Attlee’s Statement of February 20, 1947: Key Points, Reasons, and Impact | Studento
Attlee’s Statement of February 20, 1947: An In-Depth Analysis of British Intentions in India
Overview of Attlee’s Statement on February 20, 1947 and Its Implications for India’s Future
Clement Attlee, the British prime minister, sensing the trouble all around, made an announcement on February 20, 1947.
The British House of Commons declared the British intention of leaving the Indian subcontinent.
Main Points of Attlee’s Statement and Key Decisions Regarding Indian Independence
Deadline of June 30, 1948 was fixed for the transfer of power, even if the Indian politicians had not agreed by that time on the constitution.
The British would relinquish power either to:
Some form of central government
Existing provincial governments if the constituent assembly was not fully representative, i.e., if the Muslim majority provinces did not join.
British powers and obligations vis-a-vis the princely states would lapse with the transfer of power, but these would not be transferred to any successor government in British India.
Mountbatten would replace Wavell as the viceroy.
The statement contained:
Clear hints of partition.
Even Balkanisation of the country into numerous states.
In essence, this was a reversion of the Cripps Offer.
Why Did the British Government Fix a Date for Withdrawal from India in 1947?
The government hoped that a fixed date would:
Shock the parties into an agreement on the main question.
Avert the developing constitutional crisis.
Convince the Indians of British sincerity.
It could no longer be denied, as Wavell had assessed, that an irreversible decline of the government’s authority had taken place.
Congress’s Stand on Attlee’s Statement and the Indian Political Reactions
The provision of transfer of power to more than one centre was acceptable to Congress because:
The existing assembly could go ahead and frame a constitution for the areas represented by it.
It offered a way out of the existing deadlock.
However, the hopes of a settlement were shattered as the statement proved to be a prelude to the final showdown.
The League launched a civil disobedience movement to overthrow the coalition government in Punjab, feeling emboldened by the statement.
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