The White Ruler Departs

World War II ended in 1945; in spite of the War and the Bengal famine in which more than 1,50,000 people died of hunger and epidemic disease, the political situation in India did not ease. The ‘Quit India’ demand became more widespread; India was in a state of confusion. The solution to the Indian problem was made possible by the defeat of the Conservative party in the British elections of 1945, and the coming to power of the Labour Party, whose main concern was to come to an agreement with Indian leaders. Lord Wavell was the Viceroy at the time; he set up an interim government, which assumed power in September 1946 with Jawaharlal Nehru as the head. At first, the Muslim League refused to take part in the Government, in October, it reluctantly consented to join; but in December it withdrew again from the Government. The Constituent Assembly opened without any representatives of the League. Mr Clement Attlee, the Labour Prime Minister, declared on 20 February 1947, in the House of Commons, that the British government intended to transfer power and responsibility to the Indians by a date not later than June 1948. Lord Wavell was recalled before the completion of his Viceregal office and Lord Mountbatten assumed office in March 1947; he was the last of the British Viceroys in India.

Lord Mountbatten realized that there was an unbridgeable gap between the Congress and the League, and, on the basis of the recommendations made by the Cabinet, he advised the partition of the subcontinent into two States: India and Pakistan.