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IGNOU HISTORY NOTES : Modern India - TOWARDS INDEPENDENCE

IGNOU HISTORY Study Notes for IAS, UPSC Exams

Modern India 1857-1964

TOWARDS INDEPENDENCE

Structure
35.0 Objectives
35.1 Introduction
35.2 Background: India and the Raj
35.2.1 Second World War: Impact on the Indians
35.2.2 Second World War: Impact on the British Government
35.2.3 End of the War: The British Policy
35.2.4 Congress and the Muslim League
35.3 Attempts at a Negotiated Settlement
35.3.1 The Simla Conference
35.3.2 The Labour in Power
35.3.3 Elections and the Cabinet Mission
35.3.4 The Communal Carnage and Interim Government
35.4 The Popular Urges
35.4.1 Direct Confrontations
35.4.2 Indirect Confrontations
35.5 Let Us Sum Up
35.6 Key Words
35.7 Answers to Check Your Progress Exercises

35.0 OBJECTIVES

This Unit deals with a brief but a very crucial period of Indian Nationalism. After reading this unit you will:

become familiar with the impact of the World War on the British rulers and the Indian . people,
be able to link up the various kinds of political activities undertaken during this period,
to narrate the popular struggles which break out in this period , and
evaluate their role in weakening and ultimately throwing out the Raj.

35.1 INTRODUCTION

In the earlier unit you have been familiarised with the various constitutional processes at r work, political developments and their crystallization, the political maturing of certain sections of Indian society and finally the break out of the second World War and its consequences. As a result of all this the 1940s witnessed a vastly different political scenario. New tensions and conflicts emerged. The relationship, mainly conflictual, between the rulers and the ruled acquired new dimensions, and the range of political i activities became much wider as the possibility of independence began taking shape. 'lhere I were now on the one hand, new attempts being made for a negotiated settlement, for a peaceful transfer of power-a politics of the negotiating chamber. On the other hand, the popular urges for freedom, dissatisfied with the methods of negotiation, looked for different outlets. These outlets were found in various confrontations with the British and were different from the politics of the negotating chamber. During this period the separatist politics also raised its head and the movement for Pakistan gathered greater momentum.

The situation thus, was very complex. All streams of politics - nationalist as well as communalist-were attempting for a peaceful transfer of power. But the popular struggles, direct anti-British fights as well as the anti-feudal struggles challenged the British authority on a different plank. In this unit we attempt to unfold some of the complex characteristics and the different dimensions of India's struggle for freedom during 1945-47.