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Q43 (CDS-I/2011) History & Culture › National Movement (1857–1947) › Partition and independence Answer Verified

Consider the following statement and identify with the help of the code given below the person who made the statement : 'It would be quite impossible for a few hundred British to administer against the active opposition of the whole of the politically minded of the population.' Code :

Result
Your answer: —  ·  Correct: B
Explanation

The correct answer is Option 2: Clement Attlee in January 1947 in a private letter addressed to Ernest Bevin.

By early 1947, the British government realized that their hold over India was no longer sustainable due to the exhaustion of British resources after World War II and the rising tide of Indian nationalism. In a private correspondence to his Foreign Secretary, Ernest Bevin, Prime Minister Clement Attlee expressed this pragmatic reality.

The core reasons why this statement is attributed to Attlee include:

  • Administrative Collapse: The British Raj relied on the Indian Civil Service and the police, both of which were increasingly sympathizing with the nationalist cause.
  • Military Constraints: Attlee recognized that the British lacked the manpower and "prestige" to govern by force against a politically conscious population.
  • Policy Shift: This realization directly led to the February 20, 1947 declaration, where Attlee announced the definite intention to transfer power by June 1948.

While leaders like Nehru or Wavell expressed similar sentiments regarding British weakness, this specific phrasing is documented in Attlee’s private communications during the final stages of the transfer of power.

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