Lucknow Pact, 1916 | History Optional for UPSC (Notes) PDF Download

Introduction

• In December 1916, the Congress and the Muslim League held their sessions in Lucknow, where they signed the Lucknow Pact. This pact represented a united front with common political demands, including the call for self-government in India after World War I.
• Lokmanya Tilak and M.A. Jinnah played crucial roles in this collaboration. Jinnah, then a member of both the Congress and the League, was instrumental in bringing the two parties together to urge the British government for a more liberal approach towards India, allowing greater Indian authority and safeguarding essential Muslim interests.
• Following the unpopular partition of Bengal, Jinnah sought to enhance the League's appeal among Muslims.
• Thanks to Jinnah's efforts in reconciling the Congress and the League, Sarojini Naidu, known as the Nightingale of India, honored him with the title "Ambassador of Hindu-Muslim Unity."
• The Lucknow Pact also fostered harmonious relations between the Extremist and Moderate factions of the Indian National Congress, with Bal Gangadhar Tilak, recently released from jail, representing the Extremists.

Reasons for the Pact

• When the All-India Muslim League was formed, it aimed to build friendly relations with the British Crown.
• The British government's decision to annul the partition of Bengal prompted a shift in the Muslim leadership's stance.
• In 1913, a new group of Muslim leaders with a different perspective joined the Muslim League.
• The British indifference towards the Caliph of Turkey alienated Muslims, as the Caliph was seen as the global religious leader for Muslims.
• Post-World War I, Lord Chelmsford invited Indian suggestions for reforms, prompting the Muslim League to seek a greater role in the anticipated reforms.

Muslim League and Congress

• In December 1915, the extremists led by Tilak and the moderates under Gokhle met in Bombay, joined by the Muslim League to draft constitutional demands, creating an illusion of Hindu-Muslim unity.
• For the first time, leaders from both parties gathered together, delivering similar speeches.
• In October 1916, 19 elected members from both communities addressed a memorandum to the Viceroy regarding reforms.
• The suggestions were discussed and accepted in a meeting of Congress and Muslim League leaders in Calcutta in November 1916.
• The agreement was ratified by both parties during their annual sessions in Lucknow in December 1916.
• This marked the first instance of the Muslim League and Indian National Congress collaborating to present demands to the British, known as the Lucknow Pact.

Main Features

• India should have self-government.
• The India Council needs to be abolished.
• The British government, not Indian funds, should pay the salaries of the Secretary of State for Indian Affairs.
• The executive and judiciary should be separate.
• Muslims should have one-third representation in the Central Government.
• Separate electorates should be maintained for all communities until they request a joint electorate.
• A system giving minorities more political representation than their population size should be implemented.
• The Central Legislative Council's membership should increase to 150.
• The term for the Legislative Council should be five years.
• Members of the Legislative Council should elect their own president.
• Half of the members of the Imperial Legislative Council must be Indians.
• At the provincial level, four-fifths of the Legislative Council members should be elected, one-fifth should be nominated.
• The number of Muslims in provincial legislatures should be determined on a province-by-province basis.
• All members, except those nominated, should be elected directly based on adult franchise.

Assessment of Lucknow Pact

• The Muslim League and Congress agreed to a separate electorate, acknowledging communal politics.
• This recognition implied that India comprised different communities with distinct interests, contributing to the partition of India in 1947.
• In the imperial legislative council, Muslim representation was set at one-third, despite their population not being one-third.
• The emphasis on the Muslim minority's weightage paved the way for the future resurgence of communalism in Indian politics.
• The strength of Muslim members in the legislature was determined on a province-by-province basis.
• This policy acknowledged communal representation and communal privileges, reflecting one of Congress's most perilous pacifist strategies.
• Any legislature could be blocked if three-fourths of members from any single religion opposed it, introducing the concept of communal veto.
• Prior to the Lucknow Pact, the Muslim League was not a significant player in national politics.
• By entering into this pact, Congress effectively “recognized” the Muslim League as a political party representing Muslims in India, which was considered a mistake.
• The Indian National Congress (INC) leaders sacrificed their seats in the legislature but failed to grasp the broader implications of this decision, foreshadowing the eventual partition.
• In 1917, the Muslim League backed the Home Rule movement initiated by Annie Besant.
• However, the subsequent communal riots in Bihar, the United Provinces, and Bengal highlighted the persistent disconnect between the masses and their leaders.