Formation of the Interim
Government in India, 1946
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On the month of September 2, 1946, Jawahar Lal Nehru became the
leader of the Interim Government following the Muslim League's decision to
withdraw from it. The Punjab Coalition Government's Minister of Development,
Sardar Baldev Singh, assumed responsibility for defense. On October 26, 1946,
the Muslim League became a part of the Interim Government. At Jinnah's
suggestion, Abdur Rab Nishtar, Ghazanfar Ali Khan, Liaqat Ali Khan, Ismail
Ibrahim Chundrigar, and Joginder Nath Mandal were inaugurated as the Interim
Government members and assigned the respective ministries of finance, trade,
air, health, and post. The plan for an Interim Government was judged unfeasible.
It became evident that the Muslim League (ML) and no other government could
operate, and that the division of India would be the only viable option. The
Muslim and Hindu populations stood against one another outside the government.
The nation was in danger of breaking out into civil war. In the meantime,
things in Punjab had significantly gotten worse. This could be attributed in
large part to the communal instability in other regions of the nation. On
November 14, 1946, Jinnah stated in Delhi that the partition of British India
into Pakistan & Hindustan, with separate constituent bodies drafting their
respective constitutions, was the best way to resolve the Indian issue.
Following Jinnah's proclamation, Punjab saw a sharp deterioration in conditions
between communities. When Lord Attlee announced on Feb 20, 1947, that he
“intended to ‘transfer authority’ to responsible Indian hands by the month of
June 1948, the Muslim League” felt more empowered to press for the recognition
of its demand for Pakistan.
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