The conference on Indian governance (1945) was hardly the most decisive conference in the history of the British Empire. The day after the major Indian leaders, from Nehru to Jinnah to Ghandi were in London to open talks with the British government on the future of the sub-continent, violence erupted in Bengal.
Responsibility for the rioting was claimed by the Indian Communist Party, who in organised moves, took over several colonial government buildings in the city of Dhaka. Somanth Lahiri openly took charge of the rebellion stating that whilst the other Indian leaders were bowing to the imperialist overlords, the Communists would lead India to freedom and Socialism. Two days later, despite reported desertions, the Indian Army retook the city, the Communist leaders going into hiding. On the streets the situation was akin to a tinderbox.
This caused alarm bells to ring throughout the sub-continent. Churchill urgently sent a message to Attlee asking for more troops of the British Army to help keep the situation under control as he was worried over the loyalty of the Indian Army, given the circumstances. Attlee, who had by now openly dismissed the idea of the private militias and well aware that if he ignored Churchill could be left open to the accusation of shirking responsibility for the situation agreed. As a result of this, 50,000 British service personnel were to be moved over the following month to the sub-continent from Germany, which albeit still tense was calmer than previously.
At the conference, the disagreement between the Indian leaders present was obvious. Whilst all by this stage were calling for independence, Jinnah was demanding a two state solution, Nehru was demanding that India follow its current system as an independent state and Ghandi wanted a united India. All the while the streets of Calcutta were cut off due to a state of martial law being in place. India was not in a safe state.
The conference continued for a fortnight without agreement. Following the end of it, Herbert Morrison claimed it was akin to “debating religion with a devout atheist and a priest”. Winston Churchill at this point enflamed the situation by sending a letter to the Times stating that Attlee, whilst helping with the troops which were coming from Germany, urged for a rethink on the issue of the Indian Private militias. He stated that as he could not use these, his hands were tied with regard the rising in Bengal.
It was at this point that in an off the cuff remark, Archibald Sinclair made a remark about being reminded of a headline of the magazine Punch during the 19th century, when the French were lampooned for their position in Italy.
The new leader of the Conservatives openly stated that the government had made a huge mistake early on by creating chaos in India. Attlee stated quickly that the chaos was created by Lord Halifax who had forced the new government into the position of a fireman attempting to control a blaze. Such terminology was ill-advised though as made it look as if the government had no answer to the Indian question, which in reality they didn’t.
In a far more secret move than his letter, Churchill told Ernie Bevin that it was his opinion that if things were not brought to hand and quickly, India would descend into a state of civil war, Bevin was inclined to agree.