SUBASH CHANDRA BOSE

The movement of Subash Chandra Bose, a selfless patriot with unflinching determination, proved to be an additional cause of anxiety to the British Government.

After his escape from India in 1944, he established contacts with the Governments of Germany and Japan. On the conquest of the Malay Peninsula by the Japanese, thousands of Indian soldiers were made prisoners by them. By an understanding with the Japanese Government. Subhas Chandra Bose, hailed as Netaji organized these Indians into an Azad Hind Fauj or Indian National Army.

He proclaimed the establishment of a ‘provisional Government of Free India’ at Singapore and, in 1943, his soldiers, along with a Japanese army, marched upto the eastern frontier of India.

        Indian affairs were extremely complicated and there was agony and anxiety in the country due to Mahatma Gandhi’s twenty-one-day fast as a moral protest against the Government’s excesses. C. Rajagopalachari proposed in a pamphlet entitled ‘The Way Out’ a solution for the constitutional deadlock through his doctrine of ‘Back to Cripps.’

He suggested giving concession to the principle of self-determination for minorities and states ‘in a plan for a free and independent constitution’. Lord Wavell, who had reached Indian in October 1943 as its Governor-General also pleaded in vain for co-operation of all with the existing Government during war time.       

POLITICAL DEAD – LOCK: The communal question had become a baffling one as the Muslim League stiffened its demand for Pakistan. Against the Congress demand of ‘Quit India’, the Muslim league’s new slogan was ‘Divide and Quit’.

Released from prison on May 6, 1944, Mahatma Gandhi made earnest efforts for communal harmony – which he regarded as his life’s mission- and held discussions with Jinnah. Instead of accepting his proposals, Jinnah observed in March 1945. “Pakistan is our irrevocable and unalterable national demand… We shall never accept any constitution on the basis of a united India.”

        Lord Wavell flew to London in March 1945. On his return to India after consultations with his government, he made a proposal for the solution of the constitutional deadlock in June 1945, suggesting there in the reconstitution of the Central Executive Council in such a way that all its members, except the Governor-General and the Commander-in-Chief should be ‘leaders of Indian political life’ there being ‘a balanced representation of the main communities, including equal proportions of Muslims and Caste Hindus’.

Members of the Congress Working Committee were released and the ban upon the party was removed. To consider the constitutional question, Lord Wavell summoned a conference at Shimla on June 25, 1945, which after a short adjournment, met again on July 14. In spite of earnest deliberations, the Conference failed in its objective as there could be no agreement regarding the interim arrangement.

        The quick march of events hastened the termination of the constitutional deadlock in India. Britain was faced with the legacies of the war and in India, the urge for national independence had become irresistible.

The Labour Government which had come to power in England in 1945, with Clement Attlee as the prime Minister, realized the gravity of the situation and took prompt steps to solve the Indian problem.

On September 19, the British Prime Minister and Lord Wavell made simultaneous statements to the effect that fresh elections to the Central and provincial Legislatures would be held during the winter of 1945-46 that the Viceroy’s Executive Council would be reconstituted in consultation with the principal Indian parties immediately after the elections and that a constitution-making body would be convened as soon as possible.

The elections were held early in 1946 and resulted in a sweeping victory of the Congress for the general seats and of the Muslim League for the Muslim seats.

        National enthusiasm in India received much impetus on the occasion of the trial of a number of officers of the Indian national Army which had surrendered to the British after the fall of Japan. The revolt by the ratings of the Royal Indian Navy in February 1946 was a matter of grave concern for the British Government.