Essay
How far do you agree with the view that the Labour government acted with bias towards Congress in the years 1945-47?
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Judgement essay from the India paper. Graded with a level 5 (A*).
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ShaneHow far do you agree with the view that the Labour government acted with bias towards Congress in
the years 1945-47?
The British Government, let alone the Labour Government, never acted towards a specific party with
bias in India. It is undeniable that Indian interests were always secondary interests, regardless of
whether it was the Muslim League or Congress proposing a change. It was never a “bias”, it was always a
decision towards which party’s proposal worked better for British interests. In these years, as
Mountbatten himself stated, the only reason it appears that the Labour Government had bias during
these years is because Congress was simply easier to work with. A united India may have been against
Muslim interest, but it was safer and easier and there’s no way to deny that. Although we can’t measure
the extent of chaos Jinnah might have unleashed after the day of Direct Action if a separate Pakistan
wasn’t approved, it is hard to imagine that those conditions would’ve been worse than Partition. These
conditions had been predicted for years before 1945, such as in the Daily Mail written by Lord
Rothermere and many others. Politicians in Britain knew the consequences of succumbing to the Muslim
League’s proposals, not just news article writers like Rothermere. To consider the Labour Government’s
behavior from 1945-47 as a form of bias or favoritism, is ignorant of the situation in India at the time.
The Labour Government had reason for their “bias” such as the carnage awaiting the split India that the
Muslim League desired, alongside a united India’s potential utility for future British interests. To
elaborate, a torn India benefitted nobody, especially not Britain’s reputation and future presence in the
trading industry in Asia. The Labour Government didn’t act with bias towards Congress, they attempted
to sacrifice Muslim interests to save the millions of deaths and displaced Indians, alongside British
interests too.
Britain, for centuries, prioritized their own interests against anyone else’s, just as most countries have
for as long as we know. In the years 1945-47, they did just the same as they have been throughout their
history with India. After winning 75% of Muslim votes in the 1946 elections, Jinnah and the Muslim
League’s demands had to be considered in any settlement because of their large influence. However,
their “demands” - although were directed towards protecting Muslim representation from a Hindu-led
India – jeopardized India’s safety and stability. What the Daily Mail proprietor Lord Rothermere
described as “carnage”, and what many other politicians like Attlee and Wavell described as
“destruction” and “chaos”, was exactly what Jinnah promised - disguised as a separate Pakistan to
ensure Muslims would be represented fairly. Regardless of what Jinnah’s intent was, or to what extent
the British thought the “carnage” would go to, everybody understood the risks that a united India would
avoid. It is unfair to use the estimates of 2 million deaths, and a further 15 million displaced, as a reason
as to why the Labour government leaned towards Congress in these years as nobody knew it would be
that horrific. However, there is sufficient evidence to justify the “bias’. The “bias” in question, was the
Cripps’ decision not to rule out Congress’ plan to stamp out any chance of a separate Muslim state
during the Cabinet Mission, which promised in both proposals – at the very least – that separate Muslim
dominated states could exist within independent India. This decision by Cripps - on behalf of the Labour
government - was less of a bias towards Congress’ interests, but rather – as highlighted – an attempt to
escape the jagged benefits of a separated India.
As much as India’s experience under British rule was miserable, exploitative, and discriminatory, a torn
and divided India was not in British interests. The Second World War wasn’t yet over in the beginning of
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