First Round Table Conference (November 1930-January 1931)

The First Round Table Conference (November 1930-January 1931) was held in London. After the launch of civil disobedience movement by INC under the leadership of Gandhi and after his arrest there was widespread mass demonstrations and protests against the British. Therefore the British government felt the need to initiate talks with Indian leaders. Three round table conferences were held between 1930 to 1932 as per the report submitted by the Simon Commission in May 1930.

Aim of first round table conference

The major aim of first round table conference was to pacify the increasing tides of nationalism in India under the leadership of Gandhi and the Indian National Congress. The INC had launched Civil Disobedience movement which had alarmed various sections of British political leadership and therefore they felt the need to initiate talks with Indians. The other aim of first round table conference was to discuss about the constitutional reforms as per the report of the Simon Commission which was set up earlier by the British Government. One more aim of first round table conference was to create division between Indians by using the policy of divide and rule.

First round table conference held in 1930

First round table conference held in 1930 was inaugurated by King George V on November 12, 1930 in London. The conference was chaired by the British Prime Minister, Ramsay MacDonald. Sixteen delegates representing the three political parties of Britain participated in the conference. From India, 58 political leaders and 16 members are representing the princely states participated in the conference. However, the leaders of Indian National Congress and business leaders did not participate in the first Round table conference.

The Main leaders from India who participated in the conference were

Muslim League: Muhammad Ali Jinnah, Mohammed Shafi, Aga Khan

Hindu Mahasabha: B.S Monjee and M.R.Jayakar

Depressed classes: Dr BR Ambedkar, Rettamalai Srinivasan

Sikhs: Sardar Ujjal Singh

Discussions in the conference

Nine sub committees were set up to discuss the issues of Federal and provincial structure of government Ministries, Defence, North West Frontier Province, Burma, Franchise, Executive responsibility to the legislature etc. Except for the minority committee, the working of other committees went smoothly.

The issue of rights of minorities was a matter where there was a lack of consensus. There was consensus on the idea of all India Federation, the idea of which was moved for discussion by Tej Bahadur Sapru. The idea of all India Federation was supported by all the groups who attended the First Round Table Conference.

The First Round Table conference held in 1930, ended on 19th January 1931. The principal on reforms that were agreed upon were hardly implemented. Also, the Congress party leaders carried on the civil disobedience movement during this period. After the conference, the Prime Minister of Britain, Ramsay MacDonald had expressed his hope about the participation of Indian National Congress in the Second Round Table Conference.

The First Round Table conference viceroy was Lord Irwin. After the end of first Round table conference, Tej Bahadur Sapru, C.Y. Chintamani and Srinivas Shastri appealed and tried to persuade Mahatma Gandhi to talk with the Viceroy Lord Irwin. The British Indian government released the political leaders of Congress to make a favourable environment for the talks between Gandhi and Lord Irwin.

Gandhi-Irwin Pact

The British Indian government unconditionally released Gandhi and all other members of the working committee of Indian National Congress on 25th January 1931. The Congress working committee authorised Mahatma Gandhi to initiate the discussion with Lord Irwin. After the completion of this discussion, an agreement was signed between the Viceroy Lord Irwin representing the British Indian government and Gandhi, representing Indian National Congress and Indian people in Delhi on 14th February 1931. The Gandhi-Irwin Pact or Delhi pact placed Indian National Congress on equal footing with the British Indian government.

Facts about Gandhi Irwin Pact

1. The Mahatma Gandhi Irwin pact singed by Mahatma Gandhi and the British Indian Viceroy of India, Lord Irwin on 5 March 1931.
2. The pact was signed before the start of second round table conference in london.
3. Before Mahatma Gandhi Irwin pact singed; the viceroy in 1929 had given a vague offer about the Dominion status.
4. The British officials and leaders were angry at the idea of a pact with Congress as the declared goal of INC was the end of British Raj from India.
5. Winston expressed his anger in the following words- "the nauseating and humiliating spectacle of this one-time Inner Temple lawyer, now seditious fakir, striding half-naked up the steps of the Viceroy's palace, there to negotiate and parley on equal terms with the representative of the King-Emperor."
6. Ramsay MacDonald, however, wanted peace with INC and Gandhi to make the second round table conference a success.

Viceroy Irwin accepted the following demands of Gandhi after the signing of Gandhi-Irwin Pact :

• Releasing of all the political Prisoners who were not involved in violence.
• The remission of all the fines which were not yet collected.
• The return of all the lands which were not yet sold to the third parties.
• Right to make salt for personal use in the coastal areas.
• Lenient treatment to the government servants who had resigned on the call of Mahatma Gandhi.
• The right to peaceful, non-violent and non aggressive picketing.
• The withdrawal of the emergency ordinances by the British Indian government.

The Viceroy Lord Irwin did not accept the following demands of Mahatma Gandhi:

• The commutation of death sentence of Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev to life sentence.
• The demand for a public enquiry of excesses committed by police during the civil disobedience movement.

On behalf of Indian National Congress, Mahatma Gandhi agreed to suspend the civil disobedience movement after the signing of Gandhi-Irwin Pact. He also agreed to participate in the next round table conference on the question of constitutional reforms based on the three pillars of Federation, Indian responsibility and the safeguards which were necessary for India's interests covering the areas of Defence, External Affairs, the position of minorities, financial credit of India etc.

Mahatma Gandhi Irwin Pact Controversy

There was a controversy over the signing of Gandhi Irwin pact and the issue of commutation of death sentence of Bhagat Singh to life imprisonment. Mahatma Gandhi was criticized for not making commutation of Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev as a condition for signing the pact. However, Mahatma Gandhi had tried his best to save the lives of the three national heroes. He bowed down to the sacrifice of Bhagat Singh, Rajguru, and Sukhdev. But he did not support the ideologies followed by them as a path to get independence. He was shown black flag demonstrations by the Punjab naujawan Bharat Sabha as a protest for his failure to secure commutation for Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev.

Karachi Congress Session—1931

The Karachi Congress Session 1931 was presided over by Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. It was a special session of Indian National Congress held at Karachi from March 26 to 31 in 1931 to endorse the Gandhi Irwin Pact. Mahatma Gandhi was nominated to represent the Indian National Congress in the Second Round Table Conference. Just 6 days before the Karachi session of congress 1931, the British had executed Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev and Rajguru. So there was widespread anger among the masses for the failure of Gandhi to secure commutation of the death sentence for Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev, and Rajguru. When Mahatma Gandhi was on his way to attend the Karachi session of Congress 1931, he was greeted with black flags demonstrations as a protest over the fact that why Gandhi did not refuse to sign the pact over the issue of commutation of Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev and Rajguru. The protest was led by Punjab Naujawan Bharat Sabha.

Resolutions at Indian National Congress Karachi Session in 1931

At the Indian National Congress Karachi session in 1931, Congress passed resolution dissociating itself and disapproving the policy of political violence in any form. The resolution was drafted by Mahatma Gandhi which admired the bravery and sacrifice of the 3 Martyrs- Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev, and Rajguru. The Congress also endorsed the Gandhi Irwin pact and also reiterated its goal of Purna Swaraj or complete Independence from the British.

Resolution on fundamental rights at Indian National Congress Karachi Session in 1931

In the Karachi Session 1931, Indian National Congress adopted two resolutions one on fundamental rights and other on the national economic programme which made the Karachi resolution memorable. The resolution on fundamental rights had following features:

• Freedom of speech and expression of opinion, right to free association and right to assemble peacefully without arms.
• Freedom of conscience and propagation of religion, subject to public order and morality.
• Protection of language, culture and script of minorities.
• Equality before law irrespective of religion, caste, creed or gender.
• Equality of opportunity in public employment, office of power, honour etc.
• Right to keep arms in accordance with the regulations and reservation made in that behalf.
• Universal adult franchise.
• Freedom of movement, stay and settle in any part of the country and follow any occupation, and acquire property.
• Provision of free and compulsory education by the state.

Resolution on National Economic Programme at Karachi Congress Session 1931

At the Karachi Congress Session 1931 a resolution on a national economic programme also adopted. The main features of the national economic programme included:

• Reform in the land revenue and rent on land to give relief to small peasantry and exemption of revenue in case of uneconomic land holdings.
• Reduction in military expenditure by at least one half of the present scale.
• Relief from the agricultural indebtedness.
• Control on usury and money lending.
• Improvements in the working conditions, improvement in the living wage, limited hours of work and protection for women workers.
• Right to form unions for workers and peasants.
• Government ownership and control of key industries, mines, and means of transport.
• Regulation of currency and exchange rate in the National interest.

The Karachi Congress Session 1931 spelled out for the first time what Swaraj would mean for the masses. The Karachi Session of Congress 1931 remained an important aspect of the basic political and economic programme of Indian National Congress in the later years.

Second RTC and Second Civil Disobedience Movement

The Second Round Table Conference was held in London in December 1931. The Congress had agreed to attend the second round table conference under the Delhi pact and hence Mahatma Gandhi attended the second round table conference in London. The Second Round table conference was held in a less conductive environment due to various reasons. These reasons were:

• The labour government of Britain was now replaced by a national coalition government headed by Prime Minister Ramsay MacDonald who headed a conservative-dominated cabinet. The secretary of state Samuel Hoare was weak and reactionary. Viceroy Lord Irwin was now replaced by Lord Willingdon.
• The right wing led by Churchill in Britain was strongly against negotiating with Congress on equal basis. The right wing demanded a strong government in India instead of negotiation with Congress on equal basis. There was a strong reaction against his statement of calling Gandhi a naked seditious Fakir .
• The period between 1928 to 1931 saw a large number of revolutionary activities in which several Europeans were killed.
• The majority of delegates in the second round table conference were conservative, loyalist, reactionary and communal men who were pro British. They were used by the British government to show that the Congress did not represent all the Indians which was aimed to neutralize the efforts of Gandhi.
• The representatives of princely states also not enthusiastic about and all India Federation after the possibility of formation of Congress government receded after the suspension of first civil disobedience movement.

Second_round_table conference

Representatives in the Second Round Table Conference in London

• Indian National Congress- Mahatma Gandhi, Rangaswamy Iyengar, Madan Mohan Malviya.
• Muslims- Muhammad Ali Jinnah, Aga Khan , Mohammed Iqbal etc
• Hindus - MR Jayakar etc
• Depressed classes- Dr BR Ambedkar
• Indian women- Sarojini Naidu
• Indian princely states - Maharajas, Princess and the Diwans.
• British delegates belonging to different political parties of Britain and the Prime Minister, James Ramsay MacDonald.
• The liberals justice party, Sikhs, Indian Christians, Anglo Indians, representatives of Burma, Sindh, industry, labour, Parsis, landlords were represented in the Second Round Table Conference.

Mahatma Gandhi put forward the following demands

• Immediate formation of a responsible government with full powers both at the centre and provinces.
• Mahatma Gandhi iterated the need of partnership between India and Britain as two equal nations.
• Mahatma Gandhi claimed that Indian National Congress alone represented the political India.
• The untouchables and depressed classes where Hindus and should not be treated as a minority. There should be no provision of separate electorates for Muslims.
• The Second Round Table Conference got into a deadlock on the question of separate electorates demanded by Muslims, depressed classes, Christians and Anglo Indians. All these were demanded under minorities pact which was strongly opposed by Gandhi and he made all the constitutional progress conditional on the solving of the issue of separate electorates.

Outcome of Second Round Table Conference in London

• The Second Round Table Conference in London ended on 11th December 1931 and Gandhi returned to India on December 28 1931 without any achievement.
• The coming of coalition government in Britain had changed the atmosphere of the second round table conference in London. The Second Round Table Conference had increased the gap between Indian National Congress and other minorities. All other minorities (including depressed classes ) except the sikhs demanded separate electorates.
• Prime Minister MacDonald announced two Muslim majority provinces North West frontier province and Sindh.
• Announcement of Indian consultative committee, and 3 expert committee on finance, franchise and States.
• The possibility of unilateral Communal award by the British, if Indians failed to agree on the issue.

Second Civil Disobedience Movement

The British government failed to concede the basic demand of Congress of granting freedom. Therefore on 29th December 1931, the Congress working committee decided to restart the civil disobedience movement. Thus, second civil disobedience movement was started.

During the period between March 1931 to December 1931 there has been some activity of struggle in various parts of the country. In the United provinces the INC led a movement for rent reduction and against the summary evictions. In the North West Frontier Province, the government unleashed severe repression against the Khudai khidmatgars and the peasants who were agitating against the harsh methods of tax collection by the British Indian government. In Bengal, the British Indian government used draconian ordinances and mass detentions in the name of curbing terrorism. There was also an incident of firing on political prisoners in Hijli jail in September 1931.

Change in the attitude of Government and British officials

The officials of British Indian government had drawn lessons from the Gandhi Irwin pact which had raised the prestige of Indian National Congress and undermined the prestige of the government. They wanted to reverse the trend and hence followed the three main considerations in their policy.

• Do not allow Mahatma Gandhi to build a tempo for any mass movement.
• There was no need for the goodwill of Indian National Congress, but the support of government functionaries, loyalist etc was very important.
• The National Movement should not be allowed to consolidate in the rural areas.

Actions of government

The British Indian government used a series of draconian audiences which led to a virtual Martial Law under the civilian control. The government banned the Congress organisations at all levels. The government arrested Congress leaders, activists, sympathizers and confiscated their properties. The Government occupied the Gandhi Ashrams and banned the Nationalist literature and freedom of the press.

Response of the people

The popular response was massive and full of anger. Around 80,000 Satyagrahis, who were mostly urban and rural poor were imprisoned by the government in the first 4 months. The protests during this period included picketing of shops selling liquor and foreign clothes, illegal gatherings, peaceful demonstrations and protests, symbolic hoisting of national flag and the celebration of national days. The struggle also included Salt Satyagraha, defiance of forest laws, refusal to pay chawkidara tax, and a secret radio transmitter was installed near Bombay. The second civil disobedience movement coincided with upsurges in Kashmir and Alwar. However the second civil disobedience movement could not be sustained for longer periods due to following reasons

• Mahatma Gandhi and other Congress leaders had no time to build the tempo for the civil disobedience movement.
• People were not prepared for the struggle against the British.

Mahatma Gandhi withdrew the second civil disobedience movement in April 1934. The movement was withdrawn but the people had not lost their political faith on Indian National Congress and Mahatma Gandhi.

Communal Award and Poona Pact

The Communal Award and Poona Pact had occurred in 1932. The Prime Minister of Britain Ramsay MacDonald, announced the Communal Award in August 1932 to pursue the British policy of divide and rule. The Communal Award recognised the depressed classes as minorities and provided them separate electorates. Earlier the British had already given separate electorates to Muslims, Christians and Sikhs.

Response of Indian National Congress

Congress was against the system of separate electorates but it was not in favour of changing the Communal Award without taking the minorities in confidence. So, the leaders of Congress were against the Communal Award and strongly disagree with it but the Congress decided neither to accept the Communal Award not to reject it. The Nationalist leaders opposed the British move to separate the depressed classes from the rest of the population of Hindus by providing them separate electorates.

Response of Mahatma Gandhi

For Mahatma Gandhi, the Communal Award was an attack on the unity of India and was against the Indian nationalism. He believed that separate electorates were harmful to both Hinduism and for the depressed classes as it provided no answer to the social problems faced by the members of depressed classes. Gandhi knew that once the depressed classes were treated as separate political identity, the issue of abolition of untouchability would get undermined and the separate electorates would keep the depressed classes to remain untouchables in perpetuity. Gandhi said that what was required was not the protection of so-called political interests of untouchables but the root and branch eradication of untouchability from India.

Communal Award Poona Pact 1932

Communal Award and Poona Pact were full of controversies. Mahatma Gandhi believed that depressed classes should be elected through joint and if possible through universal franchise. While he did not object the demand for larger number of reservation of seats for the depressed classes. Mahatma Gandhi went on an indefinite fast on September 20 1932 in Yeravada jail to get his demands fulfilled. Ambedkar argued that Gandhi was ready to accept the separate electorates to Muslims and but was against the separate electorates for scheduled castes. This was because he was afraid of division inside the Congress and Hindu society due to separate representation for depressed classes. Various leaders including B.R. Ambedkar, Madan Mohan Malviya and M.C.Rajah finally found out a compromise with Gandhi in the form of Poona pact.

Communal Award and Poona Pact occured in 1932. The Poona pact was signed by Dr B R Ambedkar on behalf of depressed classes in September 1932. The Poona pact removed the system of separate electorates for the depressed classes and instead provided for reservation of seats for them. The seats which were reserved for the depressed classes were now increased from 71 to 147 in the provincial legislatures and 18% in the Central legislature. In every province an adequate amount was provided as an educational grant for providing educational facilities to the members of depressed classes. There would not be any disabilities attached on grounds of being a member of depressed classes in regard to any election to local bodies and appointment to public services. Every effort should be made to secure a fair representation of depressed classes in these respects.

After 'Poona Pact' Dr_Babasaheb Ambedkar with R.B.Srinivasan, G.A.Gawai, and others

Poona Pact & Government

The government accepted the Poona pact as an amendment to the previous Communal Award of in August 1932.