Osian's Auction Catalogue India The Passionate Detachment | February 2001

EXPERIMENTS & EXPRESSIONISM 165 145 CHITTAPROSAD (1915 — 78) The National Congress & Muslim League Agreement (Liaquat-Desai Pact) Signed in English, l.r. Pen & Ink, 1945 20.0 x 29.4 cm. (7.9 x 11.6”) Illustration of the ‘Congress - League (Desai-Liaqat) Pact’ by Chittaprosad rpt. in People’s War. Vol.IV No.2 , Sunday 8 July 1945 & Vol. IV No.6 , Sunday 5 August 1945. The pact between Bhulabhai Desai, Leader of the Congress Party in the Central Assembly & Nawabzada Liaqat Ali Khan, Deputy Leader of the Muslim League Party, was to become the basis for an agreement between the Congress & the Muslim League so as to form an interim National Government on the terms mentioned therein. Gandhiji had given his approval, Jinnah proved adamant in his non-acceptance. Main terms of the Desai-Liaqat Pact: 1. Congress & League to have an equal number of seats in the new Executive Council; 2. In such a government the claims of the Scheduled Caste and Sikh Communities will not be ignored; 3. The Commander-in-Chief to be an ex-officio member of the Council. 4. The Executive Council so constituted will not be a party to any measure which has not the support of a majority of the elected members of the Central Legislature. 5. Immediately after assuming office, the new Government will release all the members of the Working Committee and other Congressmen. 6. After the formation of the Government in the Centre, in all the provinces now under Section 93, Congress-League coalition ministries will be formed. 7. The Viceroy should be approached to make an offer to India on the above mentioned lines. Rs. 200,000 – 250,000 $ 4,255 – 5,320