June 3rd Plan 1947

In March 1947, Lord Wavell was recalled and was replaced by Lord
Mountbatten as Viceroy of India. His appointment had been greatly
welcomed by the Congress & his relations with Nehru were said to be good.
When Lord Mountbatten reached India in March 1947, he found India in a grip
of civil war in the shape of communal riots.

The British government finally decided to divide the country into two
separates states after all the efforts of keeping Hindus and Muslims together
in a single state went in vain. Lord Ismay, the Chief of Staff of Lord
Mountbatten, was asked to frame the partition plan of India. Though the plan
was deliberately kept secret from the Indians yet Nehru grabbed the chance
of seeing the plan before it was put before the Indians. The British
Government approved the Plan and sent it to India in May 1947. On 3rd June
1947 the viceroy announced the partition plan in a joint conference of
Congress and Muslim League leaders in Delhi. The plan came to be known as
3rd June Plan.

The plan announced on 3 June 1947 suggested these points:

1.
2.

The British Government would divide India into two separate states.
Dominion status would be given to the successor governments of the
two states.
3.
A Boundary Commission would be appointed to demarcate the
boundaries if any of the communal group decides in favor of dividing the
province of Punjab and Bengal.
4.
The Sindh Legislative Assembly would be authorized to opt out
whether it desires to join the current Constituent Assembly or the New
Constituent Assembly.
5.
A Referendum would be conducted in the North West Frontier Province
to know the public opinion on the question of joining the new state of

Pakistan. The Electoral College for the Referendum would be the same as it
was for in 1946.
6.
Baluchistan would be granted freedom of choice.
7.
A referendum would be conducted in Sylhet to take the decision
whether it wants to join East Bengal or stay as a part of Asam.
3rd June Plan materialized the dream of Iqbal of a separate state for the
Muslim of the Sub-Continent and bestowed them with Muslim state of
Pakistan on August 14, 1947. The Muslim League, therefore, hailed the Plan.
According to the Plan, the British Government transferred the Power to the
governments of the two New States of Pakistan and India

The Indian Independence Bill 1947

Power would be given to Pakistan by 14th August 1947. This bill was passed
and came to be known as Independence Bill 1947.
Separate Session
A clause was incorporated in the 3rd June Plan that separate session of
Muslim and Hindu Members of the Assemblies of Punjab and Bengal would be
held to decide whether their provinces were in favour of the partition, and
how it would take place.
On the morning of June 4, the Viceroy held a press conference and said for
the first time publically that the transfer of power could take place on "about
15
August"
1947.
The Council of the All India Muslim League met in New Delhi on 9th and 10th
of June 1947 and stated in its resolution that although it could not agree to
the partition of Bengal and the Punjab to give its consent to such partition, it
had to consider the plan for the transfer of power as a whole. It gave full
authority to the Quaid-i-Azam to accept the fundamental principles of the
plan as a compromise and left it to him to work out the details.
The All India Congress Committee passed a resolution on June 15 accepting
the 3rd June plan. However, it expressed the hope that India would one day
be reunited.