6.4 Indian National Movement 1905 to 1932
Spread of Non-Cooperation Movement
The United Province became a strong base for the non-cooperation Movement.
Agrarian-riots under the leadership of Baba Ramachandra, Eka Movement under Madari Pasi.
In Punjab Akali Movement for reform and control of Gurudwaras.
In Andhra Pradesh, the Non-Cooperation Movement was a great success. Alluri Sitaram Raju organised the tribe in Andhra and combined their demands with those of the Non-Cooperation Movement.
The Swarajists
Major developments in Indian politics occurred during 1922-28. Differences arose among leaders after the withdrawal of the Non-Cooperation Movement. One school of thought headed by CR Das and Motilal Nehru advocated that nationalists should end the boycott of legislative councils, enter them, obstruct their working according to official plans, expose their weaknesses, transform them into arenas of political struggle and thus use them to arouse public enthusiasm. They were pro-changers.
Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. Dr Arisari, Babu Rajendra Prasad and others opposed council entry. They were known as no changers.'
In December, 1922, CR Das and Motilal Nehru formed Congress- Khilafat Swarajya Party with CR Das as President and Motilal Nehru as Secretary. It worked within the Congress.
In the 1923 elections, the Swarajists won 42 seats out of the 101 elected seats in the Central Legislative Assembly. With the cooperation of other Indian groups, they repeatedly out-voted the government in the Central Assembly and in several of the provincial councils.
Swarajists were split by Communalism. The response offered cooperation to the government to safeguard the Hindu interests.
Madan Mohan Malaviya and Lala Lajpat Rai founded the Independent Congress Party, later in 1933. It was recognised as the Congress Nationalist Party.
Simon Commission (1927)
In 1927, the British Government appointed the Indian Statutory Commission, known popularly by its chairman Simon to go into the question of further Constitutional Reform.
The committee had to review the working of the diarchy system, introduced by Montague Chelmsford Reform of 1919 and to report to what extent a representative government can be introduced in India.
All the members of the commission were white.
The Indians protested against the Simon Commission, because of the exclusion of Indians from the Commission and in the fear that the foreigners would discuss and decide upon India’s Fitness for self government.
The National Congress decided to boycott the commission in its Madras SessIon in 1927, presided over by Dr Ansari.
The Muslim League and Hindu Mahasabha decided to support the Congress.
The Commission’s arrival in India led to a powerful protest. On 3rd February. 1928. The Commission was greeted with Hartals and black flag demonstrations. under the slogan Simon Go Back.
The government used brutal suppression and police attacks to break the popular opposition.
At Lahore. Lala Lajpat Rai was severely beaten in a Lathi charge and he succumbed to his injuries on 17th November, 1929.
Nehru Report (1928)
All important Indian leaders and parties tried to meet the challenge of the Simon Commission by getting together and trying to evolve an alternative scheme of Constitutional Reforms. The Nehru report was tabled in 1928 by Motilal Nehru.
It remains memorable as the first major Indian effort to draft a constitutional framework for whole India with lists of central and provincial subjects and Fundamental Rights.
However, the recommendations evoked a debate concerning the goal of India-Dominion status or complete independence.
Other members of the committee—Tej Bahadur Sapru, Mi Imam. MS Ane, Mangal Singti. Sohaib Qureshi, GR Pradhan and SC Bose.
Outcome of the Nehru Report
It demanded responsible government both at the centre and in the provinces. But, it advocated dominion status not complete independence.
It demanded Universal Suffrage. It rejected a separate communal electorate It proposed Muslim reservation in the centre and provinces where they were in minority.
The report recommended equal rights for women, freedom to form unions and disassociation of the state from relics in any form.
It demanded reorganisation of the North-West provinces on linguistic basis.
Lahore Session (1929)
This session was presided over by Jawaharlal Nehru. Gandhi came back to active politics by that time.
Draw in talks broke down on the issue of dominion status, which the British were reluctant to give.
This session passed a resolution of Poorna Swaraj (Complete independence) as its ultimate goal.
On 31st December, 1929 the newly adopted tricolour was hoisted and 26th January 1930 was fixed as the First Independence day.
The Congress Session also announced a Civil Disobedience Movement under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi.
Congress decided to boycott the first Round Table Conference.
Civil Disobedience Movement (1930)
Before starting the Civil Disobedience Movement, Gandhiji placed an Eleven point ultimatum before Irwin for administrative reforms and stated that if Lord Irwin accepted them, then there would be no agitation.
The Civil Disobedience Movement was started by Gandhi on 12th March, 1930 With his famous Dandi March. Together with 78 chosen followers, Gandhi walked nearly 375 km from Sabarmati Ashram to Dandi, a village on the Gujarat sea-coast.
Salt production had geographical limitations. So, in other parts of the country, the movement included-picketing of liquor shops and auctions, no revenue campaign In Bardoli, defiance of forest laws In Maharashtra, Karnataka and the central provinces, refusal of chaukidari tax In Eastern India, prabhat pheris-singing of National Songs.
The notable feature of the movement was a wide participation of women.
First Round Table Conference (12th November, 1930)
Congress boycotted the conference.
Muslim League was represented by Mohammad Ali, Agha Khan, Faziul Haq, MA Jinnah and Hindu Mahasabha by Moonje and Jayakar.
Tej Bahadur Sapru, Chintamani and Srinivas Shastri (Liberals) appeared.
Princes of Hyderabad. Mvsore attended it. No result came out of the conference.
The government now made attempts to negotiate an agreement with the Congress, so that it could attend the Round Table Conference.
Moderate statesmen Jaikar, Sapru and Srinivas Shastri initiated efforts to break the ice between Gandhiji and the government. The negotiation between Irwin and Gandhi in 5th March, 1931 came to be known
Gandhi-Irwin Pact or known Delhi Pact.
Gandhi-Irwin Pact
Under this pact, the government agreed to release all those political prisoners, who had remained non-violent. The Right to make salt for consumption was agreed to.
The Congress was to suspend Civil Disobedience Movement and take part in Second Round Table
Conference.
Second Round Table Conference (1931)
Gandhiji went to England in September. 1931, along with Sarojini Naidu, Mahadev Desai, GD Birla and Madan Mohan Malviya to attend the Second Round Table Conference. But the British Government refused to concede the basic nationalist demand for freedom on the basis of the immediate grant of dominion status with complete control over defence, external affairs and finance.
On his return, Gandhiji resumed the Civil Disobedience movement in 1932 and finally
withdrew it in 1934.
Poona Pact (Communal Award) (1932)
McDonald announced the proposal on minority representation, known as the Communal Award in 1932. Under this the depressed classes (Muslims, Sikhs, Indian Christians. Anglo Indians, Women and Backward Classes) were to be considered as a minority, and would be entitled to the right of a separate electorate. Gandhi reacted strongly to the proposal. He considered the depressed class as an integral part of Hindu society.
He thought that there was no need to protect the depressed classes through representation rather the need was to eradicate untouchability.
Gandhi was restored to fast unto death in Yerwada Jail (Poonä) against this separate electorate for the depressed class, which Ambedkar was insisting on. This resulted into the Poona-Pact between Gandhi and Ambedkar on 25th September, 1932.
147 seats were to be allotted to the depressed classes in the provincial legislature as against 71 provided by the Communal Award. The pact also called for adequate representation of depressed classes in civil services.
Gandhiji coined the word Harijan for depressed classes and their upliftment became his prime concern. The All India Anti Untouchability League was started in September, 1932. On 8th May, 1933 Gandhiji decided to begin a 21 day fast for self-purification for the Harijan cause.
Third Round Table Conference
Field in London in 1932.
The Congress did not participate.
The discussion led to the Government India Act, 1935.
