Q. Which among the following was the reason of the resignations of the Indian Ministers in all the provinces in the year 1939?
(a) The Governors refused to act as constitutional heads
(b) The Centre did not provide the required financial help to provinces
(c) The Governor-General converted Indian administration from federal to unitary one because of the beginning of the World War II
(d) India was declared a party to the World War II without the consent of the provincial government
Ans: (d) India was declared a party to the World War II without the consent of the provincial government
Explanation: The reason for the resignations of the Indian Ministers in all the provinces in the year 1939 was (d) India being declared a party to the World War II without the consent of the provincial governments.
In September 1939, during the outbreak of World War II, the British government, without consulting the Indian provincial governments, declared India as a party to the war. This decision was made by the Governor-General, bypassing the elected Indian ministers. This move was met with strong opposition from the Indian National Congress and other nationalist leaders, who saw it as a violation of Indian autonomy and a disregard for the elected representatives of the people.
As a result, the Indian National Congress and other Indian political parties resigned from their positions in the provincial governments, as a protest against the unilateral decision to involve India in the war without the consent of the Indian people. This event came to be known as the “August Offer Resignations” or the “Congress Ministries Resignation.”
