RAJAGOPALACHARI FORMULA

RAJAGOPALACHARI FORMULA

(C.R PROPSAL)

Background

During the Second World War Britian sent a British Cabinet Member Sir Stafford Cripps with a draft declaration to India under the mission of concluding agreement between the congress and the League so that the support of Indian people might be procured. The support of Indian people was deemed necessary by the British Government to deal successfully with the war situation which was growing worse due to the attack of Japan who had reached the gates of India. The Cripps Mission met a complete failure as it could satisfy the demands of any political party. After the return of Stafford Cripps, the Congress decided to launch ‘Quit India’ campaign suggesting that the British Government should be urged to leave all control and authority over defense to native representatives. In fact the Congress wanted to establish Hindu Rule all over the country without caring for the rights of minorities. That is why condemned by all sects of Indian people as well as the British Government. Even Rajagopalachari, the member of the congress Working Committee and ex-Chief Minister of Madras criticized the Congress policy. He held that the independence of the country should be sought through constitutional means and that a congress League agreement should be concluded on the principal of partition. But he failed to convince the congress leaders who maintained that no party other than Congress existed in the country and that the Congress represented all sects of people who formed one Indian nation. Rajagopalachari resigned from the Congress Working Committee but he continued his effort to bring about a peace between Congress and Muslim League

Rajgopalacharia Proposals. In August 1942, when the members of the Congress Working Committee and Gandhi were arrested and sent to prison for raising the banner of revolt against the British Government. Mr. Rajagopalachari resolved to get the country out of political crisis. He prepared a plan of alliance between the Congress and the Muslim League. In February 1943, he met Gandhi in the prison and showed him his formula. Gandhi gave his approval to it which was published on 10^th July, 1943. The text of the Formula went as under:

“Basis for terms of settlement between the Indian National Congress and the All India Muslim League to which Mahatma Gandhi and Mr. Jinnah agree and which they will endeavor respectively to get the Congress and the League to approve”

Rajagopalachari (CR), the veteran Congress leader, prepared a formula for Congress-League cooperation. It was a tacit acceptance of the League’s demand for Pakistan. Gandhi supported the formula. The main points in CR Plan were:

i.                    Muslim League to endorse Congress demand for independence.

ii.                  League to cooperate with Congress in forming a provisional government at centre.

iii.                After the end of the war, the entire population of Muslim majority areas in the North-West and North-East India to decide by a plebiscite, whether or not to form a separate sovereign state.

iv.                 In case of acceptance of partition, agreement to be made jointly for safeguarding defence, commerce, communication, etc.

v.                   The above terms to be operative only if England transferred full powers to India.

The formula was sent to Mr. Jinnah who refused to take responsibility of accepting or rejecting it. However, he agreed to place it before the Muslim League Working Committee. Rajagopalachari disapproved of this procedure and said that it would be of no use to place it before the Working Committee “so long it (the formula) does not have your own support.” Quaid-e-Azam again refused to take any step against the discipline of the party. Then Rajagopalachari got it published in the newspaper and propagated that the Quaid-e-Azam had rejected such a useful formula which could bridge the rift between Congress and League. The Muslim League Working Committee met in Lahore on 30^th July to discuss the Formula. In the opening speech Jinnah made it clear to the hearers that he did not like the Formula because it was “a parody and a negation of, and intended to torpedo, the Muslim League’s resolution of March, 1940” He raised the following objections to the Formula:

i.                    The first clause of the formula spoke of the Constitution of free India but there was no mention of the type of that Constitution.

ii.                  The first clause of the Formula stated that the Muslim League “endorses the Indian demand for independence. What did this mean? “Did it mean the demand made by the Congress in its resolution of August 1942 or was it the intention to propagate the idea that the League was not anxious to win freedom? Gandhi was well aware that the League stood for the freedom of the whole India and that applied to Pakistan as well as Hindustan”.

iii.                The League was asked to cooperate with the Congress in the formation of the “provisional interim government”. Jinnah inquired about the basis on which the “provisional interim government” was to be constituted.

iv.                 As to the plebiscite commission stipulated in clause No. 2 Jinnah asked a few questions. Who would appoint this Commission? Who will give effect to its findings? Who will determine the franchise on which the plebiscite was to be taken.

It was on these grounds that Jinnah rejected Rajagopalachari. (Reference: “The Struggle for Pakistan” by I.H. Qureshi) 

(Mr. Jinnah Q.A was contending that the Muslims of India as a separate nation had the right of self-determination and Muslims alone had the right to vote for partition and not the whole population of the disputed area. Jinnah wanted congress to accept the two nation theory. He opined that partition should be adopted even though England does not transfer full powers to India. He also accepted the common centre for India and Pakistan. Jinnah rejected the C.R. formula, for all these reasons.)