The
Cripps mission was an attempt in late March 1942 by the
British government to secure full Indian cooperation and support for their efforts in World War II. The mission was headed by
Sir Stafford Cripps, a senior left-wing politician and government minister in the War Cabinet of Prime Minister
Winston Churchill. Cripps was sent to negotiate an agreement with the nationalist leaders, speaking for the majority Indians, and
Muhammad Ali Jinnah, speaking for the minority Muslim population. Cripps worked to keep India loyal to the British war effort in exchange for a promise of full self-government after the war. Cripps promised to give
dominion status after the war as well as elections to be held after the war. Cripps discussed the proposals with the Indian leaders and published them. Both the major parties, the
Congress and the
League rejected his proposals and the mission proved a failure. Cripps had designed the proposals himself, but they were too radical for Churchill the Indians; no middle way was found. Congress moved toward the
Quit India movement whereby it refused to cooperate in the war effort, while the British imprisoned practically the entire Congress leadership for the duration of the war. Jinnah was pleased to see that the right to opt out of a future Union was included.