Correct Option (C)
The Balkan Plan, also known as the Dickie Bird Plan, was conceived by Lord Mountbatten, the last Viceroy of India. This plan proposed the transfer of power to individual provinces, allowing them to decide whether to join the Indian Union or remain independent. The name "Balkan Plan" was derived from the fragmentation of the Balkan states, reflecting the potential for India to similarly break into numerous small, independent entities.
Incorrect Options:
A) W. Churchill: Winston Churchill was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom during World War II and a prominent figure in British politics. While he held strong views on India, he was not the architect of the Balkan Plan.
B) M. A. Jinnah: Muhammad Ali Jinnah was the leader of the All-India Muslim League and a key proponent of the Two-Nation Theory, advocating for the creation of Pakistan. His focus was on a separate Muslim state, not the fragmentation of India into numerous independent provinces.
D) V. P. Menon: V. P. Menon was a senior Indian civil servant who served as the Constitutional Adviser to Lord Mountbatten. He played a crucial role in the integration of princely states into the Indian Union and in drafting the Indian Independence Act. While he was instrumental in the transfer of power, the Balkan Plan itself was not his brainchild; he was involved in its eventual rejection and the formulation of an alternative plan for a united India with partition.