The Mountbatten Plan, June 3, 1947

The “Freedom-with-Partition Formula” was coming to be widely accepted well before Mountbatten arrived in India. One major innovation (actually suggested by V. P. Menon) was the immediate transfer of power on the basis of grant of dominion status (with a right of secession), thus obviating the need to wait for an agreement in the Constituent Assembly on a new political structure.

Main Points

The important points of the Plan were as follows:

● Punjab and Bengal Legislative Assemblies would meet in two groups, Hindus and Muslims, to vote for partition. If a simple majority of either group voted for partition, then these provinces would be partitioned.

● In case of partition, two dominions and two Constituent Assemblies would be created.

● Sindh would take its own decision.

● Referendums in NWFP and Sylhet district of Bengal would decide the fate of these areas.

● Since the Congress had conceded a unified India, all their other points would be met, namely,

(i) independence for the Princely States ruled out—they would join either India or Pakistan;

(ii) independence for Bengal ruled out;

(iii) accession of Hyderabad to Pakistan ruled out (Mountbatten supported the Congress on this);

(iv) freedom to come on August 15, 1947; and

(v) a Boundary Commission to be set up, if partition was to be effected.

Thus, the League’s demand was conceded to the extent that Pakistan would be created and the Congress’ position on unity was taken into account to make Pakistan as small as possible. Mountbatten’s formula was to divide India, but retain maximum unity.