Aravali Model United Nations2014

The Historic Indian Cabinet

Background guide

The Chairs Address

The Executive BoardThe Executive Board for The Historic Indian Cabinet shall be composed of three members-

The Chair- Shivam Bakshi

The Director- Prakarsh Pandey

The Rapporteur- Priyanka Oza

Table of Contents

1) The Agenda2) The Rise of Communalism in India Early Apathetic Policy of the British Aligarh Movement Partition of Bengal of 1905 Morley-Minto Reforms Hindi-Urdu Controversy Jinnahs Two Nation Theory and the Pakistan Resolution The Cabinet Mission Plan and Direct Action Day3) The Way Ahead4) In the Event of Partition Appointment of a Boundary Commission Division of Assets and Liabilities Division of the Army Communal Problem Migration of People Communications Between the Two Dominions5) If Partition is not Undertaken Undemocratic Political Systems A Weak Federation Curbing Communalism Problem of Princely States6) In Conclusion

The AgendaAt this years Aravali Model United Nations, the agenda that will be simulated at the final conference in the Historic Indian Cabinet will be The Partition of India. The Committee will take place in March 1947, after Clement Attlees announcement on the 20th of February that the British Government would grant complete independence to British India. However, the formation of a separate Muslim as proposed by the Muslim League, which had been rejected by the Cabinet Mission of 1946, had not been touched upon in this announcement. It is up to the committee to decide whether partition must be undertaken, if at all. The demand for a separate state for the Muslims is not suprising regarding the wide spread of baneful communalism in India under the British Rule, which was only aggravated by the favored British Policy of Divide and Rule. Many factors influenced the rise of communalism in India. Some of them are elucidated below.

The Rise of Communalism in India Communalism can broadly be defined as a deep attachment to ones ethnic or religious group rather than the society as a whole. India, being a country of many religions and cultures, has been prone to communalism and communal violence. The British managed to exploit this fact and sow the seeds of communalism through alternate promotion and repression of the Hindu and Muslim masses. The factors that influenced communalism in India under the colonial yoke are as follows-Early Apathetic Policy of the BritishThe conquest of India by the British ended the glorious reign of the Mughal Empire. During the Great Revolt of 1857, Bahadur Shah Zaffar II, the Mughal Emperor of that time, as the Emperor of India. With the suppression of the Great Revolt, the British started to consider the Muslims as their traditional enemies. The systematic suppression of the Muslims involved treating them with scorn and contempt. Thus, communalism emerged amongst the Muslim masses as a direct result of their fight for protection and survival. Aligarh MovementSir Syed Ahmed Khan was the founder of the Aligarh Movement in India. Its objective was to educate the Muslims of South Asia after the suppression of the Revolt of 1857, and instill in them a desire for western education and culture. The Aligarh Movements most significant achievement was the establishment of The Mohammedan Anglo Oriental College at Aligarh in 1875. It later grew into the Aligarh Muslim University. Sir Syed did a lot to arouse patriotic sentiments in India. He referred to Hindus and Muslims as the two eyes of the bride that was India. However, in the 20th century, after the Hindi-Urdu Controversy, he was a completely changed man. He severely criticized the Indian National Congress by calling it a Hindu Organisation. This greatly hurt the political advancement of Indian Muslims as the Congress was the only political body at that time with a nation-wide base. Moreover, he preached that the success of the Congress meant suppression of the Muslims. He therefore stated that the only way to raise the status of the Muslim population in India would be to promote loyalty, approval and support of the British Government in India. This strengthened the communalistic forces that were creating a divide between the Hindus and Muslims in India. Partition of Bengal of 1905

The provincial state of Bengal had an area of 18900 square kilometers and a population of nearly 80 million people. The rampant upsurge of Bengali Nationalism and the increased efforts of the Indian National Congress to attain independence for India posed great threats to the British Government. The Government decided to eliminate both these threats when Lord Curzon decided to carry out the Partition of Bengal in 1905. The execution of the partition resulted in two new provinces, a Muslim majority eastern province, and a Hindu majority western province. His official objective was given as relieving the Bengali administration. However, a main objective accomplished at this point was the fact that he wished to divide the population on religious grounds, quelling the rise in secularism and nationalism in Bengal. Morley-Minto Reforms

In 1906, Lord Minto, the Viceroy, had appointed the Arundale Committee to look in to recommendations for the expansion of the legislative councils of India. The Muslims, therefore decided to present an address to the Viceroy. The new Principal of the Mohammedan Anglo Oriental College, Mr. Archbold, aided the deputation with respect to the subject matter of the address. He suggested that there should be a deep distrust in the current system of elections to the Legislative Councils as numerically, Muslims were a minority in the country. To remedy this, he suggested a system of election where communities would serve as a basis for representation. Accordingly, a deputation, led by Sir Aga Khan, waited upon the Viceroy on the 1st of October, 1906. Their demand for separate electorates was heard. Lord Minto assured them that the political rights and interests of the Muslims will be duly safeguarded.In the Government of India Act of 1909, separate representation of Muslims in the Imperial Legislative Council and the Provincial Legislative Council was made for. This system of separate representation meant a system of separate electorates. This implied that Hindus would vote for Hindu candidates to the legislature, and Muslims would vote for Muslim Candidates to the Legislature. This mechanism was further strengthened during the Mantagu-Chelmsford reforms of 1919.

Hindi-Urdu ControversyWith the decline of the Mughal Empire, Urdu had emerged as the most common language in north and north-western India. It was regarded as the language of Persian nobility, and as a result became an official language with the courts and other government offices. However, in 1876, some Hindus began to demand that Hindi should be made an official language instead of Urdu, and that the Preso-Arabic script should be replaced by the Devanagri Script. This situation provoked the Muslims to come out and defend their language. The growth of the movement to replace Urdu with Hindi made it clear to the Muslims that the Hindu community was not going to tolerate their language or their culture. In U.P., on 8th April, 1900, Government instructions made it so that Government offices and courts should entertain petitions and documents written in Hindi and the Devanagri script as well as in Urdu and the Preso-Arabic Script. The equal stature given to Urdu and Hindi soured the relations between Muslim and Hindu communities in North India.

Jinnahs Two Nation Theory and the Pakistan Resolution The Two Nation Theory, introduced by Muhammad Ali Jinnah to India in Lahore, on March 22nd, 1940, asserts that Hindus and Muslims are not two religions in the truest sense of the word. In fact, they are two distinct Nationalities. He went on two say that the two religions, draw their roots from different civilizations, have different heroes and enemies, different epics, stories and derive inspiration from different sources of history. By saying this, he implied that putting these two nationalities inside one border, where one is at a numerical minority and one is at a majority can only lead to discontent and destruction of the country.On the last day of the Lahore Session of the Muslim League, they passed a resolution, popularly known as the Pakistan Resolution. It demanded that the areas in which Muslims are numerically in a majority such as in the North-West and East of British India should be grouped to constitute independent states in which the constituent units shall be autonomous and sovereign. It was on this day that the Muslim League made a formal demand for partition and a separate nation. The Cabinet Mission Plan and Direct Action Day

In wake of the Bombay, Calcutta and Madras mutinies by the Indian Navy, the Government sent the Cabinet Mission Plan to India in 1946. It was consisted of Lord pethick-Lawrence, Sir Stafford Cripps, and A.V. Alexander. The Viceroy, Lord Wavell, did not participate. Formed at the initiative of the British Prime Minister, Clement Attlee, the Cabinet Mission Plan aimed to plan and formulate the transfer of power from the British Government to Indian leadership. On the 16th of May, 1946, a plan was made that would create a united dominion of India as a loose confederation of its provinces. An important feature of the Plan of May 16th was that provinces would be grouped together according to the religion of their population. The Congress rejected the Plan of May 16th, as the grouping of Muslim Majority provinces was not acceptable to it. However, this formed the basis of the Leagues acceptance of the plan, as it was a part of the political safeguards envisioned by them in post-British Indian Law. The Congress and the League were now at an impasse and the Cabinet Mission Plan decided to resolve this by formulating The Plan of June 16th.The Plan of June 16th proposed the formation of a Hindu majority India and a Muslim Majority India, later to be renamed Pakistan. It also made provisions for the Princely States to accede to either dominion or attain complete independence. The Congress did not accept this plan as it would divide India into many independent states, but agreed to join the constituent assembly to frame the constitution of a United Democratic India. The League on the other hand, accepted the Plan of June 16th as it agreed to the formation of Pakistan.The Viceroy began making arrangements to transfer power to a League-Congress coalition. However, Muhammad Ali Jinnah severely criticized the Congress conditional and hesitant approval and rescinded the Muslim Leagues approval of both the plans. Thus, only the Congress formed the new government. Jinnah and the All India Muslim League denounced the government and started to agitate for Pakistan by any means possible. Jinnah declared August 16 as Direct Action Day. On this day, Hindu, Sikh and Muslim Mobs began clashing routinely and violently. The task of retaining peace and order was left to the Governors of the provinces, who did nothing. 5000 people were killed all across India. The Viceroy, Lord Wavell advised Nehru to invite the Muslim League to join the Interim Government of India. Nehru accepted this and invited the Muslim League in hopes of maintaining communal peace and tranquility in India.The Muslim League thus joined the Interim Government under the Leadership of Liaqat Ali.

The Way Ahead

Delegates, you are the currently the Indian Cabinet. You people have been given a tremendous task with far reaching consequences-political and geographical. The Indian Cabinet must now decide whether to accede to the All India Muslim Leagues demands for a separate state for Muslims, or whether the Cabinet must try and keep the dream of a United Democratic India alive.However, while discussing whether partition should be undertaken or not, many factors need to be discussed to make sure that the decision undertaken by the cabinet is in the best interests of all Indians, whether they be a minority or a majority in this country. In the Event of PartitionIn the event of the Partition of British India into two new dominions, the following factors need to be taken into account-Appointment of a Boundary CommissionThe appointment of a Boundary Commission would perhaps be one of the first steps to be undertaken by the Cabinet in the event of partition. This commissions main purpose would be to demarcate the boundaries or borders between the two new dominions. It is imperative that the composition of this commission provides representation to all communities and religious groups whose lands will be divided by the partition. The committee must also decide whether regional boundary commissions must be formed for the west and the east of India, or whether a single commission may suffice for the whole of British India.The Boundary Commission will also have to decide whether whole provinces will have to secede from India, or if individual districts can secede out of their provinces and into the two new dominions. This is particularly pertinent in the case of the Sylhet District in Assam which assumes a Muslim majority, whereas the rest of the province assumes a Hindu majority.

Division of Assets and Liabilities

The division of financial assets and liabilities between the two dominions is an extremely delicate topic. The Indian Cabinet needs to take a decision on which financial body should be responsible for this division. The Cabinet must also resolve (or appoint a committee to resolve) various issues relating to currency and coinage arrangements and management of exchange and public debt of the new dominion. Before the Central Bank of the new dominion can be formed, the Committee must establish a banking institution or a monetary authority to work as the Central Bank of the new dominion and perform all of its functions. The division of the profits of the Reserve Bank of India is another problem that needs resolution in the event of partition. Division of the ArmyIf partition is decided on, the division of the British Indian Army between the two new dominions would have to take place. The Indian Cabinet is tasked with determining the ratio in which the formations, units, assets and indigenous personnel of the British Indian Army have to be divided, so that each dominion gets sufficient personnel to maintain law and order post partition. Steps must also be taken to protect the interests of British Officers who may be left behind in the country post partition. Arrangements for their safe and swift removal from the country must be made. Communal ProblemThe partition of India might reduce communal violence in the long run, but at the moment, a effective solution to this problem is needed. Even after partition, the amount of Hindus in the new dominions would be sizeable, and the Muslim population in India would still be a lot. Moreover, dividing the country based largely on religion forms the essence of communalism.Taking the example of Punjab, the western part of the state including the cities of Lahore, Rawalpindi and Multan have a large Hindu and Sikh population. But in the east of Punjab, the areas around Amritsar and Ludhiana primarily have a Muslim population. Thus, the communal problem in Punjab would still persist even after splitting Punjab into two.

Migration of People The formation of the new dominions would surely result in a migration of people into them-Muslims into Pakistan and Hindus into India across the western and eastern borders of the proposed dominion. This huge influx of refugees into both dominions will have to be sustained until they can resettle into neighboring states. The formation of refugee camps would be imperative in this regard, especially in the areas of Sindh, Punjab and Bengal, where major population interchange could take place. The Cabinet should also encourage various employment generation and primary education schemes which will aid in the rehabilitation of refugees crossing the borders.

Communications Between the Two DominionsLastly, if the Partition of India is favored, communication between Pakistan and East Bengal, the parts of the proposed dominion would be troublesome. The geographical distance between them would be more than 2000 kilometers. The telegraph system, the only established method of quick long distance communication would have to be rebuilt, as the British laid telegraph lines for the whole of British India, and the partition of British India would in effect dismantle the telegraph system. Therefore, communication between West Pakistan and East Bengal would have to arranged, and would largely depend on the assistance of the Indian Government.If Partition is Not UndertakenIn the event that the Cabinet can reach the consensus of maintaining a united India, the following considerations need to be made. Undemocratic Political SystemsThe Indian National Congress opposed tooth and nail the Morley-Minto reforms of 1909, which introduced the system of separate electorates. The Muslim League however considered it a political safeguard because Muslims were a numerical minority in the country. The committee will have to reach a compromise between the Congress and the Muslim League with respect to this legislative measure, if India is truly to evolve undivided and secular. A Weak FederationAn undivided India would give birth to a huge independent nation that would cover an area of almost 4 million square kilometers. The governance of such a nation would require an extremely strong and efficient government constituted of representatives of all communities. However, the usually conflicting views of the Indian National Congress and the All India Muslim League would make legislation in a parliamentary form of government grind to a halt. Thus, the committee needs to ensure that, before making the decision to forego partition, any and all disruptive forces to good governance are eliminated.

Curbing CommunalismWith the British pledging to leave India, their Divided and Rule policy shall no more be the cause of communal riots. However, communalism will continue to persist in an undivided India. The Cabinet must take substantial steps to prevent the rise and spread of communalistic forces in an independent India.

Problem of Princely StatesThe Princely States are territories over which the British have suzerainty. However, the hereditary rulers of the state have full control over the workings of the state. This means that they are not a part of British India and will not automatically be a part of independent India. The Cabinet Mission Plan of 1946 gave Princely States the right to assert their independence. But most princely states are of the mindset that they will accede into India if no partition happens, and into either of the dominions, in the event of partition. Yet, some princely states have not given any intention of acceding to any dominion or country, such as Kashmir, Hyderabad, Tripura and Manipur. The Congress hoped for a United Democratic India, but that dream will be impossible if accession by the Princely States is not achieved.The Cabinet is therefore tasked with the duty of coaxing the princely states into accession. If this is not achieved, India could find its self at war with these princely states, which should be avoided at all costs. If accession is achieved, the Cabinet must proceed to secure and extend the Indian Governments authority over these states and bring parity in the administration of these states with respect to the administration of other provinces.

In ConclusionMembers of the Indian Cabinet, you have been tasked with discussing the Partition of British India. However, various hurdles block your path to achieving your goal of either partition or a United India. However the competence with which you navigate these hurdles shall determine the geo-political future of the Indian Subcontinent. At this point, you will have to rely on your presence of mind and awareness to excel in a testing environment when India is rife with communalistic riots and unrest. We can only hope that the solution you choose to employ as the Indian Cabinet will serve the needs, necessities and aspirations of all communities, religions and ethnicities that are a part of British India.