Forum Pakistan

Sir Stafford Cripps, the Leader of the House of Commons was sent by Churchill to India in March 1942. The background to his mission was the growing Japanese threat following the fall of Singapore and the need to demonstrate good faith to the Americans who were now war-time allies, but had traditionally voiced anti-Imperialist sentiment. Cripps promised India dominion status at the end of the war. In the short term all that was on offer, however, was an expansion of the Ciceroy's Executive Council. Crucially there was to be no Indian control over defence. The Cripps Offer held out for the *Muslim League support in theory for the Pakistan demand in that it included a proviso that no part of India could be forced to join the post-war arrangements. The Mission failed to the relief of Chruchill because of Gandhi's opposition within the Congress. Its rejection led to the British repression of the ensuing Quit India movement. Many of the Congress leaders spent the final three years of the war in jail. Jinnah was able to take advantage of this in consolidating the Muslim League's position.