The last opportunity to avoid the partition of India was lost with the rejection of the Cabinet Mission.
The Cabinet Mission, also known as the Cabinet Mission Plan, was a proposal put forward by the British government in 1946 to address the constitutional framework for India`s independence. It aimed to create a united India with a federal structure that would accommodate the interests of both the Indian National Congress and the Muslim League.
The plan proposed a three-tiered federation consisting of the central government, the provinces, and the princely states. It also provided for safeguards for minority rights and the option for any province or grouping of provinces to opt out of the federation if they wished.
However, the plan was ultimately rejected by the Indian National Congress due to concerns about its provisions regarding the grouping of provinces and the potential weakening of the central government`s authority. The Muslim League also had reservations about certain aspects of the plan.
The failure to reach a consensus and accept the Cabinet Mission Plan led to a series of events that ultimately resulted in the partition of India and the creation of the separate nations of India and Pakistan in 1947.