Ahmadiyyat - The Renaissance of Islam — Page 308
308 AHMADIYY AT No agreement could be reached in the Simla conference, mainly due to the firm refusal of the representatives of the Indian National Congress to recognize the MU'slim League as the sole political representative of the Muslims. The claim of the Muslim League that it was the sole representative of the Muslims had been demonstrably established in the elections to the legislative bodies in India. Under the directions of the Khalifatul Masih the Ahmadiyya Community had through- out lent its full and enthusiastic support to the Muslim League, and continued to do so throughout the troubled period that lay ahead. By the summer of 1946, when the Cabinet Mission plan was presented to Indian leadership, even the Indian National Congress had to concede, and to reconcile itself to the position, that the Muslim League was the sole political representative of the Muslims. When the Congress leadership, after signifying its acceptance of the Cabinet Mission plan, in effect tore it up by proclaiming its own interpretation of some of its crucial clauses, which was clearly inconsistent with the language of those clauses, and the strenuous efforts of Lord Wavell to persuade Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru and Mr Gandhi to agree to give effect to the clear meaning of those clauses ~ere frustrated, and Prime Minister Attlee made a last minute attempt to salvage the plan through his personal intervention, the only representa- tives summoned by him to London were Mr Nehru and Mr Jinnah. Mr Nehru was accompanied by Sardar Baldev Singh, which was only a gesture designed to secure the goodwill of the Sikh community. On his side Mr Jinnah was accom- panied by Nawabzada Liaquat Ali Khan, who was his princi- pal lieutenant in the Muslim League. Prime Minister Attlee's attempt was also frustrated by the intransigence of Mr Nehru. On 20 February 1947, Prime Minister Attlee announced his scheme for the transfer of complete power to India, and Lord Mountbatten was sent out as Governor General in place of Lord Wavell to work out, in consultation with political leaders, the method of giving effect to the Prime Minister's