How did the Cabinet Mission plan create discontent in Assam?
The Cabinet Mission Plan, which was announced on May 16, 1946, proposed to group British Indian provinces into three groups based on religious majority. Assam was included in Group C with Bengal, which was a predominantly Muslim province. This proposal was met with widespread discontent in Assam, for several reasons.
First, Assam was already a province formed on linguistic and cultural basis, and its people were not comfortable being grouped with Bengal, which had a different language and culture. Second, the Muslim population of Assam was only about 35%, and the Assamese people feared that they would be dominated by the Muslims if Assam was grouped with Bengal. Third, the Cabinet Mission Plan did not give Assam the option to stay out of the groups altogether, which further angered the Assamese people.
The discontent in Assam over the Cabinet Mission Plan led to a wave of protests and demonstrations. The Assam Provincial Congress Committee, led by Gopinath Bordoloi, lodged an emphatic protest with the Congress Working Committee against the grouping scheme. The Asom Jatiya Mahasabha, a regional political party, also organized protests against the plan. The Assamese people were so opposed to the grouping scheme that they even threatened to secede from India if it was implemented.
In the end, the Cabinet Mission Plan was not implemented, and Assam was able to remain a separate province. However, the discontent over the plan had a lasting impact on Assamese politics. It led to the rise of the Asom Jatiya Mahasabha, which became the dominant political party in Assam for many years. It also contributed to the sense of insecurity among the Assamese people, which has been a major factor in Assamese politics ever since.
In conclusion, the Cabinet Mission Plan created discontent in Assam for several reasons. The Assamese people were not comfortable being grouped with Bengal, they feared that they would be dominated by the Muslims, and they were not given the option to stay out of the groups altogether. This discontent led to a wave of protests and demonstrations, and it had a lasting impact on Assamese politics.
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