Analyze the complex dynamics of the Cripps Mission sent to India in March 1942: 1. The British war cabinet dispatched Sir Stafford Cripps to secure Indian cooperation during World War II by promising immediate full Dominion status and the right of individual provinces to secede from the proposed Indian union after cessation of hostilities. 2. The proposals were warmly welcomed and accepted unconditionally by the Indian National Congress and Mahatma Gandhi, who described the offer as a post-dated cheque on a crashing bank. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

💡 Solution & Explanation

Statement 1 is correct because Sir Stafford Cripps offered dominion status and provincial secession options to incentivize Indian war participation. Statement 2 is incorrect because the Congress rejected the proposals precisely because they offered post-war dominion status rather than immediate independence, prompting Mahatma Gandhi to characterize the scheme as a post-dated cheque on a failing bank. The failure of the mission directly precipitated the launching of the Quit India movement in August 1942. Negotiations collapsed due to irreconcilable differences over immediate transfer of executive defense responsibilities.