Round Table Conferences | History Optional for UPSC (Notes) PDF Download

Introduction

• The Round Table Conferences held between 1930 and 1932 were organized by the British Government to discuss potential constitutional reforms in India, following the recommendations of the Simon Commission report from May 1930.
• Prior to these conferences, in October 1929,Viceroy Lord Irwin announced a vague offer of ‘dominion status’ for India in the future and proposed a Round Table Conference to discuss a new constitution.
• The Congress leaders were dissatisfied with the limited scope of the proposed Round Table Conference, as they aimed for the establishment of a Constituent Assembly.
• A meeting between Gandhiji and the Viceroy did not yield any fruitful agreement. Subsequently, at a Congress meeting in Lahore presided over by Jawaharlal Nehru, it was resolved to boycott the Round Table Conference, aiming for complete independence.
• The Congress authorized the All India Congress Committee to initiate a Civil Disobedience Movement, which officially began in March 1930.

First Round Table Conference (November 1930 – January 1931)

• The First Round Table Conference was officially opened by Lord Irwin on November 12, 1930, in London and was chaired by British Prime Minister Ramsay MacDonald.
• This conference marked the first time that the British and Indians were arranged as equals in a discussion.
• The conference was boycotted by the Indian National Congress.
• During the conference, nominated representatives from British India and princely states discussed the need for a federal government in India free from British control.
• Since many Congress leaders were in prison at the time, the British Government nominated “safe” representatives from other parties, communities, and services to represent India. This included figures like Sir Mirza Ismail, Sir Akbar Hydari, and the Maharaja of Bikaner to represent the Indian States.
• There were fifty-seven political leaders from British India and sixteen delegates from the princely states, making a total of 89 delegates from India attending the conference.
• While the Congress and most business leaders boycotted the First Round Table Conference, the Muslim League, Hindu Mahasabha, Liberals, and princes were present. Many Congress leaders were in jail due to their involvement in the Civil Disobedience Movement.

• Among the leaders of the British-Indian delegation were:

  • Muslims: Aga Khan III, Maulana Mohammad Ali, Muhammad Shafi, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, etc.
  • Hindus: B. S. Moonje, M. R. Jayakar.
  • Justice Party: Arcot Ramasamy Mudaliar.
  • Liberals: Tej Bahadur Sapru.
  • Depressed Classes: B. R. Ambedkar, Rettamalai Srinivasan.
  • Women: Begum Jahanara Shahnawaz, Radhabai Subbarayan.
• The concept of an All-India Federation became a central topic of discussion, with all groups supporting this idea.
• The conference discussed the responsibility of the executive to the legislature, with Dr. B.R. Ambedkar advocating for a separate electorate for the Untouchables.

• After extensive discussions, the conference reached an agreement on three basic principles, which were accepted by the British Government:

  • The new government of India would take the form of an All-India Federation.
  • The Federal Government, with certain reservations, would be responsible to the Federal Legislature.
  • The provinces would enjoy autonomy.
• At the end of the conference, Ramsay Macdonald, the British Prime Minister, made a significant declaration that responsibility for the government of India should be placed upon the Central and Provincial legislatures, with necessary provisions and guarantees for minorities.
• Many delegates emphasized that a constitutional discussion without the Congress was meaningless. The British Prime Minister also expressed hope that the Congress would participate in the next Round Table Conference.
• The First Round Table Conference did not achieve fruitful results due to the absence of the Congress and the Conservative-dominated National government in London not taking the federal idea seriously.
• The lack of Congress representation in the First Round Table Conference led to the decision to hold a second conference, hoping for Congress participation.
• Efforts by Sir Tej Bahadur Sapru and Sir MLR. Jayakar resulted in the Gandhi-Irwin Pact being signed in March 1931.

Gandhi-Irwin Pact

• The British Government attempted to persuade the Congress to participate in the Second Round Table Conference in 1931.
• On January 25, 1931, Gandhi and the members of the CWC were released without any conditions. The CWC gave Gandhi the authority to start talks with the Viceroy.
• Eventually,Gandhi agreed to negotiate with Lord Irwin, the Viceroy.
• On February 19, 1931, Gandhi and Lord Irwin met, leading to the signing of a pact on February 14, 1931, in Delhi.
• The pact, known as the Gandhi-Irwin Pact or Delhi Pact, established the Congress as an equal partner with the British Indian Government.
• The Congress endorsed the pact in its Karachi Session on March 29, 1931, reaffirming the goal of ‘Poorna Swaraj’.
• The terms of the pact were below Gandhi’s minimum requirements for a truce.
• British officials were offended by the idea of negotiating with a party aiming to dismantle the British Raj.
• Winston Churchill publicly criticized the pact, expressing disdain for the sight of Gandhi negotiating with the Viceroy.

Below were the proposed conditions

• Discontinuation of the civil disobedience movement by the Indian National Congress.
• Participation by the Indian National Congress in the Round Table Conference.
• Withdrawal of all ordinances issued by the British Government imposing curbs on the activities of the Indian National Congress.
• Withdrawal of all prosecutions relating to several types of offenses except those involving violence.
• Release of prisoners arrested for participating in the civil disobedience movement.
• Removal of the tax on salt, which allowed the Indians to produce, trade, and sell salt legally and for their own private use.

Irwin-Gandhi Agreement (1931)

• Irwin, representing the Government, agreed to several demands:
• Immediate release of all political prisoners not convicted of violence.
• Remission of all fines not yet collected.
• Return of all lands not yet sold to third parties.
• Lenient treatment for government servants who had resigned.
• Right to make salt in coastal villages for personal consumption (not for sale).
• Right to peaceful and non-aggressive picketing.
• Withdrawal of emergency ordinances.

However, the Viceroy rejected two of Gandhi's demands:

• Public inquiry into police excesses.
• Commutation of Bhagat Singh and his comrades' death sentence to life imprisonment.

Gandhi, on behalf of the Congress, agreed to:

• Suspend the civil disobedience movement.
• Participate in the next Round Table Conference (RTC) to discuss constitutional questions related to federation, Indian responsibility, and necessary reservations and safeguards for India's interests.

Second RTC (September - December 1931) and Second Civil Disobedience Movement

• The Second Round Table Conference, which the Congress had agreed to attend as per the Delhi Pact, took place in London.
• Gandhi was convinced to join the conference held from September to December 1931 based on three broad principles: federation, responsible government, and reservation and safeguards.
• There were three significant distinctions between the first and second Round Table Conferences:
• By the second conference, the Congress had shifted its stance from opposition to participation.
• The second conference was marked by a stronger emphasis on constitutional provisions for the protection of minorities.
• There was a notable absence of the Communist Party at the second conference.

Congress Representation:

• The Gandhi-Irwin Pact opened the way for Congress participation in the conference.
• Mahatma Gandhi was invited from India and attended as the sole official Congress representative.
• He was accompanied by Sarojini Naidu, Madan Mohan Malaviya, Ghanshyam Das Birla, Muhammad Iqbal, Sir Mirza Ismail (Diwan of Mysore), S.K. Dutta, and Sir Syed Ali Imam.
• Gandhi claimed that the Congress alone represented political India.
• He argued that the Untouchables were Hindus and should not be treated as a “minority”.
• He stated that there should be no separate electorates or special safeguards for Muslims or other minorities.

National Government and Financial Crisis (1931)

• Two weeks before, the Labour government in London collapsed, and Ramsay MacDonald now led a National Government primarily controlled by the Conservative Party.
• During a critical conference, Britain abandoned the Gold Standard, adding to the National Government's distractions.

Challenges Faced by the National Government:

• The Right Wing in Britain, led by Winston Churchill, vehemently opposed the British Government negotiating with the Congress on equal terms.
• The majority of RTC delegates were conservative, loyalist, reactionary, and communal, often used by the colonial government to argue that the Congress did not represent all Indians against imperialism and to undermine Mahatma Gandhi and his efforts.

Deadlock at the Conference

• The conference became deadlocked over the minority representation issue. Separate electorates were demanded by Muslims, depressed classes, Christians, and Anglo-Indians, leading to a “Minorities’ Pact.”Gandhi strongly opposed this move, which aimed to make all constitutional progress contingent on resolving this issue.
• Negotiations in the Minorities Committee collapsed over the demand for separate electorates, now requested not only by Muslims but also by the depressed classes (untouchables), Anglo-Indians, Indian Christians, and Europeans.
• With the arrival of a Conservative government in Britain in September 1931, official British attitudes became even more rigid.

The session concluded with MacDonald's announcement of several key points:

• Formation of two Muslim-majority provinces: North-West Frontier Province (NWFP) and Sindh.
• Establishment of an Indian Consultative Committee.
• Creation of three expert committees focusing on finance, franchise, and states.
• Possibility of a unilateral British Communal Award if Indians could not reach an agreement.

Despite these announcements, the British Government did not meet the fundamental Indian demand for independence. As a result, Gandhi returned to India on December 28, 1931. The following day, the Congress Working Committee (CWC) decided to resume the civil disobedience movement.

During the Truce Period (March-December 1931):

• In the United Provinces, the Congress was advocating for rent reductions and opposing summary evictions.
• In the North-West Frontier Province (NWFP), there was severe repression against the Khudai Khidmatgars and peasants who were protesting against harsh tax collection methods.
• In Bengal, strict ordinances and mass detentions were implemented under the pretext of combating terrorism. A notable incident occurred in September 1931 when political prisoners were shot at in Hijli Jail.

Changed Government Attitude:

• British officials learned from the Delhi Pact, which had enhanced the Congress's political standing and the people's morale while diminishing British authority.
• The British aimed to reverse this by:
• 
  
  • Preventing Gandhi from reigniting a mass movement.
  • Prioritizing the confidence of British supporters over Congress goodwill.
  • Preventing the consolidation of the national movement in rural areas.
• After the Congress Working Committee (CWC) decided to resume the civil disobedience movement, the new Viceroy Willingdon refused to meet Gandhi on December 31. Gandhi was arrested on January 4, 1932.

Government Action:

• Repressive ordinances were enacted, leading to a state of Civil Martial Law.
• Congress organizations were banned, and arrests were made of activists, leaders, and sympathizers.
• Properties were confiscated, and Gandhi's ashrams were occupied.
• Repression was especially severe against women.
• The press was censored, and nationalist literature was banned.

Popular Response:

• People reacted with anger. Despite being unprepared, the response was massive. In the first four months alone, about 80,000 satyagrahis, mainly from urban and rural poor backgrounds, were jailed.
• Other forms of protest included:
  • Picketing of shops selling liquor and foreign cloth
  • Illegal gatherings
  • Non-violent demonstrations
  • Celebrations of national days
  • Symbolic hosting of the national flag
  • Non-payment of chowkidari tax
  • Salt Satyagraha
  • Forest law violations
  • Installation of a secret radio transmitter near Bombay
• This phase of the civil disobedience movement coincided with upsurges in two princely states—Kashmir and Alwar. However, this phase of the movement could not be sustained for long because:
  • Gandhi and other leaders had no time to build up the tempo
  • The masses were not prepared

Third Round Table Conference (November – December 1932)

• Third Round Table Conference (RTC): The final session took place on November 17, 1932, with only forty-six delegates in attendance. Many key political figures from India were absent, and both the British Labour Party and the Indian National Congress chose not to participate.
• Post-Conference Developments: Following the Third RTC, a White Paper was published in March 1933. This document outlined the framework for India's new constitution, which included the establishment of dyarchy at the Centre and responsible government in the provinces.
• Government of India Act, 1935: In February 1935, a Bill was introduced in the House of Commons by the Secretary of State for India, Sir Samuel Hoare. Once passed, this Bill became the Government of India Act, 1935, marking a significant step in India's constitutional development.