CR Formula or Rajagopalachari Formula

CR Formula (or Rajagopalachari Formula or Rajaji Formula) was a proposal devised by Chakravarti Rajagopalachari to find a solution for the political deadlock between the All India Muslim League (AIML) and the Indian National Congress on partition of India and getting independence from the British. After Pakistan Resolution or Lahore Resolution was passed by the Muslim League in 1940, four important plans were suggested to sort out the issue of Pakistan. They were (i) CR Formula (1944), (ii) Wavell Plan (1945), (iii) Cabinet Mission Plan (1946) and (iv) Mountbatten Plan (1947).

The Muslim League led by Muhammad Ali Jinnah called for a separate nation for Muslims, whereas the Congress Party, comprising of Hindu and Muslim members, was against the idea of Two-Nation Theory. During the World War II, the British followed their old divide and rule policy in India by dividing the Indian political elite into two factions so as to prevent the Indian independence movement from making any progress.

Proposals of CR Formula

C Rajagopalachari is popularly known as CR or Rajaji. In 1942, he opposed the Congress party by differing against Quit India Movement and left the party and later rejoined again. He was one of the ministers in the interim government formed by Jawaharlal Nehru in 1946. He founded Swatantra Party in 1959. He proposed a formula in 1944 popularly known as CR Formula or C Rajagopalachari Formula or Rajaji Formula to elucidate the issue of independence from the British and creation of Pakistan. According to this formula:

• Congress and Muslim League should unite and fight together against the British to demand for independence.
  
  
• Muslim League should collaborate with Congress in constituting a provisional government at the Center comprising of members from both Congress and the Muslim League.
  
  
• After the end of World War II, a Plebiscite based on adult suffrage for all, including non-Muslims, is to be conducted where the Muslims constituted the majority. It is centred around whether to form a separate nation or not for Muslims. The opinion of every political party is to be considered before the vote on partition. Similarly, a commission is to be instituted to demarcate the areas in the North-East and North-West India where Muslims formed the majority.
  
  
• If partition is accepted, an agreement is to be made jointly for safeguarding communications, defence, commerce, etc.
  
  
• In the event of a breakdown, a contingency plan must be devised, by mutual agreement, so as to safeguard essential interests such as communications, commerce, defense and other requisite services.
  
  
• However, all of the above terms are possible only if the British transferred full powers to India.

Reactions to the CR Formula

To discuss about the CR Formula, Gandhi-Jinnah talks were held in 1944. Unfortunately, these negotiations ended in a deadlock primarily because of the objections raised by Jinnah. Other prominent members of that time also raised their voice against Rajagopalachari Formula.

• Jinnah wanted Congress should acknowledge the Two-Nation Theory.
  
  
• He suggested that only Muslims in the Muslim-majority areas should take part in the referendum, instead of entire population.
  
  
• Jinnah rejected the concept of a common Center and he did not care for independence from the British and was only interested in separate dominions even before the departure of the British from India.
  
  
• Sikh community, in particular, rejected the Rajaji Formula, because they were apprehensive of division of Punjab, regardless of their significant presence in this region.
  
  
• Similarly, V.S. Srinivas Sastri of Indian National Liberal Federation and V D Savarkar and Shyama Prasad Mukherjee of the Hindu Mahasabha also opposed the Rajaji Formula.

Causes for the Failure of CR Formula

• Even though the language of CR Formula supported the principle of Pakistan, it intended to show that a large number of non-Muslims are also present in the provinces Jinnah claimed as Pakistan.
  
  
• Jinnah claimed that Punjab and Bengal were Muslim majority states. Holding a plebiscite would risk the division of these states as the entire population, including non-Muslims, would participate in the plebiscite. Similarly, the plebiscite could lead to differences of opinion over the division of the country. Jinnah, therefore, opposed the plebiscite and maintained that the vote should be open to Muslims only.
  
  
• Jinnah was not in favor of sharing a common Central Government with Congress and was more interested towards creating a separate Muslim nation. The CR Formula did not fit with his version of partition as it was primarily concerned with essential services like defence, trade, etc., whereas Jinnah desired full partition and hence, the proposal was rejected by him. The proposal failed as Jinnah refused to accept it.
  
  
• The proposal dealt with the partition of Punjab, with the result that there would be separation of Sikhs in Punjab and Sikhs would not be the majority in any either part of the state.
  
  

With Gandhi Jinnah dialogue, India has taken a step forward for partition as the issue of creating Pakistan was accepted by both Gandhi and Jinnah. After CR Formula failed to make any progress, Desai-Liaquat Pact was planned in January 1945 to remove the differences. According to the draft proposal, there would be formation of an interim government at the Centre comprising of (i) Equal number of persons from Congress and Muslim League and (ii) 20% seats are to be reserved for minorities. But the Desai Liaquat Pact also failed.