First published in 1956, The Transfer of Power in India remains unsurpassed as the most detailed and comprehensive view from the inside of the transition from British rule to Indian independence in 1947.
V. P. Menon’s rise in the colonial bureaucracy paralleled the growth of the nationalist movement in the subcontinent. In due time, he was offering legal and political solutions as negotiations between the British government and Indian nationalists unfolded. Indeed, he drafted the settlement that served as the basis for the transfer of power to India and Pakistan. In this sweeping narrative, Menon recounts every twist and turn of the freedom struggle between 1939 and 1947—the changing tactics of British delegations and the Indian movement, the considerations that shaped decision-making, the factionalism among Indian nationalists, and of course the violence of the Partition that followed Independence.
The Transfer of Power in India has been invaluable for scholars and general readers since its publication. This revised and updated edition carries a new introduction by Partha Chatterjee that insightfully contextualises the work as well as the author’s life.
V. P. Menon was the last Constitutional Adviser to the Governor-General of British India.
Illustrations vii Introduction 1 The Goal of British Policy 29 All-India Federation—A Lost Ideal 69 War and the Deadlock 87 The August Offer and After 115 The Cripps Mission 148 The Stalemate Continues 174 A New Approach 202 The Simla Conference 222 The General Elections 257 The Cabinet Mission I 277 The Cabinet Mission II 297 The Interim Government I 324 The Interim Government II 347 The Constituent Assembly 364 The Evolution of a Plan 397 Acceptance of the Plan 419 The Implementation of the Plan 436 The Birth of Two Dominions 454 The Aftermath of Partition 468 Conclusion 487 Appendix I: Extracts from a Report of the Punjab Legislative Assembly Debates, 11 March 1941 495 Appendix II: Broadcast Speech on the Viceroy, Lord Wavell, 14 June 1945 513 Appendix III: Statement Made in Parliament by the Secretary of State for India, L. S. Amery, 14 June 1945 517 Appendix IV: Statement of the Cabinet Mission and the Viceroy, 16 May 1946 521 Appendix V: The Secretary of State’s Broadcast, 16 May 1946 533 Appendix VI: Lord Wavell’s Broadcast, 17 May 1946 537 Appendix VII: Statement by Sir Stafford Cripps at a Press Conference on 16 May 1946 540 Appendix VIII: Cabinet Mission Press Conference of 17 May 1946 545 Appendix IX: Statement Made by Prime Minister Attlee in the House of Commons, 20 February 1947 567 Appendix X: Statement Made by His Majesty’s Government, 3 June 1947 571 Appendix XI: The Indian Independence Act, 1947 579 Appendix XII: Congress Comments on the Draft Independence Bill, Prepared by V. P. Menon, with Nehru’s Corrections and Signature 600 Books and Publications Consulted 610