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Round Table conferences:
Round Table Conferences
(1930-1932)
The Indian political community received the Simon Commission Report issued in
June 1930 with great upsetness.Different political parties gave way to their
feelings in different ways.The Congress started a Civil Disobedience Movement
under Gandhi command.The Muslims reserved their opinion on the Simon Report
declaring that the report was not final and the matters should decided after
consultations with the leaders representing all communities in India.
The Indian political situation seemed deadlocked.The British government refused

to contemplate any form of selfgovernment for the people of India.This caused
frustration amongst the masses who often expressed their anger in violent
clashes.The Labor Government returned to power in Britain in 1931 and a
glimmer of hope ran through Indian hearts.Labor leaders had always been
sympathetic to the Indian cause.The government decided to hold a Round Table
Conference in London to consider new constitutional reforms.All Indian politicians
Hindus Muslims Sikhs and Christians were summoned to London for the
conference.Gandhi immediately insisted at the conference that he alone spoke
for all Indians and that the Congress was the party of the people of India.He
argued that the other parties only represented sectarian viewpoints with little or
no significant following.
First Round Table Conference

in London on November 12, 1930..
The first session of the conference opened in London on November 12 1930.All

parties were present except for the Congress whose leaders were in jail due to
the Civil Disobedience Movement.Congress leaders stated that they would have
nothing to do with further constitutional discussion unless the Nehru Report was
enforced in its entirety as the constitution of India.Almost 89 members attended
the conference out of which 58 were chosen from various communities and
interests in British India and the rest from luxurious and other political parties.The
prominent among the Muslim delegates invited by the British government were
Sir Aga Khan Quaid-i-Azam Maulana Muhammad Ali Jouhar Sir Muhammad Shafi
and Maulvi Fazl I Haq.Sir Taj Bahadur Sapru Mr Jaikar and Dr Moonje were
outstanding amongst the Hindu leaders.The Muslim Hindu differences
overcastted the conference as the Hindus were pushing for a powerful central
government while the Muslims stood for a loose federation of completely
autonomous provinces.The Muslims demanded maintenance of weightage and
separate electorates the Hindus their abolition.The Muslims claimed statutory
majority in Punjab and Bengal while Hindus resisted their imposition.In Punjab the
situation was complicated by inflated Sikh claims.Eight subcommittees were set
up to deal with the details.These committees dealt with the federal structure
provincial constitution franchise Sindh the North West Frontier Province defense
services and minorities.
The conference broke up on January 19 1931 and what emerged from it was a
general agreement to write safeguards for minorities into the constitution and a
vague desire to devise a federal system for the country.
Gandhi-Irwin Pact
After the conclusion of the First Round Table Conference the British
government realized that the cooperation of the Indian National Congress was
necessary for further advancement in the making of the Indian constitution.Thus
Lord Irwin the Viceroy extended an invitation to Gandhi for talks.Gandhi agreed to
end the Civil Disobedience Movement without laying down any preconditions.
The agreement between Gandhi and Irwin was signed on March 5, 1931.
Following are the salient points of this agreement:
The Congress would discontinue the Civil Disobedience Movement.
The Congress would participate in the Round Table Conference.
The Government would withdraw all ordinances issued to curb the Congress.
The Government would withdraw all prosecutions relating to offenses not

involving violence.
The Government would release all persons undergoing sentences of

imprisonment for their activities in the civil disobedience movement.
The pact shows that the British Government was anxious to bring the Congress to
the conference table.
Second Round Table Conference:

in London on September 7 1931
The second session of the conference opened in London on

September 7 1931.The main task of the conference was done through the two
committees on federal structure and minorities.Gandhi was a member of both but
he adopted a very unreasonable attitude.He claimed that he represented all India
and dismissed all other Indian delegates as non representative because they did
not belong to the Congress.The communal problem represented the most difficult
issue for the delegates.Gandhi again tabled the Congress scheme for a settlement
a mere reproduction of the Nehru Report but all the minorities rejected it.As a
counter to the Congress scheme the Muslims the depressed classes the Indian
Christians the Anglo Indians and the Europeans presented a joint statement of
claims which they said must stand as an interdependent whole.As their main
demands were not acceptable to Gandhi the communal issue was postponed for
future discussion.
Three important committees drafted their reports
the Franchise Committee
the Federal Finance Committee
and States Inquiry Committee.
On the concluding day the British Prime Minister Ramsay MacDonald appealed to
the Indian leaders to reach a communal settlement.Failing to do so he said would
force the British government would take a unilateral decision.Quaid-i-Azam did
not participate in the session of the Second Round Table Conference as he had
decided to keep himself from the Indian politics and to practice as a professional
lawyer in England.On his return to India Gandhi once again started Civil
Disobedience Movement and was duly arrested…
Third Round Table Conference:

The third session began on November 17 1932. It was
short and unimportant.The Congress was once again absent so was the Labor
opposition in the British Parliament.Reports of the various committees were
lookedover.The conference ended on December 25 1932.The recommendations
of the Round Table Conferences were embodied in a White Paper.It was
published in March 1933 and debated in parliament directly afterwards analyzed
by the Joint Select Committee and after the final reading and loyal Accepted the
bill reached the Statute Book on July 24 1935.

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Round Table conferences:

Round Table Conferences

The Indian political situation seemed deadlocked.The British government refused

First Round Table Conference

The first session of the conference opened in London on November 12 1930.All

The Congress would discontinue the Civil Disobedience Movement.

The Congress would participate in the Round Table Conference.

The Government would withdraw all prosecutions relating to offenses not

The Government would release all persons undergoing sentences of

Second Round Table Conference:

The second session of the conference opened in London on

the Franchise Committee

the Federal Finance Committee

and States Inquiry Committee.

Third Round Table Conference:

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