Cripps Mission (1942): Background, Proposals, Failure, and Impact on India’s Freedom Struggle

The Cripps Mission of 1942 was one of the most significant political episodes in India’s march towards independence. Launched during the turbulence of the Second World War, it was Britain’s attempt to secure Indian support against the Axis powers. Sir Stafford Cripps, a member of the British War Cabinet, was sent to India with constitutional proposals. However, the mission ended in failure, fueling greater discontent and paving the way for the Quit India Movement.

Understanding the Cripps Mission is crucial for both academic study and competitive exams like UPSC, as it highlights the intersection of global geopolitics, colonial strategies, Indian nationalist aspirations, and the persistent demand for self-rule.

This article provides a comprehensive analysis of the Cripps Mission: its background, objectives, key provisions, responses of political parties, reasons for failure, and its long-term significance in India’s independence struggle.

 

Cripps Mission

Background of the Cripps Mission

1. Global Context

• Second World War (1939–1945): Britain was deeply engaged in a life-and-death struggle against Nazi Germany, Fascist Italy, and Imperial Japan. The Japanese advance into Southeast Asia in 1941 threatened British colonies, including Burma and India.
• Fall of Rangoon (1942): The Japanese conquest of Burma directly endangered India’s eastern frontier. Britain desperately needed India’s manpower, resources, and support for the war effort.

2. Indian Political Context

• Resignation of Congress Ministries (1939): When Britain declared India a participant in the war without consulting Indian leaders, the Congress ministries resigned in protest.
• Rise of Muslim League: The Muslim League under Muhammad Ali Jinnah demanded the creation of Pakistan through the Lahore Resolution (1940).
• Growing Discontent: Mass dissatisfaction increased due to war-related inflation, shortages, and restrictions on civil liberties.

3. Why Britain Sent the Cripps Mission

• To secure Indian cooperation in the war.
• To offer constitutional concessions and prevent unrest.
• To appease both the Indian National Congress and the Muslim League.
• To counter growing international pressure, especially from the United States and China, which supported India’s right to self-determination.

 

Arrival of the Cripps Mission (March 1942)

In March 1942, Sir Stafford Cripps, a socialist leader and member of Churchill’s War Cabinet, arrived in India. His reputation as a friend of Indian aspirations gave some hope for genuine negotiations. The mission held discussions with Indian leaders, including Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, B.R. Ambedkar, and leaders of the Sikh and Scheduled Castes communities.

 

Main Provisions of the Cripps Proposals

The Cripps Offer was the British government’s constitutional proposal for India. Its key points were:

1. Dominion Status: India would be granted Dominion Status after the war, meaning autonomy within the British Commonwealth.
2. Constitution-Making Body: A Constituent Assembly would be set up after the war to frame a new Constitution for India.
3. Participation of Provinces and States:
• Provinces not willing to join the new Union could form their own separate Union or retain direct relations with Britain.
• Princely states were free to remain outside the Constitution and negotiate directly with Britain.
4. Safeguards for Minorities: Adequate provisions would be made to protect the rights and interests of minorities.
5. British Control During War: During the war, the British Governor-General would retain all powers, especially over defense.
6. Right of Secession: Provinces had the right to opt out of the Indian Union—this was a thinly veiled concession towards the Muslim League’s demand for Pakistan.
7. Participation in War Council: Some Indians would be included in the Viceroy’s Executive Council, though real power remained with the British.

 

Reactions of Indian Political Parties

1. Indian National Congress

• The Congress rejected the proposals.
• Main objections:
• Dominion status was promised only after the war, not immediately.
• The Governor-General’s powers during wartime meant no real transfer of power.
• The right of provinces to opt out encouraged partition.
• Gandhi called the offer a “post-dated cheque on a failing bank.”

2. Muslim League

• The League also rejected the proposals.
• Jinnah opposed the Constituent Assembly as it could weaken the demand for Pakistan.
• He insisted that only the Muslim League could represent Muslims, not an all-India body.

3. Hindu Mahasabha

• Opposed the mission for granting provinces the right to secede, which it believed would destroy Indian unity.

4. Sikh Leaders

• Feared that the right of secession could place them under Muslim domination if Punjab opted for Pakistan.

5. Scheduled Castes and Dravidian Leaders

• Leaders like B.R. Ambedkar demanded stronger safeguards for depressed classes.
• The Justice Party in the south supported separate provincial autonomy.

 

Reasons for Failure of the Cripps Mission

1. Lack of Real Power Transfer: The British retained control over defense and wartime administration.
2. Post-War Dominion Status: The promise was delayed until after the war, creating distrust.
3. Right to Secede: The option given to provinces sowed division and weakened national unity.
4. Contradictory Demands: Congress wanted immediate independence, while the Muslim League wanted Pakistan.
5. Churchill’s Conservative Cabinet: Churchill had no real intention of giving India independence during wartime.
6. Distrust of British Intentions: Past experiences (e.g., August Offer of 1940) made Indian leaders skeptical.

 

Impact of the Cripps Mission

1. Strengthened Distrust: The failure deepened Indian leaders’ belief that Britain would not willingly grant independence.
2. Rise of Quit India Movement (1942): Within months of the mission’s failure, the Congress launched the Quit India Movement demanding immediate British withdrawal.
3. Communal Polarization: The mission highlighted the irreconcilable positions of the Congress and Muslim League, pushing India closer to partition.
4. International Opinion: The mission exposed Britain’s unwillingness to decolonize, drawing criticism from allies like the United States.
5. Constitutional Learning: Many proposals (like the Constituent Assembly) influenced post-independence constitutional developments.

 

Cripps Mission in Indian Freedom Struggle Timeline

• 1939: Outbreak of WWII; Congress ministries resign.
• 1940: Lahore Resolution demanding Pakistan.
• 1940: August Offer proposes limited reforms.
• 1942 (March–April): Cripps Mission arrives and fails.
• 1942 (August): Quit India Movement launched.

 

Conclusion

The Cripps Mission of 1942 was a turning point in the Indian freedom struggle. Though it failed, its failure had far-reaching consequences. It exposed British reluctance to genuinely share power, highlighted the growing communal divide, and directly led to the Quit India Movement, the most intense phase of mass struggle before independence.

For students, especially UPSC aspirants, the Cripps Mission demonstrates how wartime geopolitics influenced colonial policies and how Indian leaders navigated the challenges of unity, independence, and partition.

 

Top 10 FAQs on Cripps Mission

1. What was the Cripps Mission of 1942?

The Cripps Mission was a British initiative during World War II, led by Sir Stafford Cripps, aimed at gaining Indian cooperation in the war by promising constitutional reforms and eventual Dominion status.

2. Why was the Cripps Mission sent to India?

Britain needed India’s full support in WWII, especially after Japanese advances. The mission was meant to secure political backing by offering post-war constitutional concessions.

3. Who headed the Cripps Mission?

The mission was headed by Sir Stafford Cripps, a senior British politician, socialist leader, and member of Prime Minister Winston Churchill’s War Cabinet.

4. What were the main proposals of the Cripps Mission?

• Dominion status for India after WWII.
• A Constituent Assembly to frame the Constitution.
• Provinces and princely states given the option to opt out of the Union.
• British control over defense during the war.
• Safeguards for minorities.

5. Why did the Indian National Congress reject the Cripps Mission?

Congress opposed the mission because it offered only post-war Dominion status, retained British control during the war, and allowed provinces to secede, which threatened India’s unity.

6. Why did the Muslim League reject the Cripps Mission?

The Muslim League rejected the mission because it did not guarantee Pakistan. Jinnah insisted that only the Muslim League could represent Muslims, not a joint Constituent Assembly.

7. What was Gandhi’s reaction to the Cripps Mission?

Mahatma Gandhi described the offer as a “post-dated cheque on a failing bank”, symbolizing his distrust of British intentions and rejection of delayed independence.

8. What was the impact of the Cripps Mission’s failure?

• Strengthened the demand for immediate independence.
• Directly led to the Quit India Movement.
• Increased communal polarization between Congress and the League.
• Exposed Britain’s unwillingness to decolonize during the war.

9. How did the Cripps Mission influence India’s Constitution later?

The idea of a Constituent Assembly to frame India’s Constitution, first proposed in the Cripps Offer, became a reality after independence in 1946.

10. Why is the Cripps Mission important in modern Indian history?

The Cripps Mission is important because it reflects the political deadlock between Britain and Indian leaders during WWII, shows how global events shaped India’s freedom struggle, and explains why the Quit India Movement was inevitable.