Indian National Movement - Round Table Conferences, Communal Awards and Quit India Movement of 1942
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Round Table Conferences
First Round Table Conference: (12th NoVember, 1930 to 19th JanuAry, 1931)
- Presided by -Ramsay MacDonald (head of Labour Party) .
- 89 total members participated in this, 16 members were from British Political Party;
- 16 members from British Indian States: Sir Mirza Ismail; Sir Akbar Hydari; Maharaja of Bikaner; and 57 members from British India.
- Congress did not participated.
Important Leaders Were
- Lord Beel- Representative of Conservative Party; T. B. Sapru- Demanded an All India Federation (all the three RTCs) . B. R. Ambedkar- demanded a separate community status for the depressed class. Md. Shafi; M. A. Jinnah; Fajhul Khan Dr Shafaat, Ahmed Khan
- The conference was ad journal sine die on 19th January, 1993
- Muslim delegation: Aga Khan; Jinnah Sahfi; Fajhul Haque
- Sikh: Sardar Ujjal Singh
- Hindu Mahasabha: Moonji; Raja Rajendra Nath
- For dominion Status and constitution of India.
Recommendations of First RTC
- I. C. S. and I. P. S. to be recruited by India.
- Abolition of All India Service Examination for I. C. S. and I. P. S.
- Indianisation of Army
- Minister in NWFP
- Separate of Burma from India and Sind from Bombay Presidency.
- Extension of Franchise from 10 per cent – 25 per cent.
- All India Federation
- Federal government subject to reservation and responsible to federal legislature.
- Provincial autonomy Problem faced:
- BR Anjfredkar՚s demand for the separate depressed class.
- M. Shafi, Fijhul Haque and Jinnah demanded the extension of representation Muslims
- The absence of Congress meant marriage without the bride.
- Absent of Congress members first led to efforts being made to include them in the second RTC
- M. J. Jayekar and Tej Bahadur Sapru Played a prominent role.
- On March, 1931: Gandhi-Irwin Pact
- Politic Prisoners released
- Civil Disobedience called off.
- Developments of Gandhi-Irwin Pact:
- On 26th February, 1931 - 26 members of RTC returned to India.
- On 14th February, 1931-Gandhi wrote a letter to viceroy and receive the reply on 16th.
- On 5th March, 1931- The Pact was signed.
Proposals of Gandhi: 31st Jan. , 1930
- 50% decrease in army and civil services cavalry.
- Total prohibition of liquor.
- Release of political prisoners.
- Reforms in C. I. D.
- Changes in Arms Act.
- Lowering of Rupee and Sterling exchange ration.
- Protection of textile industries.
- Reservation of Coastal Shipping Association.
- 50 per cent decrease in land-revenue.
- Abolition of salt-tax.
- Govt, salt monopoly.
Recommendations of Gandhi-Irwin Pact
- Congress should be invited to participate in the discussion.
- CDM to be discontinued.
- Consultation with Federation was admitted as the essential basis.
- Boycott no longer a political process.
- Encouragement of Indian industries by propaganda was permitted.
- Consumption of liquor would not be allowed beyond a limit fixed by law.
- Police excess controlled.
- Notification declaring illegal will be withdrawn.
- Pending prosecution would be withdrawn, exceptions being: violent incident and offences.
- Fines should be remitted
- Movable property confiscated would be returned along with immovable property. Property sold to third
- party would be regarded as discarded offence.
- On 29th March, 1931: Congress session was convened at Karanchi under President Vallabhbhai Patel.
- The demand of Puma Swaraj was emphasized and Gandhi-Irwin Pact was recognized.
- Governor General was Willindon; Secretary of State was Samuel Hoarse.
Second RTC: September December 1931
- Gandhi left India on 29th. August and reached London on 12th September to attend the second RTC.
- On his way he was attended by Nahar Pasha of Egypt
- The basic subject of discussion of second RTC was the federal structure and the minorities.
- The completion of the structure of federal judiciary and federal legislature.
- The distribution of financial resources between the centre and province.
- The mode of the accession of states to the federation.
- Gandhi left London on 6th December, and landed in Bombay on 28th December.
- Important leaders: Ambedkar, Sapru, Jayekar, Partho, Sarojini Naidu, M. M. Malviya
- Secretary of State was W. Benn
- 31 new delegations (other than those in first RTC) were there.
Communal Awards
- On 10th August, 1932.
- Ramsay MacDonald announced separate declaration for depressed classes.
- ⚹In the Federal House of 250 members , 105 will be Hindus, 82 Muslims, 19 depressed class, 44 other groups.
- Against this Gandhi went on fast on 20th September.
- M. C. Raja, M. M. Malviya, Ambedkar activated and finally the Poona Pact was concluded on 25th September, 1932 in Bombay and the separate electorate for depressed class was abolished, as a reform the reserved seats for depressed classes increased from 71 to 147 in PLC and in CLC 18 per cent of the seats increased.
- In 1933, Gandhi went on Harijan Yatra and remained there upto 29th July, 1934 starting from Wardha on 7th November, 1933V
Harijan Sevak Sangh
- GD. Birla was the president; Amrit Lai Thakkar was the Secretary.
- Based on the concept that India is not a nation but is based on various regional, racial and caste groups.
- Gave recognition to (i) Muslims; (ii) Depressed Class; (iii) Backward Class; (iv) Indian Christians; (v) Anglo-Indians; (vi) Europeans; (vii) Commercial and Industrial Class; (viii) Landholders; (ix) Labourers; (x) Universities; (xi) Sikh.
Third RTC 17th November to 24th December, 1932
- Congress boycotted.
- Only 46 delegates attended the session.
- Secretary of State was Samuel Hoare
- Sapru appealed to the government that to remember that the constitution proposed to draft must be such as to be acceptable to the people of India.
- Drew inspiration from: 1. Simon Commission Report; 2. Nehru Report; 3. RTCs; 4. White Paper; 5. Select Committee Report; 6. Lothian Report.
- Features:
- All India Federation
- Responsible govt. , with safeguards.
- Separate representation of communal and other groups.
- White Paper: of the conference was placed in the House of Commons in 1933.
- It finally came out as Government of India Act, 1935.
Quit India Movement: 1942
- The immediate cause for the QIM was the failure of t5e ~ ~Cripps Mission.
- The AICC made the following proposals:
- Peasantry should refuse to pay land tax and obstruct the revenue;
- No sale of food crops and cattle;
- Non-acceptance of paper money;
- Organization of Swaraj, Panchyats; and
- Roads, telegraphs and railways to be destroyed, so that the British army cannot work.
- On 8th August, .1942, at Gowlia Tank in Bombay, Gandhiji announced four things:
- “Forget the difference between hindu and Muslim and you are only Indians.”
- “You are not fighting against British imperialism.”
- “Feel that from today you are a free man and not dependent.”
- “Do or die” - either free India or die in the attempt.
- On 9th August, 1942, Gandhiji and Sarojini Naidu were arrested and taken to Agha Khan Palace.
- On 9th August, 1942, the Congress was banned and all the prominent leaders of Congress, from all over India, were arrested.
- In order to placate the Congress the number of Council was increased from 12 to 15.
- The 15 executive members were: 1 viceroy; 4 hindus; 4 muslims; 1 European; 1 Dalit; 3 official members; 1 Sikh member.
- They also pressurised Gandhi to withdraw the movement.
- Gandhiji went on a self-purification fast on 10th February, 1943 and continued upto 3rd March, 1943, , to draw forceful attention of the outside world to the Indian problem.
- Three members resigned from the CLC. They were: Mody, Aney and Sarkar. Regional Variations
- Bombay:
- Aruna Asaf Ali hoisted the flag. 8 killed and 169 injured in this process.
- At Satara, government was established and was known as Patri Sarkar. Y. B. Chauhan and Nana Patel were its leaders.
- Some underground organizations were active and most important group was the Krantikari group.
- Berar and Central Province:
- At Ramtek, Surajmal Gupta, Baji Rao Basan, Hari Shiv Ram Avari, Shiv Lai Tej were important leaders.
- At Yoli (Amravati) , -Punjab Rao Yaolikar was the main organizer.
- Asti- Ram Bai Tambi was the leader.
- Nilgiri and Thalcher:
- In Thalcher there was a parallel government known as Chasi Mauliya or Mazdoor Raj; Pabit Rai Baboo was its founder.
- South India:
- Tellicherry Congress con-spiracy-Balan got lOyrs. of rigorous imprisonment.
- Kezzar Bomb case- a lot of leaders were involved.
- Important leaders in the South were: K. B. Menon, B. K. Keshav Nair, C. P. Shankara Nair, Mathai-manpuram, N. A. Krishnan Nair.
- Delhi:
- 1. Important leaders were Aruna Asaf Ali, Jugal Kishore and C. Krishana Nair.
- North West Frontier Province:
- Abdus Samad Khan was the leader of Anjuman-i-Watan.
- In Peshawar Khudai khidmatgar continued to be active.
- Punjab:
- D. A. V. and Sanatan Dharm was active.
- Daya Singh was the leader.
- Bihar:
- Jay Prakash Narayan-and Ram Nandan Mishra were active,
- Madan Jha founded a parallel govt. which remained functional between 18th July, 1942, to 3rd September, 1942, at Manhar in Sitamarhi.
- In Purnea, Lakshmi Narayan Singh was the important leader.
- Other important leaders were Kartik Prasad, Brij Kishore Singh, Dr. Vidhyanand Jha, Shayam-sunder Prasad.
- Parallel governments were also established in Manjhi, Ekma, Digwara, Daraouli, Raghun-athpur, Siwan, Parsa, Vaikunthpur.
- Bahera police station was attacked by Charitra Singh of Kharki.
- Sardar Nitynand Singh organised Azad Dastas.
- In Bhagalpur the leader was Siyaram Singh.
- In Karabara, Swatantra Mahcfa Seva Dal was organised by Jaglal Chaudhary.
- Bengal:
- The important papers which were suspended were Amrit Bazar Pafrika
- Yugantar, Vishwamitra, Matri Bhumi and Standard.
- In Midnapur, Tamralipti Jatiya Sarkar was established by Satish Chandra Samant between 17th December, 1942 and 1st September, 1944. He called himself The Sarvadhinayak. Thana Jatiya Sarkar was the highest governing body.
- 3.In Tamluk, Nandigram and Mahishdal, Vidyut Vahini or National
- Army was set up.
- 73 years, old Matangini Hazra was shot dead.
- United Provinces:
- In Sultanpur a parallel govt. , was setup.
- In Baliya, Chitu Pandey founded a parallel government and called himself Swaraj TasDdar.
- Gazipur, Jaunpur and Benaras were important centres.
- Assam:
- Kaushal Kunwar, Mukund Kaoti and Kanaklata Baruah were hanged at Gohpur police station.
- Important leaders were Mohan Chaudhry, Motiram Bora, Mahendra Nath Hazarika, Shaukat Chandra Baruah and P. G Sharma.
- Anna Baruah organised the women of state.
- Behrampur near Naogaon, Ratna Phookan was shot dead.
- Shanti Sena was organised in villages.
- Orissa:
- In Balasore, Swaraj Panchyat was formed.
- A Congress leader, Lakshman Naik was murdered.
- Raksha Vahini was formed in Orissa.
- Bombay:
All India Leadership
- Achutya Pattvardhan, Aruna Asaf Ali , Ram Manohar Lohiya, Biju Patnaik, Chotu Bhai Puranik, Sucheta Kriplani, R. P. Goenka, Gopinath Bardoli and Sadik Ali were the important leaders.
- A transmission was opened at Choupati with following members: Daya Bhai Patel, Vitthal Das K. Javeri, Usha Mehta, Chandrakant Javeri and Vitthal Dhar Babubhai.