MEMBERS of the British Cabinet Mission had further consultation with His Excellency the Viceroy on Tuesday (April 30). They have no further official engagement in Delhi.

While there is no official confirmation, indications now are that the tripartite conference at Simla may not open before Saturday, May 4. It is believed that the delay is possibly due to the fact that the Muslim League Working Committee is meeting in Delhi on Wednesday and its representatives to the conference may not be able to reach Simla on Thursday, the day previously indicated for the opening of the conference.

Sir Stafford Cripps, the most active of the Cabinet Ministers that bore the main brunt of parleying … was seen having an informal talk with Mr. Gandhi on Tuesday morning at the latter’s quarters in the Bhangi Colony.

Though Sir Stafford refused to say anything as he emerged after nearly an hour’s talk with Mr. Gandhi, reliable sources connected the meeting with some slight clarification of the still vague position emerging from the Minister’s reply to the Congress President, though the meeting was utilised for finalising Mr. Gandhi’s arrangement to leave for Simla….

Published in Dawn, May 1st, 2021