PMFIAS MIH 24 Simon Commission To Poorna Swaraj
PMFIAS MIH 24 Simon Commission To Poorna Swaraj
PMFIAS MIH 24 Simon Commission To Poorna Swaraj
Poorna Swaraj........................................................................................................................................ 12
Calcutta Session (1928) ............................................................................................................................................ 12
Lahore Session of Congress (1929) ........................................................................................................................... 13
Simon Commission
• The Act of 1919 provided for the appointment of a Commission to assess the functioning of the
government at the end of ten years.
• Lord Birkenhead, Secretary of State for India, announced on 8 November 1927 the appointment of
an Indian Statutory Commission (Simon Commission) under the chairmanship of Sir John Simon to
review and propose constitutional reforms for India.
• The Commission aimed:
❖ To inquire into the working of provincial governments
❖ To examine how far the representative institutions were functioning satisfactorily.
❖ To draft the outline for the future progress in establishing responsible government (constitutional
reforms)
Boycott of Commission
• The exclusion from the commission angered Indians. British action was seen as a violation of the
principle of self-determination and a deliberate insult to the self-respect of the Indians.
• At its Madras Congress session in 1927, presided over by Dr. Ansari, the INC decided to boycott the
Commission at every stage and in every form. A section of the Muslim League led by Jinnah, Hindu
Mahasabha, the Liberals Federation, etc., supported the call for the boycott.
• Indian revolutionaries like Bhagat Singh and others opposed the Simon Commission on the grounds
that only Indians should have a say in framing the constitution of India.
• The Muslim League led by Muhammed Shafi, the Justice Party in Madras, the Central Sikh Sangh,
Unionists in Punjab, Bahishkrit Hitakarni Sabha under Ambedkar and the All India Achut
Federation did not oppose the Commission.
Supporters of the Simon Commission Opponents of the Simon Commission
Conservatives in the UK Indian National Congress (INC)
Muslim League led by Muhammed Shafi Muslim League led by M. A. Jinnah
Justice Party in Madras Hindu Mahasabha
Unionists in Punjab Indian revolutionaries like Bhagat Singh and others
Bahishkrit Hitakarni Sabha
• The Simon Commission provided the catalyst for a new phase of movement. It united, at least
temporarily, different groups and parties in the country. As a gesture of solidarity with the nationalists,
the Muslim League even accepted the principle of joint electorates, provided seats were reserved for
the Muslims.
• On 3 February 1928, the day the Commission reached Bombay, an all-India hartal was organised.
Wherever the Commission went, it was greeted with hartals and black-flag demonstrations under the
slogan Simon Go Back. The boycott turned into a protest movement, and the scenes of Non-
cooperation days were revived. Crowds could not be held back even by bullets and lathis.
• Youth played an important role in the boycott of the Simon Commission. Indian youth became active.
All over the country, youth leagues were formed, and student conferences were held under the
leadership of Jawaharlal Nehru and Subhas Bose.
The Commission visited India twice (February-March 1928, October 1928-April 1929). On both
occasions, it faced a boycott. Despite this, the Commission published its report in May 1930.
Government’s Response
• The government used brutal suppression and police attacks to break the popular opposition. Even
the senior leaders were not spared.
❖ Jawaharlal Nehru and G.B. Pant were beaten up in Lucknow.
❖ In Lahore, a march led by Lala Lajpat Rai was lathi-charged, and Lalaji succumbed to his injuries.
A revolutionary group led by Bhagat Singh avenged Lala Lajpat Rai's death by killing Assistant Police
Superintendent, Saunders.
[UPSC CSE 2013] The people of India agitated against the arrival of the Simon Commission
because
a) Indians never wanted the review of the working of the Act of 1919
b) Simon Commission recommended the abolition of Dyarchy (Diarchy) in the provinces
c) there was no Indian member in the Simon Commission
d) the Simon Commission suggested the partition of the country
Answer: Option c
[UPSC CSE 2010] With reference to Simon Commission's recommendations, which one of
the following statements is correct?
a) It recommends the replacement of Dyarchy with responsible government in the provinces.
b) It proposed the setting up of inter provincial council under the Home Department.
c) It suggested the abolition of bicameral Legislature at the centre.
d) It recommended the creation of Indian Police Service with the provision for increased pay and
allowances for British recruits as compared to Indian recruits.
Answer: Option A
Nehru Report
Background
Lord Birkenhead's Challenge (1925)
• In 1925, Lord Birkenhead, Secretary of State for India, challenged the Indians to frame a
Constitution agreed upon by all Indians.
• In 1927, the INC held its 42nd Annual Session in Madras. It was presided over by Dr Mukhtar Ahmed
Ansari, the President of the Muslim League.
• The session passed a resolution:
1. Calling for the boycott of the Simon Commission at every stage and in every form
2. Authorising the Working Committee to prepare a Swaraj Constitution for India
3. Objecting to deploying Indian troops in China, Mesopotamia, and Persia.
4. Independence Resolution introduced by Jawaharlal Nehru, which called for Poorna
Swaraj (complete freedom). It stated for the first time clearly that ‘the Congress declares the
Indian people's desire for complete national independence.’
Nehru Report
The Recommendations of the Nehru Report
✓ Dominion Status: Attainment of Dominion Status should be considered the next immediate step.
✓ Joint electorates and Universal adult franchise: Elections should be held by joint electorates on the
basis of adult suffrage, and there should be no separate electorate for any community.
✓ Reservation for Muslims: Seats would be reserved for Muslims at the Centre and in provinces in
which they were in the minority but not in those provinces where Muslims were in the majority, such
as Punjab and Bengal.
✓ Reservation for religious minorities: Seats in the legislature should be reserved for religious
minorities for ten years.
✓ Federal structure with a strong Centre: There should be a federal government with residuary
powers vested in the centre (strong centre).
✓ Parliament: India should have a parliamentary form of government.
✓ Bi-cameral Legislature: There should be a bi-cameral legislature.
✓ Responsible government: The executive should be fully responsible to the legislature.
✓ Linguistic provinces: India should be a federation built on the basis of linguistic provinces and
provincial autonomy.
✓ Fundamental Rights: The report also recommended the nineteen fundamental rights, including equal
rights for women, freedom to form unions and dissociation of the state from religion in any form.
The Nehru report omitted the preamble and the definitions excepting the definition of
"citizen".
• The Nehru report made no distinction between "responsible government" and "dominion form of
government" and had throughout presumed that they meant the same thing. It criticised Malcolm
Hailey for distinguishing between dominion status and responsible government.
• The report stated that a common feature among all dominions was a responsible form of
government. It also mentioned that they were unaware of the phrase 'responsible government'
receiving any other interpretation elsewhere.
• In 1927, the people of Princely states formed the State Peoples Conference to advocate for self-
governing institutions. This initiative threatened the interests of the princes, leading them to seek
British assistance. Consequently, a committee chaired by Sir Harcourt Butler was appointed. It
emphasised the preservation of princely states under British Paramountcy.
• The Nehru Report criticised the appointment of the Butler Committee. It stated that the rights and
obligations of British Paramountcy over the princely states should be transferred to the
government of the Commonwealth of India, and conflicts between the Commonwealth of India and
Indian states were to be referred to the Supreme Court.
• In 1927, Sir Harcourt Butler headed a three-member committee appointed to investigate and
clarify the relationship between the paramount power of the British Raj in India and the rulers
of Princely States.
• In the committee's report of 1929, the "paramountcy" doctrine was reaffirmed. It also
recommends that the state should not be transferred without their consent to a relationship
with a new government in British India that is responsible for an Indian legislature.
• The younger section of the Congress was unhappy with the dominion status and advocated for the
complete severance of the British connection with India.
• In 1928, Jawaharlal Nehru, Srinivasa Iyengar, and Subhas Chandra Bose formed the Independence
for India League to present their demand for Purna Swaraj. This league declared purna swaraj, or
complete independence from British rule, as its ultimate goal, not dominion status.
• Srinivasa Iyengar was elected President of the league, with Nehru and Bose as its secretaries.
• The Independence for India League was formed as a pressure group within the Congress. It aimed:
❖ To counter the concept of Dominion Status.
❖ To plead for complete independence of India from the British
❖ To work for the establishment of an Indian republic on Socialist lines
Poorna Swaraj
Delhi Manifesto
• On November 2, 1929, a conference of major national leaders met and issued the Delhi Manifesto.
In this document, they insisted that the Round Table Conference should focus not on debating when
Dominion Status would be granted but on developing a plan for its implementation.
• They also demanded that:
❖ The Congress should have majority representation at the conference.
❖ General amnesty for political prisoners and a conciliatory policy by the government
• In December 1929, Viceroy Irwin rejected the demands outlined in the Delhi Manifesto, setting the
stage for confrontation.
Independence Pledge
• The Working Committee issued the independence pledge drafted by Jawaharlal Nehru. The pledge
was to be adopted at public meetings h
• eld throughout India on Purna Swaraj Day. The resolution was translated and distributed in various
provinces.
[UPSC CSE 2014] The 1929 Session of the Indian National Congress is of significance in the
history of the Freedom Movement because the
a) attainment of Self-Government was declared as the objective of the Congress.
b) attainment of Poorna Swaraj was adopted as the goal of the Congress.
c) Non-Cooperation Movement was launched.
d) the decision to participate in the Round Table Conference in London was taken.
Answer: Option B
[UPSC CSE 2012] The Lahore Session of the Indian National Congress (1929) is very
important in history, because
1. The Congress passed a resolution demanding complete independence.
2. The rift between the extremists and moderates was resolved in that Session.
3. A resolution was passed rejecting the two-nation theory in that Session.
Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?
a) 1 only
b) 2 and 3 only
c) 1 and 3 only
d) None of the above
Answer: Option A