ABSTRACT
Often the term ‘British’ is used as an omnibus expression suggesting that the entire British community was aware of what was happening in the Indian empire or that it was deeply concerned with the refashioning of British policy in India. Of course, in a democratic polity the people have a say in the making of the government. In a country like Great Britain where free and fair elections were held in the twentieth century, people exercised their vote with a certain degree of political awareness and maturity. Hence, for an adequate understanding of the British policy in relation to India it is appropriate to distinguish the Conservative Party from Labour. The Conservatives were led by Winston Churchill during the war years. His political instinct was for the continuation of the British empire for ever. In this imperial mission he was supported by Lord Linlithgow, the Viceroy of India, 1936-43 and Lord Wavell, the next Viceroy, 1943-47.
