INSIGHT UPSC QUIZ

GS History Modern India
Q.

With reference to the Mountbatten plan, consider the following statements:

1. It provided Princely States the right either to join the Dominion of India or of Pakistan or remain independent.

2. It proposed partition of the provinces of Punjab and Bengal based on referendum among the people.

Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?

Explanation:

Statement 1 is incorrect. Since the Congress had conceded a unified India, their other points were to be met. Thus, independence for princely states was ruled out by the Mountbatten plan. The princely states would either join India or Pakistan.

Statement 2 is incorrect. The Legislative Assemblies of Bengal and the Punjab (excluding the European members) were to meet each in two parts, one representing the Muslim majority districts and the other the rest of the provinces. The Muslim Majority districts were specified in the statement. Each part was to decide by a simple majority whether the province was to be partitioned or not. If either party favored, partition was to be effected accordingly. Referendum was to be held in the N.W.F. Province to decide whether that province would like to join Pakistan or India. The Legislative Assembly of Sind had to decide at a special meeting whether Sind as a whole should join the Constituent Assembly at Delhi or a new Constituent Assembly of areas which did not join it. The Muslim majority area of Sylhet in Assam had to decide by referendum whether the district in question would like to remain a part of Assam or join East Bengal which would constitute a part of Pakistan.

Thus, Option D is Correct.

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