Indian Round Table Conference: Independence Movement

• In the early 1930s, the Labour Party in Britain was convinced India was entitled to independence, but the Conservatives were less supportive, favoring slow political concessions.
• On January 31, 1931, Lord Irwin announced the Round Table Conference (RTC) to determine India's constitutional future, following the Irwin Declaration.
• Indian nationalists expected the RTC to create a dominion constitution for India, especially with the new Labour government in power from June 1929
• The Liberals and Conservatives opposed dominion status, and the government stepped back, with Lord Irwin clarifying the RTC aimed to reassure long-term cooperation with the Simon Commission, not to offer Dominion Status
• Congress responded by declaring purna swaraj (complete independence) at its Lahore meeting and boycotting the conference.

First Round Table Conference (Nov 1930-Jan 1931)

• 89 representatives attended the conference

• 16 representatives from the three main British political parties attended

• 16 princes attended, bolstering the Labour Party's argument for granting dominion status in India

• 57 nominees of the Viceroy represented British India, including Muslims, Sikhs, Indian Christians, and depressed classes, but lacked a formal mandate

• Congress did not send representatives, demanding a promise of home rule, which the British were unwilling to commit to

• Key points of agreement were:

  • Central and provincial executive power should be accountable to legislatures
  • British India and Princely States should be federally linked as one nation
  • Indian participation in all levels of government

• The conference was rated 6/10 due to optimism and concessions, but lacked a set date for change and the key political group, Congress, was not involved

• The British were anxious about relinquishing power to Indians and considered granting only limited, overseen power

• At the time, many British people, especially Conservatives, considered even dominion status too significant a responsibility for India

Gandhi-Irwin Pact (March 5, 1931)

• Signed on March 5, 1931, as a formal legal document

• Gandhi agreed to halt the civil disobedience campaign and participate in the Round Table Conferences in exchange for British concessions such as:

  • Release of political prisoners not guilty of violent crime
  • Cancellation of fines
  • Unbanning of organizations
  • Permission for peaceful picketing in support of Indian goods

• The agreement was ratified by Congress despite criticism that the mass movement was abandoned when momentum began

• The pact symbolized Gandhi being treated as an equal of the Viceroy.

• Irwin believed political dialogue was the only way forward, as repression would exacerbate the mass movement

• Conservatives felt the government was rewarding a troublemaker.

• Winston Churchill expressed alarm, denouncing Gandhi and his civil disobedience campaign, and resigned from his front-bench position in 1931 to campaign against Congress, forming the India Defence League supported by 50 Tory MPs and Lancashire cotton industrialists

• PM Baldwin stated the greatest danger to the empire was extremists in India and at home

• Some supported Gandhi, and he drew cheering crowds upon arrival in Britain

• In London's East End, Gandhi was told that "what this country needs is a few Gandhis"

Second Round Table Conference (September-December 1931)

• Gandhi felt the communal question was deliberately emphasized by the British to avoid relinquishing power

• Gandhi believed he represented the depressed classes and minorities and thought their representation was unnecessary

• Sir Samuel Hoare was the new Secretary of State

• Gandhi was the sole representative of Congress, mandated to not accept talk of dominion status and committed to purna swaraj

• Other attendees included Jinnah and Iqbal, representing the Muslim League, and the overall composition was similar to the first RTC, with the addition of Gandhi

• Key points of contention:

  • Muslims, Sikhs, and untouchables sought separate electorates.
  • Gandhi questioned this and the right of his fellow Indians to be at the table, angering Muslim representatives and Dr. Ambedkar, the representative of the depressed classes
  • Gandhi felt untouchables, whom he referred to as harijans, did not need separate electorates as they came under Hindus
  • Hindus and Muslims could not agree

• No workable constitution could be agreed upon

• In Britain, the Communal Award was unilaterally announced

• In India:

  • Gandhi was arrested on January 4, 1932
  • Congress was outlawed
  • Members of the CWC and provincial committees were imprisoned
  • Youth organizations were banned
  • 80,000 Indians were imprisoned
  • Nationalist leaders were disorganized due to the absence of Congress and Gandhi
  • A boycott of British goods, non-payment of taxes, and increased youth group popularity and terrorist activity occurred
  • More women became involved
  • The United Provinces and North-West Frontier Province became highly militarized
  • Britain largely maintained control, with police retaining control of streets and rural areas

The Communal Award (August 1932) and the Yeravda (Poona) Pact (September 1932)

• The Communal Award designated Sikhs, Indian Christians, Anglo-Indians, Muslims, and untouchables as separate classes entitled to separate electorates, to be incorporated into any new Indian constitution

• Gandhi reacted with a fast-unto-death because he believed Congress was the best protector of the Dalits (whom he called harijans) and opposed separate electorates, viewing it as a British attempt to weaken Congress

• The British did not want Gandhi to die and inflate the Indian movement

• Congress did not want to lose their key leader

• Tremendous emotional weight was placed on Indians

• In the Yeravda (Poona) Pact, Congress leaders and Ambedkar agreed to give depressed classes more reserved seats in future elections but relinquished separate electorates, which the British government accepted

• The British made amendments to the Communal Award, and an untouchability abolition week was celebrated

• The Round Table Conferences revealed that the long-term aims and constitutional agreements of the British and Indians did not align

• The British plan to implement a new Government of India Act took initiative and power away from Indians by creating a constitution for them, increasing anti-British sentiment

• This somewhat helped concession be passed sooner but only benefited the British and undermined the round table conferences

Third Round Table Conference (November-December 1932)

• Only 46 delegates attended
• PM Ramsay MacDonald lost support from his own Labour Party
• The Labour Party did not send any representatives, dooming the final session to failure because they had been a major driver for Indian political progress
• Gandhi and many others did not attend
• The conference discussed franchise, finance, and the role of princely states, but could not come to a definitive conclusion

The Failure of the Round Table Conferences

• Reasons for failure:
  • In August 1931, the Labour government in Britain resigned and was replaced by a Tory-dominated coalition
  • Facing unemployment and economic collapse, Indian independence was not a priority
  • New Secretary of State Sir Samuel Hoare had more reservations about self-government for India than his predecessor, shared by many in the Conservative Party
  • Winston Churchill campaigned against Congress, believing Indians were unfit for self-government and should remain subordinate to white government
• Congress was not represented in the first conference
• In the second conference, Gandhi represented all and tried to establish Congress as an umbrella organization representing all in India, alienating groups seeking separate representation, especially Muslims
• Divisions emerged over separate electorates.
• Jinnah sought greater concessions for Muslims, supported by representatives of other minority groups and the British government
• The British government supported separate electorates, drawing them into contention against Gandhi
• Britain was the key decision-maker
• Instability made the conferences pointless
• Problems caused by Congress centered around the depressed classes' desire for separate electorates, making it a key issue
• Turbulence in Britain meant that even if the conferences had been a success, concessions would be milder under a Conservative government
• Communal difficulties in India were so deep that bringing groups with opposing views together hindered their ability to reach an agreement, perpetuated the belief that Indians were not ready for home rule, and ensured that the conferences would fail to bring about a constitution

The Round Table Conference (RTC) was held to determine India's constitutional future. The Labour Party supported Indian independence, but Conservatives preferred slow concessions. Congress boycotted the conference after expectations of dominion status were unmet.