Indian Independence Act 1947 Lecture Notes PDF

SIMON COMMISSION, NEHRU REPORT, JINNAHS 14 POINTS, RTC’s, Government of India Act 1935, elections & Congress rule, Pakistan Resolution, Cripps Mission, Cabinet Mission & Independence Act 1947 LECTURE 6, 7 & 8  SIMON COMMISSION The British government appointed a...

SIMON COMMISSION, NEHRU REPORT, JINNAHS 14 POINTS, RTC’s, Government of India Act 1935, elections & Congress rule, Pakistan Resolution, Cripps Mission, Cabinet Mission & Independence Act 1947 LECTURE 6, 7 & 8  SIMON COMMISSION The British government appointed a Commission under Sir John Simon to report the constitutional progress for India in Feb 1928. Since the Commission had no Indian member, the Congress and the section of Muslim League under Quaid-i-Azam decided to boycott the Commission. The people received the Commission with the slogan “Simon go back, Simon go back”  SIMON COMMISSION In spite of the non-cooperation by the people the Commission did its work and prepared a report for constitutional reforms in India. A scheme of constitutional reforms on the basis of the Simon Commission recommendations was prepared by the government. The Congress and the Muslim League both refused to accept the recommendations of the Simon Commission.  NEHRU REPORT To draft constitutional reforms in India an All Parties Conference was held at Delhi in February 1928. The conference failed to reach any conclusion about the issues of minority rights. In the third session committee under the chairmanship of Nehru determined the basic features of the future constitution of India and came with a report known as the Nehru Report.  NEHRU REPORT The Nehru report consisted of the following points: o Dominion Status o Separate electorate should be replaced by joint electorate. o Full voting rights should be given. o Linguistic provinces  NEHRU REPORT An All Parties Conference held in December 1928 in Calcutta, Quaid-i-Azam issued the following points as amendments to the report: There should be no less than one-third Muslim representation in the Central Legislature. Punjab and Bengal should have seats reserved for the Muslims on population basis. Sindh should be a separate province. Jinnah’s proposals were rejected when put to vote in All Parties Conference  FOURTEEN POINTS OF QUAID-I- AZAM Jinnah presented his proposal in the form of Fourteen Points in Delhi in 1929: 1) Federation System 2) Provincial Autonomy 3) Separate Electorate 4) Minority representation in province 5) 1/3rd seats in Legislature 6) 1/3rd seats in Cabinet 7) Territorial changes in Bengal and Punjab shouldn’t affect Muslim majority FOURTEEN POINTS OF QUAID-I- AZAM 8) Religious Freedom 9) 3/4th consent for Law enforcement 10) Sindh separation from Bombay. 11) NWFP and Baluchistan should be made separate provinces 12) Muslim Representation in government 13) Muslim rights and culture should be safeguarded 14) Provincial Consent for Constitutional Amendment  FOURTEEN POINTS OF QUAID-I- AZAM The reasonable demands of the 14 points were rejected by the Hindus. With this the divide among Muslims British and Hindus grew deep. At a meeting of All India Muslim League at Allahabad in 1930 its president Allama Iqbal raised the possibility that peace would be impossible between Hindus and Muslims unless they were given a separate state. FIRST ROUND TABLE CONFERENCE Nov 1930-Jan 1931 The first session of the RTC began in London on 12 th November 1930. All parties were represented except the Congress (Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Christians). The most important decision taken at the conference was the approval of a federal system for India. They also agreed on giving Sindh a separate identity and for establishing a responsible government in the province. The deliberations of the minorities could not reach a conclusion.  GHANDI – IRWIN PACT Lord Irwin, the Viceroy invited Ghandi to discuss the future of the subcontinent. Under this the Congress would discontinue the Civil Disobedience and participate in the second RTC. The British government on their part would withdraw all acts relating to offences not involving violence and would release all persons jailed due to the Civil Disobedience.  SECOND ROUND TABLE CONFERENCE Sep 1931-Dec 1931 Ghandi was the sole representative of the Congress. When the minorities issue came up, Ghandi refused to accept any rights of the minorities. Ghandi put forward his own scheme that minorities issues should be resolved based on Nehru Report. The Second RTC thus ended without reaching any conclusion. On his way back to India, Ghandi resumed the Civil Disobedience Movement.  THIRD ROUND TABLE CONFERENCE The third RTC began on November 24th, 1932. The Congress was absent as Ghandi had started the Civil Disobedience movement and Quaid-i-Azam did not take part in the conference. Like the two first conferences, little was achieved. A white paper came out of the conference and was published in March 1933 that became the basis for the constitutional reforms. Parliament voted it into law two years later as the Government of India Act 1935.  GOVERNMENT OF INDIA ACT, 1935 The Government of India Act 1935 consisted of two parts: One part was provincial and the other part was federal. The following were the salient features of the Act: The provinces were given more power and authority. The country was divided into 11 provinces. Every province was given a minister whose advise was binding on the Governor. Special powers were given to Governors. Abolished Dyarchy system Established Federal Reserve Bank of India and Federal Court of India  GOVERNMENT OF INDIA ACT, 1935 Both the Muslim League and the Indian National Congress expressed their dissatisfaction over the Act. There was no guarantee of individual liberties - People were not given their rights. All authority was vested in the Parliament which was under British influence. Authority was given to Governors which was against the rule of democracy. The central part of the Act could not be enforced and was suspended for some time. However the provincial part was enforced on 1st April 1937 under which the elections of the country were to be held.  Elections of 1937 Both the Congress and the Muslim League were critical of the Government of India Act, 1935. But decided to participate in the elections, which were held under this act during the first weeks of 1937.  Elections of 1937 Congress was victorious and took power in Bihar, Bombay, Madras,. United Provinces, and the Central Provinces. The Muslim League didn’t do well in the elections o divided into factions. o local Muslim leaders were extremely reluctant to follow on All India Muslim League. As a result, All India Muslim League lost in the elections and Congress was able to form ministries in eight out of eleven provinces. Congress Rule Congress rule from 1937-39 is often termed as a "Hindu Rule" due to a number of steps which Congress took during power. Issues After the Congress Rule One of the first controversies to arise was the singing of Congress Anthem, Vand-e-Mataram with which opened each day’s proceedings in Legislative Assemblies in the Congress run provinces. And then they made singing of Vand-e-Mataram a permanent feature of school curriculum. Issues After the Congress Rule Another issue was of Warda Education scheme or Vidya Mandar scheme started. The purpose of the scheme was to obliterate the cultural traditions of the Muslims and to inculcate into the minds of Muslim children the superiority of the Hindu culture. Then they introduce three colored flag. Issues After the Congress Rule The allegation that Congress was representing Hindus only was voiced also by eminent British personalities, e.g. The Marquees of Lothian in April 1938 termed the Congress rule as a "rising tide of Hindu rule". Sir William Barton writing in "National Review" in June 1939 also termed the Congress rule as "the rising tide of political Hinduism". End of Congress Rule At the outbreak of the Second World War, the Viceroy proclaimed India’s entry into it without prior consultations with the main political parties. When Congress demanded an immediate transfer of power in return for cooperation of the war efforts, the British government refused, as a result Congress resigned from power. Pakistan Resolution In 1940,the annual session of Muslim League was held at Lahore in Minto Park (Iqbal Park) under the chairmanship of Quaid-e- Azam. The resolution of pakistan was passed on 23rd March,1940. o The Resolution was moved by Bengal Chief Minister Maulvi Fazlul Haq and seconded by Chaudhry Khaliq-uz-Zaman. Purpose o Two nation theory o The idea of separate homeland o Muslim quest for political, economic and cultural safeguard.  Crips Mission Japan attacked Pearl Harbor (the American Naval Base) on 7th December 1941 and destroyed it. It had taken over Philippines, Malaysia and come to the borders of Assam. Japan could have easily attack India. To check the situation Sir Stafford Cripps a member of the war cabinet was sent in March 1942 to India to get India’s cooperation to fight the war. Proposal of Crips Mission 1. Dominion status after war like Canada and Australia. 2. Promise of the formation of a Constituent Assembly to finalize the Constitution. 3. Princely States to be free to join India or remain independent. 4. Provinces could decide to be separate from India and frame their own Constitution. 5. Till further notice the Defense would be handled by the British government. Rejection OF Crip’s Proposal It proposed division of the Nation. No time limit for Dominion status was given. Representative of Princely states were nominated by the rulers of the state. Cabinet mission Cabinet Mission arrived in India in March 1946 in India to facilitate the process of transfer of power. It consisted of three cabinet members: o Pethic Lawrence o Sir Stafford Cripps o A.V. Alexander. Clauses of the Cabinet Mission Plan 1. Federal Union 2. Provincial Autonomy 3. Grouping of Provinces 4. Formation of Constituent Assembly 5. Representation of Minorities 6. Formation of an Interim Government 7. Freedom to join the Commonwealth 8. Transfer of Power Act of 3 June 1947 Lord Mountbatten was appointed as new Viceroy in 1947. He presented his plan- The Mountbatten Plan before the Congress and Muslim League leaders. Both accepted the plan and it was announced on June 3, 1947. The Indian Independence Act 1947 After the acceptance of the Mountbatten Plan by all the Indian leaders then British PM introduced the Indian Independence Bill in the British Parliament and it was passed by both the British Houses on July 5, 1947 and got the royal assent on 18th July, 1947. Pakistan Emerged as an independent state on the eve of 14th August 1947.