Wavell Plan / Shimla Conference

Lord Wavell became viceroy of India in October 1943, the situation in India was very tense at that time. Wavell came out with a plan on 14th June 1945 which had following proposals : 
a) The executive council creation at centre comprising all Indian members other than viceroy and commander in chief.
b) The executive council was an interim arrangement for the period till the concensus over the permanent constitution.
c) All the congress leader were to be released, imprisoned in Quit India Movement.

Nehru released from Almorah Jail, Abul Kalam Azad from Bakuda Jail and G.B. Pant from Naini Jail.

Abul Kalam Azad was in jail from 1942-1946 and before that he was the president of congress and no session was held during this period.

The Shimla conference was organized on 25th June 1945 to discuss the Wavell plan. Maulana Abul Kalam Azad participated as the representative of Congress and Mohd Ali Jinnah represented Muslim League. Other members were J.L. Nehru, Sardar Patel, Khan Abdul Gaffar Khan, Master Tara Singh and Ismail Khan. Jinnah demanded that all Muslim members of the executive council should be from Muslim League only. This demand of Jinnah resulted in the failure of the proposal and on 14 July 1945, Wavel plan was declared failed. At a conference, Wavell provided such a veto power to Mulsim League,  it could be used by them against any constitutional proposal. Maulana Abul Kalam referred failure of Shimla conference as the water shed in the political history of India.

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