Beaconhouse School System

Latifabad Secondary, Hyderabad.

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UNIT 8: Pakistan Movement in the years 1927 to 1939

1927 The Simon Commission (S.C.)
CAUSES:
 British promise to review the 1919 act after 10 years. But violence in India grew so British took
action two years earlier. They appointed an advisory body i.e. Simon Commission to advise
about future constitution of India.
 Conservative party government feared loss to labour party who could grant too many
concessions to India.
 So, a seven member commission was sent under Sir John Simon which reached India in early
1928.
PROCEEDING:
 S.C. was opposed by major parties in India as it was “an all-white body” as no Indian included; it
was greeted by the slogans like “Uninvited guest of India, go back.”
 However, S.C. completed its work that was published in 1930 in two volumes.
 S.C. report was rejected by INC as well as ML as its contents didn’t satisfy either.

The Nehru report

CAUSES OF PRESENTATION
 It was presented in reply to criticism by lord Birkenhead secretary of state about disunity
among Indians. He sharply criticized Indians while appointing Simon Commission.
 INC was not satisfied with the Simon Commission report, claimed to represent all Indians and so
presented its own proposed constitutional scheme for the future of India.

CLAUSES OF THE REPORT:

 India to be a federation with two houses of parliament.
 Strong central government, limited provincial autonomy.
 No separate Muslim electorates, one third Muslim seats in centre (instead only one fourth
seats)
 Sindh to be a province etc.
 These were made by the Nehru committee that was formed in the all parties conference
organized by the INC but without strong Muslim representation. Nehru committee was headed
by Motilal Nehru.
The Muslim league rejected the Nehru report because:
1. Muslim league wanted greater degree of provincial autonomy.
2. They wanted separate electorates; as well as one third seats in the centre (as was agreed in the
Lucknow Pact 1916)
3. In the absence of Jinnah, no major Muslim leader was member of the Nehru committee.
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Jinnah’s 14 Points, 1929

Reasons:
 NR (Nehru Report) asked for too many sacrifices, no separate electorates, 1/3 seats for Muslims, as
agreed in Lucknow Pact.
 Refusal of INC to three amendments in NR proposed by Jinnah.
 Basis of: 1. any future negotiations with INC/British, 2. Future demand for separated Muslim
homeland (1940).
Details:
 January 1929, ML (Muslim League) session Dehli, 14 point by Jinnah.
 14 points unified various factions of Muslims.
 14 points were formally accepted, March 1929.

The Round Table Conferences 1930-1932

 Primarily, to review SC report since its rejection by major Indian parties; to draft future constitution
of India in presence of Indian leaders.
 INC absent in 1st RTC; so, another RTC necessary.
 Deadlock between Jinnah & Gandhi in 2nd RTC, over the issue of rights of minorities; so, another
RTC was needed & thus, a total of 3 RTC’s.
Details and Results of RTC’s
1st RTC:
 Nov 1930, attended by Labour Party, state princes & ML (Jinnah, Aga Khan & Muhammad Ali
Johar).
 Successes: Agreement on federal form of govt (Representative govts in provinces)
 Assurances by state princes to be part of federation if protection guaranteed.
 Failures: INC absent; Gandhi in jail for his non-cooperation movement.
 No major progress about princely states.
2nd RTC:
 Sep-Dec 1931:
 Jinnah, Gandhi, Iqbal, Aga Khan
 March 1931, Gandhi-Irwin Pact to ensure his participation.
 Successes: ML & INC present, discussed various issues including the rights of minorities, Abolition
of diarchy; 3 new provinces: Sindh, NWFP & Orissa.
 Failures: Deadlock b/w Gandhi & Jinnah over the rights of minorities, New coalition govt in
England less enthusiastic in RTC’s.
3rd RTC:
 Nov 1932
 New Viceroy Lord Willington; non-cooperation re-started & Gandhi, Nehru were arrested, Jan
1932.
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 Communal Award by PM MacDonald, Aug 1932; INC rejected ML accepted.

 Successes: Attended by 46 delegates including Sir Aga Khan, Only some discussion about future of
India.
 Failures: No major leaders / parties; Jinnah went into exile from politics, disillusioned by the pace
of events, Gandhi imprisoned for his non-cooperation movement. NO state prince & so, no major
progress.

The Gandhi-Irwin Pact

Gandhi could not attend the first Round Table Conference of November 1930, as he was in jail. The
Viceroy Lord Irwin wanted his participation in the next RTC. So, he held a number of meetings with
Gandhi in February 1931 and urged him to call off his non-cooperation movement. Finally, Gandhi
agreed and the Gandhi-Irwin Pact was signed on 5th March 1931. Irwin promised to release most
political prisoners and return the property seized by the government during the protests of the
noncooperation movement. Gandhi also gave up his demand for full independence in return for a
promise that in a federal India, Indians would have a genuine say in the government affairs.
The Communal Award
It was announced on 16th August 1932 by the British PM Ramsay MacDonald after the failure of the
second RTC as he wanted to resolve the political crisis of India. It gave the right of separate electorates
to all the minorities in India and the principle of weightage was also applied. Though, Muslim majority
in Bengal and Punjab was reduced, the ML accepted it in order to reach a political settlement for the
future of India. The INC rejected it and Gandhi protested against the declaration of the Untouchables
as a minority.

The Government of India Act 1935

 Details of RTC’s & proposals of British govt were published as a “White Paper”, March 1933.
 Discussed and approved by British parliament, Dec 1934.
 Aug 1935, the Bill became Govt of India Act 1935.
Contents:
 India to be a federation (federal form of govt) with Brit Indian provinces + states willing to join it.
 Two houses of parliament (bicameral set up) with an upper house (Council of State) & lower house
(Legislative Assembly).
 Elected members from provinces, nominated from states
 Some reserved subjects with Viceroy (e.g. defense, foreign affairs etc), others with the provincial
administration.
 Diarchy shifted from provinces to the center; greater degree of provincial autonomy.
 3 new provinces: Sindh, NWFP & Orissa.
 Viceroy (Governor General) head of federation with special powers; governors also had special
powers – could dismiss provincial govt & declare emergency.
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 No. of voters increased; 25% of total population.

 The part related to the central govt was never implemented because of rejection by princes.
Indian Reaction
 ML & INC rejected & criticized the Act.
 Nehru: “Charter of Slavery”; “a machine with strong brakes but without an engine”.
 Jinnah: “thoroughly rotten, fundamentally bad & totally unacceptable”.
 State princes resented loss of power the Act would entail.
 Apparently, greater share & powers for Indians, real powers were still with the British e.g. Viceroy
& governors could use emergency powers.
 Property qualification restricted the number of voters so, only 25% of total population could vote.
Importance of the Act
 An important step towards independence as it became the basis for future negotiations that would
pave the way for the British departure.
 Federal & parliamentary system ensured greater Indian powers & representation in govt.
 3 new provinces, out of which 2 were Muslim majority – good for Muslims.

Elections 1937
 ML & INC didn’t approve the 1935 Act; accepted it due to elections, Jan-Feb 1937, for provincial
assemblies only.
 Jinnah’s return, 1934; permanent president of ML; still hoped some Hindu-Muslim unity after the
elections but Nehru unwilling.
Results:
 INC won absolute majority in 5 provinces; formed govt in 8 provinces (including NWFP)
 ML: 109/482 seats reserved for Muslims; performed a little better in the Muslim minority
provinces.
Importance of the Elections
 First major elections; various factions of ML got united.
 ML learned a lot about election campaign organization & planning; how to approach the voters.
 It realized: (1) its support lay in Muslim minority areas; no threat of Hindu domination in Muslim
majority provinces; it would eventually make inroads in these provinces (2) it had an ‘image
problem’ – a party dominated by the elite Muslims e.g., princes, Nawabs etc, whereas INC was
popular among all socio-economic segments of society.

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The INC Rule 1937-39

 INC victory in the 1937 elections.
 INC ministries in 8 out of 11 provinces.
 Nehru got assurance from Viceroy Lord Linlithgow about governors not using special powers to
interfere with the provincial matters.
 In areas of ML victory, INC’s condition of ML members to leave ML.
 A series of anti-Muslim policies under the INC rule:
Bande Matram:
 Hindu nationalist song with anti-Muslim expressions; compulsory singing in morning in provincial
assemblies; Muslims felt offended & worried about their future.
The Wardha Scheme:
 Gandhi’s educational scheme; spinning cotton by hand, part of teaching in schools; no religious
education; Hindi, medium of education; compulsory bowing before Gandhi’s portrait in schools for
all students; for Muslims, it was anti-Islamic; fear of imposition of Hinduism.
INC tyranny:
 Ban on beef in some places; ban on & disturbance of Azaan; attacks on mosques during
congregational prayer; pushing pigs into mosques during prayers; local authorities were biased
against Muslims; no complaints of Muslims were entertained; attacks on Muslim houses & anti-
Muslim riots; hoisting INC flag with the Union Jack to show there were only 2 political powers in
India; Muslims felt threatened about their cultural & political identity & importance.
 Lord Linlithgow himself received reports of anti-Muslim measures from some places.
 Start of WW2, Sept 1939; INC ministers resigned; Muslims celebrated “Day of Deliverance” on
Jinnah’s call, 22 Dec 1939, to mark end of INC rule.
ML under INC rule
 Rejection of Jinnah’s offer of INC-ML coalition, by INC.
 Jinnah’s massive campaign to awaken Muslims & warn them of the Hindu aim of establishing
‘Hindustan’.
 Chief Ministers of Punjab, Bengal & Assam joined ML by 1938; membership of ML grew
dramatically.
 INC began to recognize Jinnah but didn’t accept ML as the only party representing Indian Muslims.
 On the whole, Very poor Hindu-Muslim relations by 1939.

The Wardha Scheme

It was a part of the INC rule, 1937-1939. Gandhi introduced it as a Basic Education scheme at Wardha
for the INC ministries. This scheme made Hindi the medium of education, removed any religious
education and made cotton-spinning by hand a part of the school curriculum. In some schools of the
CP (Central Provinces), Muslim students were required to bow before the portrait of Gandhi in a
worship manner. Even the Urdu language was undermined under this policy. Thus it became evident

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that even with legal safeguards Muslims could not trust the INC to protect their rights. Therefore, it
was one of the reasons of hatred against the INC rule.

The Day of Deliverance

After the resignation of all INC ministers, Jinnah called on the Muslim community to celebrate this on
22 December 1939. He appealed to all local, district and provincial branches of the ML to hold public
meetings to support this declaration. He also appealed to celebrate the occasion in all gatherings in a
peaceful and sober way. The INC objected to this celebration.