle of Britain, the Viceroy of India, Lord Linlithgow, made the so-called "August Offer" at Simla, a fresh proposal promising the expansion of the Executive Council to include more Indians, the establishment of an advisory war council, giving weight to minority opinion, and the recognition of Indians' right to frame their own constitution after the end of the war. In return, it was hoped that all parties and communities in India would cooperate in Britain's war effort. [2]

Linlithgow attempted to solve the Congress-Raj stalemate over popular control of India's defense. Linlithgow prefaced his proposal by reiterating that the differences in ideologies that separated the All-India Muslim League and the Indian National Congress must be bridged before any significant constitutional settlement was made. Nevertheless, the Viceroy announced that the British government was now willing to move forward with governmental changes that would "associate Indian public opinion with the conduct of the war." [3]

Linlithgow was authorized to admit a limited number of Indian politicians to his executive council and to establish a war advisory council that included Princes, politicians and other interests in the national life of India. However, Linlithgow warned the politicians that his proposal did not imply that there would be any revision of the Government of India Act 1935. [4]

The declaration marked an important advance over the existing state of things, as it recognised at least the natural and inherent right of the people of the country to determine the form of their future constitution, and explicitly promised Dominion status.

The following proposals were included:

  1. After the war, a representative Indian body would be set up to frame a constitution for India.
  2. The Viceroy's Executive Council would be expanded without delay.
  3. The minorities were assured that the government would not transfer power "to any system of government whose authority is directly denied by large and powerful elements in Indian national life", [5] [6]

Political reception

The Congress trusted the intentions of the British government. Consequently, Linlithgow acorded that the British government "could contemplate the transfer of their present responsibilities for the peace and tranquility of India to any system of Government whose authority is directly denied by large and power elements in the India’s national life". Moreover, as the British Empire was pre-engaged in their war against the Germans, the period was unpropitious for addressing congressional issues in India. Therefore, Linlithgow stated that the constitutional future of India could be resolved in the future once the war was over by establishing a constituent assembly that was representative of the principal elements in India's national life. [7] The Congress Working Committee meeting at Wardha on 21 August 1940 eventually rejected the offer, and asserted its demand for complete freedom from the imperial power. Gandhi viewed it as having widened the gulf between Nationalist India and the British ruler. [8]

Having not taken the Pakistan idea seriously, Linlithgow supposed that what Jinnah actually wanted was a non-federal arrangement without Hindu domination. To allay Muslim fears of Hindu domination, the August Offer had been accompanied with the promise that a future constitution would take the views of minorities into consideration. [9] The Muslim League was not satisfied with Linlithgow's offer and rejected it in September. [10]

Individual Satyagraha: 1940-41

The Congress was in a confused state again after the August Offer. The radicals and leftists wanted to launch a mass civil disobedience movement, but here Gandhi insisted on Individual Satyagraha, which was not to seek independence but to affirm the right of speech. Also, a mass movement might turn violent, and he would not like to see Britain embarrassed by such a situation. That view was conveyed to Linlithgow by Gandhi they met 27 September 1940. Non-violence was set as the centerpiece of Individual Satyagraha by carefully selecting the Satyagrahis. The first Satyagrahi selected was Acharya Vinoba Bhave (Bhoodan Movement), who was sent to jail after he spoke against the war. He was followed nearly by 25,000 individual satyagrahis. The second was Jawahar Lal Nehru. The third was Brahma Datt, one of the inmates of the Gandhi's Ashram. All were sent to jail for violating the Defence of India Act, and many others were also later imprisoned. However, since it was not a mass movement, it attracted little enthusiasm, and in December 1940, Gandhi suspended it.

The campaign started again in January 1941; this time, thousands of people joined and around 20,000 people were arrested.[ citation needed ]

Significant modifications were subsequently made to the August Offer in 1942 during Cripps' mission. [11]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Partition of India</span> 1947 division of British India

The Partition of India in 1947 was the change of political borders and the division of other assets that accompanied the dissolution of the British Raj in the Indian subcontinent and the creation of two independent dominions in South Asia: India and Pakistan. The Dominion of India is today the Republic of India, and the Dominion of Pakistan—which at the time comprised two regions lying on either side of India—is now the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and the People's Republic of Bangladesh. The partition was outlined in the Indian Independence Act 1947. The change of political borders notably included the division of two provinces of British India, Bengal and Punjab. The majority Muslim districts in these provinces were awarded to Pakistan and the majority non-Muslim to India. The other assets that were divided included the British Indian Army, the Royal Indian Navy, the Royal Indian Air Force, the Indian Civil Service, the railways, and the central treasury. Provisions for self-governing independent Pakistan and India legally came into existence at midnight on 14 and 15 August 1947 respectively.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Victor Hope, 2nd Marquess of Linlithgow</span> British politician, agriculturalist and colonial administrator (1887–1952)

Victor Alexander John Hope, 2nd Marquess of Linlithgow, was a British Unionist politician and statesman, agriculturalist, and colonial administrator. He served as Governor-General and Viceroy of India from 1936 to 1943. He also served as vice president of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, Chancellor of the University of Edinburgh and Lord High Commissioner to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland. He was usually referred to as LordLinlithgow, or simply Linlithgow.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maulana Azad</span> Indian politician

Abul Kalam Ghulam Muhiyuddin Ahmed bin Khairuddin Al-Hussaini Azad ; 11 November 1888 – 22 February 1958) was an Indian independence activist, writer and a senior leader of the Indian National Congress. Following India's independence, he became the First Minister of Education in the Indian government. He is commonly remembered as Maulana Azad; the word Maulana is an honorific meaning 'Our Master' and he had adopted Azad (Free) as his pen name. His contribution to establishing the education foundation in India is recognised by celebrating his birthday as National Education Day across India.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Quit India Movement</span> Indian freedom movement against the British

The Quit India Movement was a movement launched at the Bombay session of the All India Congress Committee by Mahatma Gandhi on 8 August 1942, during World War II, demanding an end to British rule in India.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tej Bahadur Sapru</span> Indian lawyer and politician (1875–1949)

Sir Tej Bahadur Sapru was an Indian freedom fighter, lawyer, and politician. He was a key figure in India's struggle for independence, helping draft the Indian Constitution. He was the leader of the Liberal party in British-ruled India.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Constituent Assembly of India</span> Unicameral assembly for making the Constitution of India

The Constituent Assembly of India was elected to frame the Constitution of India. It was elected by the 'Provincial Assembly'. Following India's independence from the British rule in 1947, its members served as the nation's first Parliament as the 'Provisional Parliament of India'. It was conceived and created by V. K. Krishna Menon, who first outlined its necessity in 1933 and enshrined it as a Congress demand.

The three Round Table Conferences of 1930–1932 were a series of peace conferences organized by the British Government and Indian political personalities to discuss constitutional reforms in India. These started in November 1930 and ended in December 1932. They were conducted as per the recommendation of Muhammad Ali Jinnah to Viceroy Lord Irwin and Prime Minister Ramsay MacDonald, and by the report submitted by the Simon Commission in May 1930. Demands for Swaraj or self-rule in India had been growing increasingly strong. B. R. Ambedkar, Jinnah, Sir Tej Bahadur Sapru, V. S. Srinivasa Sastri, Sir Muhammad Zafrulla Khan, K. T. Paul and Mirabehn were key participants from India. By the 1930s, many British politicians believed that India needed to move towards dominion status. However, there were significant disagreements between the Indian and the British political parties that the Conferences would not resolve. The key topic was about constitution and India which was mainly discussed in that conference. There were three Round Table Conferences from 1930 to 1932.

The Cripps Mission was a failed attempt in late March 1942 by the British government to secure full Indian cooperation and support for their efforts in World War II. The mission was headed by a senior minister Stafford Cripps. Cripps belonged to the left-wing Labour Party, which was traditionally sympathetic to Indian self-rule, but he was also a member of the coalition War Cabinet led by British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, who had long been the leader of the movement to block Indian independence.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Government of India Act 1935</span> United Kingdom legislation

The Government of India Act 1935 was an Act passed by the British Parliament that originally received royal assent in August 1935. It was the longest Act that the British Parliament ever enacted until the Greater London Authority Act 1999 surpassed it. Because of its length, the Act was retroactively split by the Government of India Act, 1935 into two separate Acts:

The Nehru Report of 1928 was a memorandum by All Parties Conference in British India to appeal for a new dominion status and a federal set-up of government for the constitution of India. It also proposed for the Joint Electorates with reservation of seats for minorities in the legislatures. It was prepared by a committee chaired by Motilal Nehru, with Jawaharlal Nehru acting as the secretary. There were nine other members in the committee. The final report was signed by Motilal Nehru and Jawaharlal Nehru, Ali Imam, Tej Bahadur Sapru, Madhav Shrihari Aney, Mangal Singh, Shuaib Qureshi, Subhas Chandra Bose, and G. R. Pradhan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dominion of India</span> 1947–1950 dominion in South Asia

The Dominion of India, officially the Union of India, was an independent dominion in the British Commonwealth of Nations existing between 15 August 1947 and 26 January 1950. Until its independence, India had been ruled as an informal empire by the United Kingdom. The empire, also called the British Raj and sometimes the British Indian Empire, consisted of regions, collectively called British India, that were directly administered by the British government, and regions, called the princely states, that were ruled by Indian rulers under a system of paramountcy. The Dominion of India was formalised by the passage of the Indian Independence Act 1947, which also formalised an independent Dominion of Pakistan—comprising the regions of British India that are today Pakistan and Bangladesh. The Dominion of India remained "India" in common parlance but was geographically reduced. Under the Act, the British government relinquished all responsibility for administering its former territories. The government also revoked its treaty rights with the rulers of the princely states and advised them to join in a political union with India or Pakistan. Accordingly, the British monarch's regnal title, "Emperor of India," was abandoned.

A Cabinet Mission went to India on 24 March 1946 to discuss the transfer of power from the British government to the Indian political leadership with the aim of preserving India's unity and granting its independence. Formed at the initiative of British Prime Minister Clement Attlee, the mission contained as its members, Lord Pethick-Lawrence, Sir Stafford Cripps, and A. V. Alexander. The Viceroy of India Lord Wavell participated in some of the discussions.

The "Day of Deliverance" was a celebration day marked by the All-India Muslim League and others on 22 December 1939 during the Indian independence movement. It was led by Muslim League president Muhammad Ali Jinnah, and intended to rejoice the resignation of all members of the rival Congress party from provincial and central offices in protest over their not having been consulted over the decision to enter World War II alongside Britain.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of the British Raj</span> History of British direct rule on the Indian subcontinent

After the Indian Rebellion of 1857, the British Government took over the administration to establish the British Raj. The British Raj was the period of British Parliament rule on the Indian subcontinent between 1858 and 1947, for around 89 years of British occupation. The system of governance was instituted in 1858 when the rule of the East India Company was transferred to the Crown in the person of Queen Victoria.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Simla Conference</span> 1945 meeting convened to formulate the Wavellite Plan in British India

The Simla Conference of 1945 was a meeting between the Viceroy of India, Lord Wavell and the major political leaders of British India at the Viceregal Lodge in Simla. When it was clear that British intended to leave India, they desperately needed an agreement on what should happen when they leave.

The Viceroy's Executive Council was the cabinet of the Government of India headed by the Viceroy of India. It is also known as the Council of the Governor-General of India. It was transformed from an advisory council into a cabinet consisting of five members heading revenue, military, law, finance and home by the Indian Councils Act 1861 giving recognition to the portfolio system introduced by Lord Canning in 1859. In 1874, a sixth member was added to be in charge of public works.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Interim Government of India</span> 1946–1947 provisional government

The Interim Government of India, also known as the Provisional Government of India, formed on 2 September 1946 from the newly elected Constituent Assembly of India, had the task of assisting the transition of British India to independence. It remained in place until 15 August 1947, the date of the independence of British India, and the creation of the dominions of India and Pakistan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">C. R. formula</span> Partition proposal during WWII

C. Rajagopalachari's formula was a proposal formulated by Chakravarti Rajagopalachari to solve the political deadlock between the All India Muslim League and the Indian National Congress on the independence of British India. The League's position was that the Muslims and Hindus of British India were of two separate nations and henceforth the Muslims had the right to their own nation. The Congress, which had predominantly Hindu members and opposed to the idea of partitioning the Subcontinent. With the advent of the Second World War the British administration sought to divide the Indian political elite into two factions so as to make sure that the Indian independence movement does not make large progress, taking advantage of the war.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1937 Indian provincial elections</span> Provincial elections held in British India in the winter of 1936-37

Provincial elections were held in British India in the winter of 1936-37 as mandated by the Government of India Act 1935. Elections were held in eleven provinces - Madras, Central Provinces, Bihar, Orissa, the United Provinces, the Bombay Presidency, Assam, the North-West Frontier Province, Bengal, Punjab and Sind.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Muhammad Ali Jinnah</span> Founder and 1st Governor-General of Pakistan (1876–1948)

Muhammad Ali Jinnah was a barrister, politician and the founder of Pakistan. Jinnah served as the leader of the All-India Muslim League from 1913 until the inception of Pakistan on 14 August 1947, and then as the Dominion of Pakistan's first governor-general until his death.

References

  1. ↑ Radhey Shyam Chaurasia (2002). History of Modern India, 1707 A. D. to 2000 A. Atlantic Publishers. pp. 281-283
  2. ↑ Radhey Shyam Chaurasia (2002). History of Modern India, 1707 A. D. to 2000 A. Atlantic Publishers. pp. 281-283
  3. ↑ N. Jayapalan (2001). History Of India from National Movement To Present Day. Atlantic Publishers. pp. 55-61
  4. ↑ Robin J. Moore, ‘Hope, Victor Alexander John, second marquess of Linlithgow (1887–1952)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004; online edn, Jan 2011
  5. ↑ Kuracina, William (2010). The State and Governance in India: The Congress Ideal. Routledge. pp. 147-148.
  6. ↑ Steinberg, David. "August Offer". Archived from the original on 11 December 2008. Retrieved 30 April 2017.
  7. ↑ Moore, R. J. Churchill, Cripps and India (Oxford) 1979 chapters 3-5
  8. ↑ Moore, R. J. Churchill, Cripps and India (Oxford) 1979 chapters 3-5
  9. ↑ William Roger Louis; Wm. Roger Louis (2006). Ends of British Imperialism: The Scramble for Empire, Suez, and Decolonization. I.B.Tauris. pp. 397–. ISBN   978-1-84511-347-6. He made a serious misjudgement in underestimating Muslim sentiment before the outbreak of the war. He did not take the idea of 'Pakistan' seriously. After the adoption of the March 1940 Lahore resolution, calling for the creation of a separate state or states of Pakistan, he wrote: 'My first reaction is, I confess, that silly as the Muslim scheme for partition is, it would be a pity to throw too much cold water on it at the moment.' Linlithgow surmised that what Jinnah feared was a federal India dominated by Hindus. Part of the purpose of the famous British 'August offer' of 1940 was to assure the Muslims that they would be protected against a 'Hindu Raj' as well as to hold over the discussion of the 1935 Act and a 'new constitution' until after the war.
  10. ↑ L. J. Butler (2002). Britain and Empire: Adjusting to a Post-Imperial World. I.B.Tauris. pp. 41–. ISBN   978-1-86064-448-1. Viceroy Linlithgow's 'August Offer', made in 1940, proposed Dominion status for India after the war, and the inclusion of Indians in a larger Executive Council and a new War Advisory Council, and promised that minority views would be taken into account in future constitutional revision. This was not enough to satisfy either the Congress or the Muslim League, who both rejected the offer in September, and shortly afterwards Congress launched a fresh campaign of civil disobedience.
  11. ↑ Shyam Ratna Gupta (1972). New Light on the Cripps Mission, India Quarterly, 28:1, pp 69-74.

Sources

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.