Pakistan Movement

1940-1947
Pakistan Movement refers to the successful historical movement against the British and the
Congress to have an independent Muslim state named Pakistan. It was led by Quaid-e-azam and
other founding fathers being Allama Iqbal and Liaqat Ali Khan
From March 22 to March 24,1940, the All India Muslim League
held its annual sessions at Minto Park, Lahore. This session
proved to be historical.
 Reasons for Pakistan Movement:-

The behavior of Hindu Provincial

Government.
The independence from Britain.
Fear of Hindu Domination.
Support for the ML increased rapidly.
Success in large number of by-elections.
League was now committed to an
independent Muslim State.
Cripps Mission 1942 was an attempt in late march by
the British government to secure full Indian
cooperation and support for their efforts in World
War II.
Reasons for the failure of Crips Mission
• British did not agree to partition
• ML was not sure that provinces which opt out would
get independence.
• Congress wanted immediate and full control over
the central government.
• British were negotiating from a weak position which
the Congress Party wanted to exploit.
• Threat to Indian Unity.
• Launched the Quit India Movement to expel the
British by force.
Quit India Movement was a civil disobedience movement
launched by Gandhi on August 8,1942,during World War II,
demanding an end to British rule of India.
On July 4,1944 Gandhi wrote a letter to Jinnah to meet and
discuss the future of India after the departure of British.
Jinnah agreed and they meet on 9 and 21 September 1944,at
Jinnah’s residence in Bombay.
 Reasons for the failure of Gandhi Jinnah
Talks:-
 Gandhi wanted independence first and then consider
partition but Jinnah knew partition must be settled
before the British left.
 No agreement was made on the Muslim homeland.
 Gandhi was not willing to accept the two-nation theory.
 Gandhi claimed to speak for all Indians.
 Gandhi also wanted the central government to have
control of the key areas which were defence and
Foreign policy.
-In May 1945, Wavell visited London and discussed his ideas with the
British Government. These London talks resulted in the formulation of a
definite plan of action which was officially made public simultaneously on
14 June 1945 by L.S. Amery, the Secretary of State for India, commonly
known as Wavell Plan. 
-The Simla Conference was a meeting between the Viceroy and the major
political leaders of British India at Simla,India.They convened to agree on
and approve the Wavell plan for Indian self government.
General elections were held in British India in December 1945 to elect
members of the Central Legislative Assembly and the Council of
State. The Indian National Congress emerged as the largest party,
winning 59 of the 102 elected seats. The Muslim League won all Muslim
constituencies, but failed to win any other seats. Of the 13 remaining
seats, 8 went to Europeans, 3 to independents, and 2 to Akali candidates
in the Sikh constituencies of Punjab.This election coupled with
the provincial one in 1946 proved to be a strategic victory for Jinnah and
the partitionists.
The Cabinet Mission Plan 1946 was the last attempt to keep
the subcontinent together. In March 1946, members of the
British Cabinet mission arrived in India, headed by Sir
Stafford Cripps. The British Cabinet mission of 1946 to India
aimed to discuss and plan for the transfer of power from the
British Raj to Indian leadership, with the aim of preserving
India's unity and granting it independence.
Direct Action Day (16 August 1946), also known as the 1946
Calcutta Killings, was a day of nationwide communal riots. It led to
large-scale violence between Muslims and Hindus in the city
of Calcutta in the Bengal province of British India. The day also
marked the start of what is known as The Week of the Long Knives.
As rioting on a massive scale took place and thousands died.Thus
the British grew increasingly worried that civil war would ensue,
and gradually a change of mind grew over partition.
The Interim government in 1946 was the final struggle against
both the Britishers and the Congress.The interim 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 and partition
of India and the creation of Pakistan.
In February 1947, came the announcement by the British
Prime Minister "Clement Attlee" that the British would leave
the subcontinent by June 1948. He hoped by setting a
deadline, the Indian leaders would compel to work together.
He had deliberately set a short time span for the
arrangements to be made. He feared that if more time were
given, there would only be more disagreement.
The 3 June Plan announced that India would be free from the
shackles of the Britishers. It will always be remembered as a historic
day in India and in Pakistan. It provided an option for princely states
to decide which country to join and Muslim majority provinces to vote
on whether to stay with India or join Pakistan. In Sindh and
Balochistan the provincial assembly voted to join Pakistan. Both
Punjab and Bengal decided that they should join Pakistan but their
Muslim minority areas should stay in India. The NWFP also joined
Pakistan after holding a referendum.
The British Government passed the Indian Independence Act
on 15 July 1947. The act ordered that from 15 August, British
India would be partitioned into two dominion States, India
and Pakistan. These dominion states were to have complete
freedom to pass any act or bill they wished and the
Government of India Act, 1935 was to be provisional
constitution until the states formulate their own constitution.
Finally, on 14 August 1947, Pakistan came into being and on 15
August India declared its independence. The flag of Pakistan was
designed by Sayed Amir-udddin Kedwaii, and is based on the All
India Muslim League flag. The flag symbolizes Pakistan's
commitment to Islam and the rights of religious minorities. The
dark green represent Islam and the majority Muslims. The white
stripe represent religious minorities, peace and honesty. The
Crescent and the star symbolizes progress and light respectively.