Cripps Mission, 1942

Definition

A British mission led by Sir Stafford Cripps, sent to India in 1942 during the Second World War to secure Indian cooperation by offering post-war Dominion Status, which the Congress and the Muslim League both rejected.

Key points

• Sent in March 1942 amid wartime pressure, especially after Japanese advances in Southeast Asia threatened India's eastern frontier.
• Offered Dominion Status after the war, with the right of provinces to secede (a concession to the idea of Pakistan), and an elected body to frame a new constitution once the war ended.
• The Congress rejected it because it offered nothing immediate and only a vague post-war promise; Gandhi famously called it "a post-dated cheque on a crashing bank".
• The Muslim League rejected it because it did not concede Pakistan outright.
• Its failure cleared the way for the launch of the Quit India Movement in August 1942.

Why it matters for CAPF

It is the wartime constitutional offer whose failure led directly to Quit India; the "post-dated cheque" remark and the secession clause are frequently tested.

Common confusion

The Cripps Mission (1942) offered Dominion Status after the war, not immediate self-rule; its failure preceded Quit India (1942), which is a separate event of the same year.

Parent note

towards independence acts and partition