Question 1

When and why was the Simla Conference held in 1945?

Accepted Answer

The Simla Conference was convened by Viceroy Lord Wavell in June-July 1945. Its two primary objectives were to resolve the long-standing political and constitutional deadlock in India and to organize a more unified Indian front against Japan in the final stages of World War II.

Question 2

What was the Wavell Plan, which formed the basis of the conference?

Accepted Answer

The Wavell Plan was a set of proposals announced by Lord Wavell to break the political stalemate. Its central idea was to reconstitute the Governor-General's Executive Council, with a key proposal of granting equal representation to Caste Hindus and Muslims. All portfolios, except for the Viceroy and Commander-in-Chief, were to be held by Indians.

Question 3

What was the main point of conflict that caused the Simla Conference to fail?

Accepted Answer

The conference failed primarily due to a deadlock over the nomination of Muslim members to the new Executive Council. The All-India Muslim League and the Indian National Congress had irreconcilable differences on who had the right to nominate these representatives.

Question 4

What was Quaid-e-Azam's demand regarding Muslim representation?

Accepted Answer

Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, representing the Muslim League, firmly insisted that the League, as the sole representative body of Indian Muslims, must have the exclusive right to nominate all Muslim members to the council.

Question 5

Why did the Indian National Congress oppose the Muslim League's demand?

Accepted Answer

The Congress, led by its president Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, opposed this demand because it presented itself as a secular party representing all Indians. Accepting the League's claim would undermine its secular credentials and tacitly validate the Two-Nation Theory. Congress wanted the right to nominate its own Muslim members.

Question 6

Who was Lord Wavell and what was his role?

Accepted Answer

Lord Wavell was the Viceroy and Governor-General of India. He initiated the Wavell Plan and convened the Simla Conference as a sincere effort to find a constitutional solution. He acted as the mediator but ultimately had to declare the conference a failure when the parties could not agree.

Question 7

What was the immediate outcome after the Simla Conference failed?

Accepted Answer

Following the conference's failure, the British government announced that general and provincial elections would be held in 1945-46. This was done to accurately determine the representative strength of each political party and to settle the dispute over who truly represented the Muslims of India.

Question 8

What was the historical significance of the Simla Conference's failure?

Accepted Answer

The failure starkly highlighted the unbridgeable political divide between the Muslim League and Congress. It strengthened the Muslim League's position and effectively turned the upcoming 1945-46 elections into a de facto referendum on the demand for Pakistan, setting the stage for the final phase of the independence movement.

Friday, 24 October 2025

The failure of the Simla Conference made the 1945-46 elections a de facto referendum on what issue?

Explanation

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