CRISIS
STUDY GUIDE
Manchester Model United Nations Conference 2016
Manchester Model UN Society
University of Manchester Students' Union
www.manmun.co.uk
Dear Delegates,
We are very excited to welcome you to the ManMUN Crisis 2016. This year we have
decided to simulate the process of Indian Independence, but with a little twist of our own that
sets it apart from a standard historical crisis.
Over the course of the weekend, you, the delegates will be able to determine the
course of one of the most momentous moments in the 20th Century - the Independence and
self-determination of two (or perhaps just one, depending on how it goes) of the most
populous countries on Earth. After nearly 200 years of foreign interference in the
subcontinent, the territory known as the “British India” will at long last be free. Yet, will it be
one country, or two, or three? Will the partition be peaceful, or inevitably slide into violence?
What will be the fate of the princely states which still dot the region? Who will go on to rule
the new state(s) created, and how will those states arrive on the world stage? All this is entirely
up to you - we only ask that you try not to break too many things.
Section 1 of the study guide will outline a general, and very brief, history of British
rule in India. The section will also discuss the starting point of the crisis in mid February
1947, and what you should expect in the first few hours with regards to the crisis format.
However we have to warn you that since this is a historical crisis, we will expect you all to do
extensive research on the period. This will have to include all the major actors, decisions and
actions that immediately preceded and succeeded Independence. It might also be a good idea
to think about potential alternative histories, as it is by no means certain that this crisis will
unfold the same way.
Sections 2 and 3 will cover the positions of our 2 cabinets, the Indian National
Congress and the All-India Muslim League in greater detail, and give a brief overview of your
initial objectives. Bear in mind that these may change as the crisis goes on.
If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to contact any of us, our details are
listed below. We look forward to seeing all of you at ManMUN, and to a fantastic weekend.
Kind regards,
The ManMUN Crisis Team
P.S. If at any point in the study guides, any numbers, figures, dates or facts conflict with those
in your own research, the material in the study guide will be taken to be true for this crisis.
Within reason obviously, let us know if we claim that Gandhi was born in 2002.
Contact Details
Marco Bauder - Head Director ([email protected])
Thomas Ron - Director ([email protected])
Kyle Jordan - Director
Ralf Ketelaars - Chair, Muslim League ([email protected])
Ruchika Yadav Nongrum - Chair, INC ([email protected])
Note on Nomenclature:
This crisis is complicated, with a lot of overlap and fluid politics, as you might imagine with a
country on the verge of independence. Therefore a short glossary below.
British India - The area of the Indian subcontinent nominally under British rule,
comprising modern-day India, Bangladesh and Pakistan. Currently governed by one
Constituent Assembly and Interim Government.
Constituent Assembly - parliament of the British India, with 398 seats, 208 Congress, 73
Muslim League, 15 Other, Princely State Seats.
Interim Government - coalition executive of the British, headed by the Viceroy and
comprising senior INC and ML figures.
Princely State - Semi-sovereign state within British India, ruled indirectly by the British
through a suzerain ruler. Over 300 states, they vary in size from on par with contemporary
Romania and Switzerland, to tiny city states.
The Crisis
The Date is February 12th, 1947. The new Viceroy of India, Lord Louis Mountbatten
has today arrived in New Delhi from the UK. Due to mounting social unrest and tension, and
the economic fallout of WW2, the government of British Labour Prime Minister Stanley
Baldwin has decided that Indian Independence should be achieved as soon as possible.
Britain no longer has the desire or the capacity to keep India. Lord Mountbatten was
dispatched with a brief to achieve that as soon as feasibly possible.
With World War 2 over, attention in India once again turned towards independence,
leading to ever increasing sectarian tension among India’s population. Though it has only
rarely resulted in actual violence, the situation as it stands is considered untenable. Yet, while
change is inevitable, there is no agreement on what that change will look like. The Viceroy’s
first task will be to negotiate a settlement agreeable to all the major stakeholders. That alone is
more difficult than it sounds. Some, principally the All India Muslim League, advocate
partitioning India but, others, notably Mohandas Gandhi and the Indian Congress Party,
advocate a unified India. If no partition, the intricacies of a multireligious, multiethnic
national government will have to be worked out. If partition, the vexed problem of dividing
land and state assets will have to be solved. All while barely contained social tensions continue
to simmer all across India…..
The Initial Scenario
Upon arriving in India, the Lord Mountbatten’s first move has been to call in the
leaders of British India’s two major parties, as represented in the Constituent Assembly, to
immediately discuss the terms of Independence. It quickly became apparent that the Cabinet
Mission Plan, devised by visiting British ministers in 1946, was no longer adequate. Fresh
ideas and urgent action were required.
The first few hours of this crisis will be entirely given over to a negotiation of those
terms. It is up to each delegate to argue his or her viewpoint, and take any action they can to
ensure their preferred outcome. This will essentially consist of a lengthy unmoderated caucus,
with the two cabinets in their separate rooms, where they can try to agree a position. There
will be frequent meetings between delegations of the two sides and the Viceroy (Marco), and
all delegates are free to negotiate details with one another at any time. The idea is to get a
working agreement for partition (or unitary government, you never know). Members of the
“governments in waiting” will also have tasks to see to outside of negotiations, because several
hundred million people don’t just disappear.
After this period we will revert to a more traditional crisis, with two (or more) cabinets
running alongside one another, working to sort out the troubles that beset one or more young
nations as they set out into the dangerous and unpredictable world.
Cabinet: Indian National Congress
For the Joint-Cabinet Crisis at ManMUN 2016, one of the Cabinets under the Indian
Independence Crisis will be the political party Indian National Congress,who, historically
made up of the first independent electoral winners at the end of the British Raj. For the
purpose of this particular crisis the guide will take you through the major points that influence
your political standing and the tasks at hand that need to be attended to for a successful
simulation. As this is a historical crisis, delegates essentially have the power to change the
course of history and come up with solutions for the various crises following the independence
of the Indian Subcontinent (present-day India, Pakistan and Bangladesh) from the British
Raj. Delegates must endeavour to reach diplomatic and peaceful solutions to the aftermath of
the partition and provide stability while avoiding war situations and internal/external
disputes. Please be advised, this is a mere guideline and delegates should do their own
extensive research both regarding the timeline and their own portfolios. For further
information and in-depth knowledge, do look at the Further Reading list provided at the end
of this section.
Thank you and All the Best!
Ruchika Yadav Nongrum, Chair
Background:
The Indian National Congress (INC), commonly referred to as Congress is one of the
oldest political parties in India. It was founded in 1885 under the authority of a British
member of the Theosophical Society, Allan Octavian Hume with permission from the then
Viceroy, Lord Dufferin. At the time of its inception, the Congress was not just a political
party, but a platform for the educated Indians to come together and discuss the civic and
political involvement of the Indians under the British Raj. The Congress was a key public
organisation at the forefront of the Indian Independence Movement. It was founded on 28
December 1885, nearly 130 years ago with founding members being prominent Indians like
Dadabhai Naoroji and Dinshaw Wacha.
Historically, the Congress’ social policy was largely influenced by Mahatma Gandhi’s
principle of Sarvodaya which means, universal uplift or progress of all members of the society.
After India’s independence from the British Raj, the INC became the largest and most
influential political party in India. Even before independence, in the provincial elections of
1937, Congress came to power in seven out of the total of eleven provinces. This strengthened
the belief of the masses in the Congress as its leader. However, when India was announced to
be belligerent in the Second World War on the side of the British, without consulting the
elected Indian officials, the leaders were urged to resign as a sign of protest.
1947-Year of Independence, How it Happened in Actual History:
Just after midnight on 15th August 1947, precisely at 12:02 am, India was declared to
be a sovereign and democratic nation, removed from under the control of the British
Government. The first challenge that the newly formed interim government faced was that of
the Partition of India and Partition of Pakistan. Not only was there a mass population exchange
between the two new countries but a series of riots broke out all over the land due to unrest
between the Hindus and the Muslims.
Another major concern of the Congress Cabinet was the inclusion of the princely
states into the Indian Union. The Indian Independence Act of 1947 only divided the 17 provinces
between the two new nations, leaving 562 kingdoms or princely states as independent ruling
bodies. Patel, the first Home Minister took upon himself the task of negotiating the accession
of these states into the union. In several situations, political negotiations took place between
the Government of India and the Princes where they were guaranteed their privy purses and
given governorship of the state once joining the Indian Union. In some states however,
military force was required to smoothen the transition into the union. A notable example is
the largest and wealthiest princely state, Hyderabad. It was eventually annexed into India by
force in 1948. In another instance, the state of Jammu and Kashmir chose to remain neutral,
only to be embroiled in a bitter conflict between the new states of Pakistan
Other issues that required immediate attention were that of the countless riots all over
the country due to the unrest between the Hindu, Muslim and Sikh populations, resulting in
the death of thousands not only in India but in Pakistan as well. As we step out into this crisis
that we must be mindful that we hold the fates of a vast territory in our hands, and the lives of
hundreds of millions rest in our hands. The cabinet(s) formed will also face several other
internal conflicts and problems such as casteism, naxalism, religious conflicts, separatist insurgencies
and international territorial disputes with neighbours. This all on top of the massive social and economic
divisions already at hand.
Conclusion:
It is suggested that the delegates for the crisis cabinet prepare themselves for a fast-paced
debate and discussion scenario with social, political and military decisions to be made in a
state of unrest and conflict. The success and failure of the cabinet depends on how the
delegates handle and address the several issues mentioned in this study guide.
Further Reading:
● INC history:
http://www.open.ac.uk/researchprojects/makingbritain/content/indian-nationalcongress
● Republic of India: http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/republic-of-indiaborn
● British Raj:
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/education/empire/g2/cs4/background.htm
● Indian Partition:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/modern/partition1947_01.shtml
● Interim government: http://indiatoday.intoday.in/education/story/interimgovernment/1/463170.html
● Political Integration of India:
http://cs.mcgill.ca/~rwest/wikispeedia/wpcd/wp/p/Political_integration_of_India.
htm
● Kashmir conflict: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/1399992/A-brief-history-of-theKashmir-conflict.ht
All India Muslim League Cabinet
Hi Delegates!
My name is Ralf and I´m excited to be your chair for this conference!
So I´m Dutch, 25 years old and currently pursuing my masters degree in Human Security at Aarhus
University. It's been 4 years since I entered the world of MUN and I have been grasped by the quick thinking,
social and academic skills, nerves, guts and sheer energy it demands, ever since, and I am confident that our
upcoming crisis will require you to bring all that and more!
As a chair, I particularly enjoy some good theatrics, but even more so a holistic resolution: War is not won by
weapons alone and bread on its own doesn´t end a famine either. Work hard means play hard though, and I
am already thrilled to meet many new friends, both in committee sessions as in socials!
We find ourselves in the year 1947, on the 12th of february to be more precise. Lord
Louis Mountbatten has been appointed Viceroy of India and has been charged to oversee
British India´s transition to independence, which has to be completed before the end of 1948.
Whereas the dominant idea amongst both British rulers and the Indian National Congress
Party is the independence of a single Indian state, covering the entire subcontinent, we, the
All-India Muslim League, anticipate that this will underrepresented and even endanger the
livelihoods of the 100 million strong Muslim minority in India. It is after multiple futile
attempts of reconciliation between Muslims and Hindus in the Indian Congress that our
leader, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, pointed out in the successful 1940 Lahore conference that:
“Hindus and the Muslims belong to two different religions, philosophies, social customs and
literature.... It is quite clear that Hindus and Muslims derive their inspiration from different sources of
history. They have different epics, different heroes and different episodes.... To yoke together two such
nations under a single state, one as a numerical minority and the other as a majority, must lead to
growing discontent and final destruction of any fabric that may be so built up for the government of
such a state.”
It is as such that we see the creation of an independent Pakistan, in which the nation of
Indian Muslims can live in peace and prosperity, as the only fit solution to this worrisome
situation.
Although the idea of Pakistan as a state may be a relatively young one, the idea of the
nation is not. As early as the year 1017 C.E., the scholar Al-Biruni noted in his History of
India that Hindus and Muslims differed in all matters and habits. 1000 years of history have
not changed the gap between these two different religious philosophies, with different social
customs and literature, with no intermarriage and based on conflicting ideas and concepts.
With this in mind, Sir Muhammad Iqbal stated in 1930:
I would like to see Punjab, North-West Frontier Province, Sindh and Baluchistan amalgamated into a
single state. Self-government within the British Empire or without the British Empire, the formation of
a consolidated North-West Indian Muslim state appears to me to be the final destiny of the Muslims,
at least of North-West India.
However, the historically Islamic region that is currently known as the United
Provinces in the north and the Bengali provinces in the east of the Indian subcontinent also
host large muslim populations, as does the region of Rakhine which is currently under the
British administration of Burma.
The independence of our nation demands more, than merely hoisting our colours
over our nation's territories, for it is incomplete if we cannot facilitate the peace and
prosperity our people deserve:
● Our first priority in the process of the partition should be that the Indian armed forces
be divided, so that we can guarantee our sovereignty and prevent uncontrolled
skirmishes within the ranks.
● Secondly we must secure a just share of the Indian treasury, that is also to be divided
and take into account the respective economic resources and facilities that both states
will hold after the partition. As of now, Muslim areas contain most irrigated land
suitable for agricultural production whereas 90% of India's industry and taxable
income remains in Hindu areas. Take note that most raw products from Muslim areas
are currently being refined in Hindu areas as well, and that decreased food security in
India may lead to further political instability.
● Thirdly, we should anticipate vast migration streams of Muslims moving from Hindu
areas and vice versa. Large groups, likely on foot, crossing great distances, are
vulnerable to many hazards as well as a potential hazard to local communities they
pass themselves, and may cause friction and land conflicts in the region they will settle
- regulations are required. Take extra measures for women's safety.
● Lastly, the north-western provinces of what is to become our state host many
Pashtuns. Although they share our faith, they have been reluctant in sympathizing
with our idea of statehood, belonging and borders.
Having won 425 out of 476 seats reserved for Muslims in last year's national and provincial
elections, and when presenting answers to the aforementioned challenges, neither Nehru nor
Mountbatten could rationally nor democratically decline our proposal.
Have a happy preparation and best of luck, delegates!
Further reading:
Shekhar Mittal, "Economic consequences of partition of British India", 2014.
Gilmartin, David. "Partition, Pakistan, and South Asian History: In Search of a
Narrative."The Journal of Asian Studies 57.4 (1998)
Wolpert, Stanley. "The Historic Roots of the Problem." India and Pakistan. U of California, 2010.
Chapter 2.
Butalia, Urvashi. The Other Side of Silence : Voices from the Partition of India (1998)
Final Notes
These study guides are intentionally quite sparse. They are meant to give you no more
than quick outline. We expect you to research the history of partition in detail, and be ready
to respond and adapt as the history of Indian independence will adapt to the changes you
make in the crisis.
Your characters should be assigned long before the crisis, but that is not to say that
you cannot start researching now. Who you are assigned has relatively little bearing on how
well you need to know the topic. However, if you do have any questions, please feel free to
email your chairs, or the Directors and we will get back to you as soon as possible.
I wish you lots of wisdom, because luck isn’t going to help!
Kind regards,
Marco Bauder
Head Director