Rowlatt Satyagraha ,Jallianwala Bagh Tragedy, Nehru Report : The Freedom Struggle | History for UPSC CSE PDF Download

ROWLATT SATYAGRAHA AND JALLIANWALA BAGH TRAGEDY

• Rowlatt Act was passed in March 1919. It was passed for three years. The Act provided that:
• Executive officers will have pow­ers to make arbitrary arrests.
• It provided for trial of revolu­tionary offences by a special court.
• The court was to meet in cam­era.
• The court was to disregard the Indian Evidence Act.
• No appeal against the decision of the court was permissible.
• Provincial governments authorised to demand security from sus­pected persons, search their premises and arrest them without warrants.
• Jallianwala Bagh Tragedy Developments were
• Lt. Governor O’Dwyer ruled through an
• oppressive administration in Punjab during World War I.
• Protests all over Punjab over the Black (Rowlatt) Acts on 6 April, 1919.
• Deportation of Amritsar lead­ers—Dr. Satyapal and Dr. Kitchlew on 9 April.
• Firing on the public outside Hall Gate, Amritsar on 10 April.
• Brigadier Dyer appointed Mili­tary Administrator of Amritsar on 11 April, 1919.
• Dyer prohibited public meetings and processions on 12 April.
• Dyer’s men fired at peaceful as­sembly at Jallianwala Bagh, killing 379 persons and wounding 1200 persons on 13 April, the day of Baisakhi.
• Martial law imposed in the Punjab on 15 April, 1919.

NEHRU REPORT AND JINNAH’S FOURTEEN POINTS

• After 1922, the demands of Swaraj was raised from various quar­ters. The Conservative Secretary of State for India, Birkenhead challenged the Indian leaders to produce a consti­tution.
• At the Madras Congress (1927), a committee was constituted, with Motilal Nehru as the President, to frame a Con­stitution of India.
• Lajpat Rai and T. B. Sapru were also its members. The Nehru Report was approved by the All-Parties Con­ference in Aug. 1928, at Lucknow.
• Main points of the Report:
• India was to remain within the Empire, but was to have a status like the Dominions.
• A responsible government was to be established.
• The fundamental rights of speech and association of citizens were to be guaranteed.
• The House of the People was to consist of 500 members chosen on the basis of adult franchise.
• The Upper House (or Senate) was to consist of 200 members cho­sen by the Provincial Assemblies or Councils.
• The principle of separate elec­torate was not accepted except to a limited extent.
• The acceptance of adult fran­chise, joint electorates with reserva­tion of seats in some areas only for a ten-year period, the responsibility to the legislature of the executive and pro­vincial autonomy were some other fea­tures.
• The Muslim League opposed the Nehru Report. Their demands were elaborated by Jinnah in the form of an amendment at the representative con­vention of Calcutta (22 December 1928), which reviewed the Nehru Re­port adopted by the All Parties Confer­ence.
• The Muslims should have one­third representation in the Central Leg­islature.
• The Punjab and Bengal legisla­tures should have Muslim representa­tion on the basis of population for ten years in the event of adult suffrage not being granted.
• Residuary powers should be vested in the Provinces and not in the Centre.

CABINET MISSION PLAN

• Factors which led to Cabinet Mission Plan can be summed up as:
• The Labour Government under Attlee assumed office in England re­placing Conservative Government of Churchill in July, 1945.
• Wavell announced Labour Government’s decision to introduce early responsible government in India on 19 Sept. 1945.
• International pressures on En­gland for early grant of independence to India.
• The Naval Mutiny of Feb. 1946 gave an indication of the difficulties that confronted British administrators in India.
• The depletion of Britain’s civil and military resources in India after World War II lent urgency to transfer of power to Indian hands.
• National spirit had permeated all wings of armed forces and even the police and their loyalty to Govemment of India was always doubtful.
• Indian elections of 1945-46 re­vealed that Muslim League dominated Muslim opinion as Congress dominated Hindu opinion.
• A British Parliamentary Delega­tion, after visiting India during the win­ter of 1945-46, recommended to Labour Government that Indian free­dom could not be delayed.
• Attlee explained (on 15 March 1946) the British policy towards India:
• British Govemment aware of the rights and apprehension of Indian mi­norities.
• Minorities not to be allowed to place veto on the advance of Majority.
• Cabinet Mission to visit India to help India to attain freedom speedily.
• Cabinet Mission comprising Pethick-Lawrence, Cripps and Alexander reached India on 24 March 1946.

Recommendation of Cabinet Mission

• Problem of communal minori­ties could not be solved because of large per cent of non-Muslims in the pro­posed north-west & north-eastern wings of Pakistan.
• Population of Muslim minorities in the rest of India would be 2 crores.
• Unitary nature of British Indian administrative, economic and military set-up was an argument against parti­tion.

B. Union of India recornmended

• British India and Indian States to have a common union to deal with Defence, Foreign Affairs and Commu­nications.
• Indian Union to have an Execu­tive and a Legislature. Provision made for solution of communal issues.
• Indian States to retain all sub­jects and powers not ceded to the Cen­tre.
• Residuary powers vested in prov­inces.
• Provinces free to form groups with separate sub-constitutions.

C. Provision for formation of Con­stituent Assembly

• Provincial Legislative Assemblies to elect representatives for Constituent Assembly.
• Constituent Assembly to con­clude treaty with Britain.
• British Paramountcy over States to lapse.

D. Proposal for Interim Government

• Interim national government of India to be formed.

Merits of Cabinet Mission Scheme

• Constituent Assembly to be formed on democratic basis of popula­tion.
• Communal issues to be decided by simple majority.
• Demand for partition of India rejected.
• British Government and non­official Europeans denied representa­tion in Constituent Assembly.
• Constituent Assembly given wide powers to frame a constitution for free India.

Demerits

• Interest of Muslim minority looked after, but of Sikhs ignored.
• Formation of separate groups could trigger off separatist tendencies.
• Provision for separate sub-con­stitutions for provinces and groups en­couraged those who wanted Pakistan.
• Muslim League rejected the Cabi­net Mission Plan as also Constituent Assembly Plan on 29 July, 1946.

Why the Congress accepted Pakistan?

• On June 3, 1947, Mr Jawaharlal Nehru, wh- ile recommending the pro­posal for partition to the people said, “For generations we have dreamt and struggled for a free, independent and united In- dia. The proposal to allow cer­tain parts to secede is painful for any of us to contemplate. Neverthel- ess, I am convinced that our present deci­sion is the right one.”
• This shows that the Congress accepted Pakistan as a necessary evil.

The Indian Independence Act, 1947

• The Act gave legal shape to 3rd June 1947 Plan. It did not provide for any new constitution for India or Paki­stan, but gave full powers to Constitu­ent Assembly of each dominion to frame its own constitution.

Provisions

• British Indian territories to be divided into two independent domin­ions of India and Pakistan w.e.f. 15 August 1947.
• Pakistan to include Sind, British Baluchistan, N.W.F.P., West Punjab and East Bengal (boundaries of last two provinces to be settled by Boundary Commission).
• Free India to include the rest of the provinces of the former British In­dia.
• British Paramountcy over Indian States withdrawn.
• Indian States free to join India or Pakistan.
• Each dominion to have a Gov­ernor-General.
• Legislature of each dominion to be free to enact any laws for its own country.
• Constituent Assembly of each dominion to function as its legislature.
• Unless otherwise altered or omit­ted, Government of India Act, 1935 to be operative in each dominion.
• Governor-General of each do­minion to be responsible for effective operation of Indian Independence Act.
• Provision made for safeguarding interests of former l.C.S. officers.
• Armed forces of British India to be divided between India and Pakistan.
• Provision made for exercise of functions of Secretary of State and Au­ditor of Indian Home Accounts.

Significance of Indian Independence Act

• It marked the end of British sovereignty over India.
• Crown of England ceased to be source of authority in India.
• Henceforth Governor-General and Governors to act as constitutional heads.
• It marked the end of colonial era in Indian sub-continent.