23) Poona Pact & GOI 1935

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🗓️ YEAR 1932: Controversy & The Great Compromise ⚖️

• August 16, 1932: The Communal Award 📜
  • Announcement by PM Ramsay MacDonald.
  • Granting of Separate Electorates to Depressed Classes, Muslims, Sikhs, and others.
  • The "Double Vote" system for Dalits. ✌️
• September 20, 1932: Gandhi’s Protest ⛓️
  • Mahatma Gandhi begins an "Indefinite Fast" in Yerwada Jail.
  • Opposition to the "vivisection" of Hindu society.
• September 24, 1932: The Poona Pact 🤝
  • The historic agreement between Ambedkar and Gandhi.
  • Abandonment of Separate Electorates for Reserved Seats in Joint Electorates.
• September 1932: All India Anti-Untouchability League 🧹
  • Founded by Gandhi to start social reform from within.
• November – December 1932: 3rd Round Table Conference 🏛️
  • Boycotted by Congress and the Labour Party.
  • Final discussions on the upcoming constitutional framework.

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🗓️ YEAR 1933: The Roadmap to Reform 🛤️

• January 1933: Launch of the "Harijan" Weekly 📰
  • Gandhi begins his campaign for the upliftment of the Depressed Classes.
• March 1933: The White Paper 📄
  • The British Government publishes its proposals for constitutional reforms in India.
• April 1933: Joint Select Committee Formed 👥
  • Chaired by Lord Linlithgow to review the White Paper proposals.
• November 1933: The Harijan Tour Begins 🚶‍♂️
  • Gandhi starts a nationwide tour (lasting until July 1934) to eradicate untouchability.

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🗓️ YEAR 1934: Review and Refinement 🔍

• May & August 1934: Gandhi’s Penance Fasts 🙏
  • Short fasts undertaken to convince followers of the seriousness of the Harijan campaign.
• November 1934: The Joint Select Committee Report 📑
  • The committee submits its findings, which become the basis for the 1935 Bill.
  • Opposition from conservative "diehards" like Winston Churchill. 🗣️

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🗓️ YEAR 1935: The Birth of the New Constitution 🇮🇳

• February 1935: Introduction of the Bill 🗳️
  • The Government of India Bill is introduced in the House of Commons.
• August 2, 1935: The Government of India Act 1935 ✅
  • The Bill receives Royal Assent and becomes law.
• Key Provisions of the Act: 🏗️
  • All India Federation: Proposed union of British provinces and Princely States.
  • Provincial Autonomy: Removal of Dyarchy in provinces; replaced by responsible government. 🔓
  • Dyarchy at the Centre: Introduced for "Reserved" and "Transferred" subjects.
  • Bicameralism: Creation of the Council of States and Federal Assembly.
• The Reaction: 📉
  • J. Nehru: Calls it a "Charter of Slavery." ⛓️
  • M.A. Jinnah: Rejects it as "thoroughly rotten." 🍎

🏛️ 1. The Communal Award (August 16, 1932) 📜

The story begins with the Communal Award, announced by British Prime Minister Ramsay MacDonald.

• What was it? It was a proposal based on the findings of the Lothian Committee (Indian Franchise Committee).
• The Provision: It granted separate electorates not just for Muslims, Sikhs, and Christians, but also for depressed classes (Dalits) and even Marathas in Bombay.
• The Goal: It treated the depressed classes as a "minority" separate from the Hindu community.

⚔️ 2. The Conflict at the Round Table Conference 🗣️

• Ambedkar’s Demand: During the Second Round Table Conference, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar fought hard for separate electorates to ensure the depressed classes had a guaranteed political voice.
• Gandhi’s Rejection: Mahatma Gandhi strongly opposed this. He believed that separate electorates would permanently divide the Hindu community and "vivisect" India.
• The British Mediation: Since the Indian delegates couldn't reach a consensus, Ramsay MacDonald stepped in as a mediator, resulting in the Communal Award. 🇬🇧

⛓️ 3. The Main Provisions of the Award 🗳️

• Groups included: Muslims, Europeans, Sikhs, Indian Christians, Anglo-Indians, depressed classes, and women.
• Double Vote: The depressed classes were to get a "double vote"—one to be used in a separate electorate and another in the general electorate. ✌️
• Duration: This arrangement was intended to last for 20 years.
• Depressed classes to be declared the status of minority
• in the province of bombay, 7 seats were to be allocated for teh mahraths.

🤝 4. The Poona Pact (September 24, 1932) ✨

Gandhi, who was in Yerwada Jail at the time, went on an indefinite fast to protest the separate electorates for Dalits. This created immense pressure on Ambedkar to reach a compromise.

• The Agreement: Signed by Ambedkar and Gandhi (represented by Madan Mohan Malaviya and others).
• The Outcome: The idea of separate electorates for depressed classes was abandoned. Instead, they were given reserved seats within a joint electorate. 🤝
• reservation in govt jobs.
• Significance: It was a formal recognition by upper-class Hindus that the depressed classes were the most discriminated section of society and needed a political voice.

📉 5. Impact and Criticism of the Pact ⚖️

While the Pact saved Gandhi's life and maintained Hindu unity, it had mixed results:

• Political Tools: Some argue the Pact turned Dalit leaders into "political tools" of the majoritarian caste Hindu organizations. 🛠️
• Constitutional Rights: Critics suggest that by refusing to recognize Dalits as a "separate element," the Pact pre-empted stronger safeguards in the future Constitution.

🧹 6. Gandhi’s "Harijan" Campaign 🚶‍♂️

Post-Pact, Gandhi dedicated himself to the welfare of Dalits, whom he called "Harijans" (Children of God).

• Internal Reform: He urged Harijans to focus on education, hygiene, and giving up liquor/beef.
• Organizations: He founded the All India Anti-Untouchability League and the Harijan Sevak Sangh.
• Harijan Tour (1933-34): Gandhi traveled across India to stress that "Hinduism dies if untouchability lives." He urged upper castes to do "penance" for centuries of oppression. 🙏

🧠 7. Ambedkar vs. Gandhi: Different Philosophies 💭

• Ambedkar’s View: Caste was a political and structural issue. He believed Dalits needed equal voting rights and independent representation to achieve the "full potential of democracy." 🗳️
• Gandhi’s View: Caste was a social and moral issue. He believed in a "change of heart" for the oppressors and worked with upper castes to change their mindset through reform. ❤️🩹

🔚 8. Concluding Remarks & Bitterness 🥀

Despite the Pact, Ambedkar grew increasingly disillusioned with Gandhi and the Congress.

• 1945 Allegation: Ambedkar claimed Congress nullified the pact by choosing "less qualified" candidates who were dependent on the party.
• The Famous Quote: In a 1955 BBC interview, Ambedkar called Gandhi’s stand a "huge whim." He famously stated: "As a politician, he was never a Mahatma. I refuse to call him Mahatma." 🤐

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Summary: While the Poona Pact prevented a formal political split in Hinduism, it left a lasting legacy of debate over how best to achieve social justice and political representation for the marginalized in India. 🇮🇳✨

The Government of India Act 1935

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🏛️ 1. The Prelude: 3rd Round Table Conference (1932)

Before the Act was born, the third and final Round Table Conference took place.

• The No-Shows: The Indian National Congress and the British Labour Party boycotted it. 🚫
• The Participants: Indian States were represented by various Dewans (Hyderabad, Mysore, Baroda, etc.), while British-Indian representatives included B.R. Ambedkar, Muhammad Iqbal, and the Aga Khan III. 🤝
• The Outcome: The conference was largely a setback due to the absence of major leaders, but it provided the basis for the reforms that led to the 1935 Act.

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📜 2. Background & Passage of the Act

• Simon Commission Failure: The earlier Simon Commission wasn't accepted by Congress. 📉
• White Paper (1933): The British Government issued a "White Paper" containing proposed reforms.
• Joint Select Committee: Chaired by Lord Linlithgow, this committee reviewed the proposals for 1.5 years. Winston Churchill and other conservatives actually opposed many parts of it! 🗣️
• Royal Assent: The Bill was finally passed and became law on August 2, 1935. ✅

🌍 The Dual Power Structure (London vs. India)

🏛️ London Side (The British Authority)

• The Power Center: Policy-making and ultimate control.
• The Monarch & Parliament: The source of legal authority.
• Secretary of State (SOS):
  • Established via GOI Act 1858.
  • Controlled Indian affairs from London.
  • Note: The Council of India (his advisory body) was abolished by the 1935 Act and replaced by a team of advisors. ❌
• High Commissioner for India: Created in 1919, took over some administrative duties.

🇮🇳 Indian Side (The Administration)

• Capital: Delhi (Shifted from Calcutta in 1911/12 🏰).
• Viceroy (Governor General): The Executive head in India.
• Bicameralism: (Established 1919, refined 1935)
  • Upper House: Council of State.
  • Lower House: Legislative Assembly.

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provisions of the Act

🏗️ 1. The All-India Federation

The Act proposed a federation consisting of British Provinces and Princely States.

⚖️ Structure of the Federal Legislature

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🔑 2. Executive: Dyarchy at the Centre

The 1935 Act moved Dyarchy from the Provinces to the Centre. 🔄

• 🔴 Reserved List (Full British Control):
  • Controlled by: Viceroy + Executive Council.
  • Subjects: Defence, External Affairs, Police, Home Affairs, Bureaucracy.
• 🟢 Transferred List (Partial Indian Control):
  • Controlled by: Viceroy + Council of Ministers (responsible to the Legislature).
  • Subjects: Trade, Health, Forest, Education.

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🏘️ 3. Provincial Autonomy (The Big Change)

The Act marked a major shift in how provinces were governed.

• Dyarchy Abolished: No more "Reserved/Transferred" split at the provincial level. 🛠️
• Internal Autonomy: Provinces became autonomous units of administration.
• Responsible Government: The Governor was required to act on the advice of Ministers responsible to the Provincial Legislature. 🤝
• Overriding Powers: Beware! The Governor still held "special responsibilities" and could override ministers if necessary. 🧐

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🗳️ 4. Political Representation & Electorates

The British continued the policy of "Divide and Rule" through separate electorates. 📉

• Continued for: Muslims, Sikhs, Christians, and Anglo-Indians.
• Expanded to: Depressed Classes (Scheduled Castes), Women, and Labour.
• Poona Pact (1932) Context: Influenced how seats were reserved for depressed classes within the joint electorate rather than purely separate ones. 📑

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🏦 5. Major Institutional Foundations

The 1935 Act laid the groundwork for modern Indian institutions:

1. Reserve Bank of India (RBI): Established to control currency and credit of the country. 💸
2. Federal Court: Established in 1937 (The predecessor to today’s Supreme Court). 👨‍⚖️
3. Public Service Commissions: Federal, Provincial, and Joint PSCs for recruitment. 📝

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📌 Summary: Final Understanding

🌟 6. Significance of the Act

• Unification: It was the first serious attempt to create a "Federation of India." 🇮🇳
• Democratization: It significantly increased the number of people who could vote.
• Reorganization of the state: It led to the partial reorganization of provinces to satisfy local aspirations.
• provincial autonomy: granting a large measure of autonomy to the provinces of india.
• emergency powers: giving the governors generals emergency powers.

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📉 7. Criticism & Famous Opinions

The Act received a very "lukewarm" response in India.

• British Control: It preserved British control in all vital areas. 💂‍♂️and still there was no full independence.
• Communal Divisions: It extended separate electorates, further dividing India along religious lines.
• Rigidity: It was a rigid document with no room for internal growth toward independence.
• lack of Indian involvement: the act received a lukewarm response in india because of the details of the bill and the lack of Indian involvement in drafting its contents.(INC)

What the Leaders said: 🗣️

• Jawaharlal Nehru: Called it "a machine with strong brakes but no engine" and a "Charter of Slavery." 🚂🚫
• M.A. Jinnah: Called it "thoroughly rotten, fundamentally bad, and totally unacceptable." 🍎🤢
• Rab Butler (British): Argued it set India on the path toward parliamentary democracy. 🛤️

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Summary: The 1935 Act was the longest Act of the British Parliament at the time. While it offered "Autonomy" to provinces, the "Brakes" held by the Governor-General ensured that the British remained firmly in the driver's seat. 🛑🏎️