On 2 April 1946 the Hindustan Times published this cartoon with the caption ‘Nothing Doing’. It was created by Indian political cartoonist Shankar, who was employed by the newspaper at the time. It shows Muhammad Ali Jinnah, leader of the All-India Muslim League, dressed in women’s clothing and sitting next to Dr Abul Kalam Azad, a key leader of the Indian National Congress. In the background, five cupids representing the 1946 Cabinet Mission fire arrows at Jinnah and Azad. While the cartoon depicts Azad as succumbing to their advances and willing to talk, it portrays Jinnah as totally disinterested, with their arrows bouncing off him. 

The 1946 Cabinet Mission

The Cabinet Mission was a group of British officials, namely Lord Archibald Wavell (the Viceroy of India from June 1943 to March 1947), Lord Frederick Pethick-Lawrence, Albert Victor Alexander and Sir Stafford Cripps. In March 1946 Prime Minister Clement Attlee sent these men to India to discuss the transfer of power from the British government to Indian political leadership. On 16 May 1946 the Cabinet Mission revealed its plan for a united India. While Jinnah initially accepted the proposal, he withdrew his support once Jawaharlal Nehru, leader of the Indian National Congress, made it clear that he did not fully support the Cabinet Mission plan, leading to its failure. 

About the Hindustan Times Collection

The Hindustan Times is an Indian English-language daily newspaper published in New Delhi. Sunder Singh Lyallpuri founded the newspaper in 1924, and it played an important role in the Indian independence movement. The British Library holds copies of the Hindustan Times from 1924 to today, which are available in our reading rooms.