Armed revolution by Subhas Bose - Phase Europe

The factors contributing to  the "plan of armed revolution" of Subhas Chandra were ;
i) Heritage of a royal family :  Netaji's family history went back for some 27 generations starting from Dasarath Bose of Dakshin - Rarhi (south Bengal) at Mahinagar, 14 miles south of Calcutta. At least two of the ancestors  - Mahipati, Financve and War mimnister to the then King of Bengal and Gopinath, Finance Minister and Naval commander to a latter king of Bengal were among Netaji's ancestors.
ii) Influence of Swami Vivekananda : Vivekananda entered the  life of Subhas Chandra when he was barely fifteen ,i.e., in 1911. It was Vivekananda who gave him a principl that he could cling to . When he was not in a position to decide his way the works of the Swamiji  - the saffron- dressed Hindu monk of India became his life time. Protest or revolt against injustice was learnt by Subhas from Vivekananda. In 1913 when he was only 15 and passed Matriculation securing 2nd position in the University, a legendary figure Aurobindo influenced him by his patriotic action, sacrifice for motherland, and deeper philosophy.
iii) Mentors of Subhas Chandra - 1. Swami Vivekananda, 2. Aurobindia, 3. Benimadhab Das

 Beni Madhab Das (Bengali: বেণী মাধব দাস) (1866 – 1952) was an erudite Bengali scholar, a renowned teacher and a great patriot in British India. Subhas Chandra Bose was his student at Ravenshaw Collegiate School and he left an inedible mark in the mind of his young student, as acknowledged in his book Bharat Pathik. When Bose was under internment and had decided to leave India, he wanted the blessings of his teacher, and so a clandestine meeting was organized for the purpose. A number of his other students occupied important positions in life. His personal life of dedication and devotion inspired all his students on to an eventful life. He was what was referred to as an exemplary teacher.
iii) Changed his policy and programme for gaining Independence of India ; While he was in Europe (1933-36), he answered to a question by Mussolini, "are you for reformist or revolutionary methods for achieving Indian Independence ?",  that he preferred revolutionary to reformist methods. Mussolini said then you have a chance.
iv) Inspired by : 1. Lenin, 2. De Valera, 3. Kamal Ataturk

1. Lenin, 2. Kamal ataturk, 3. De Valera

The Last Phase of Freedom Struggle of India ( 1941-.1945) - Outside India

The British Govt. looked upon Bose as a dangerously revolutionary, and arrested him on 2nd July, 1940 under section 129 of the Defence of India Rule. Even while he was in detention in the Presidential Jail, Calcutta, he was undergoing trials in two criminal suits brought against himby the Govt. He decided to go on hunger strike and addressed a long letter to the Governor of Bengal and his Ministers which concluded as " The individual must die , so that the nation may live. Today I must die, so that India may win freedom and glory". He commenced his fast on 29 Nov 1940 but as he developed alarming symptoms , the Govt. released him on 5th Dec, 1940.
After arrest Bose remained house-arrest in his 38/2 Elgin Road residence where 62 policemen guarded him round the clock.

The last Phase of Freedom struggle of India (contd - 1)

Owing to the difference in the attitude towards the war Gandhi lost his influence and leadreship in the Congress in June 1940. Although Gandhi recovered his position and was asked by the Congress to lead the satyagraha campaign in 1940-41, he was again relieved of this responsibility by the Working Committee on 23 Dec 1941. He gave his first reaction of the failure of Cripps Mission in Harijan on 19 April 1942. This explains that there was an end of all ideas of co-operation or friendly understanding between Britain and India.

The British were alarmed at the successive victories of Japan during 1940s. When Burma was turned into a battle field and the war reached the Indian boarders, the British started feeling more concerned about the future of India. Situation in the country was further complicated as the Congress wanted to take advantage of the situation by accelerating their efforts in their struggle for independence. Moreover the differences between the Congress and the Muslim League were widening fast and visibly there was no chance to bring both the parties on a common agenda. In these circumstances, the British Government sent a mission to India in 1942 under Sir Stafford Cripps, the Lord Privy Seal, in order to achieve Hindu-Muslim consensus on some constitutional arrangement and to convince the Indians to postpone their struggle till the end of the Second World War.
Cripps arrived in Delhi on March 22, 1942 and had series of meetings with the leading Indian politicians including Jawaharlal Nehru, Abul Kalam Azad, Quaid-i-Azam, Sir Sikandar Hayat Khan, A. K. Fazlul Haq, Dr. Ambedkar, V.D. Savarkar and Tej Bhadur Sappru etc. In the meetings Cripps tried to plead his case before these political leaders and tried to convince them to accept his following proposals:

1. During the course of the war, the British would retain their hold on India. Once the war finished, India would be granted dominion status with complete external and internal autonomy. It would however, be associated with the United Kingdom and other Dominions by a common allegiance to the Crown.
2. At the end of the war, a Constituent Assembly would be set up with the power to frame the future constitution of India. The members of the assembly were to be elected on the basis of proportional representation by the provincial assemblies. Princely States would also be given representation in the Constituent Assembly.
3. The provinces not agreeing to the new constitution would have the right to keep itself out of the proposed Union. Such provinces would also be entitled to create their own separate Union. The British government would also invite them to join the commonwealth.
4. During the war an interim government comprising of different parties of India would be constituted. However, defence and external affairs would be the sole responsibility of the viceroy.

Quaid-i-Azam considered these proposals as “unsatisfactory” and was of the view that the acceptance of the Cripps proposals would “take the Muslims to the gallows.” He said that the proposals have “aroused our deepest anxieties and grave apprehensions, specially with reference to Pakistan Scheme which is a matter of life and death for Muslim India. We will, therefore, endeavour that the principle of Pakistan which finds only veiled recognition in the Document should be conceded in unequivocal terms.” The Quaid, however, was happy to know that in the Cripps proposals, at least the British Government had agreed in principle to the Muslim League’s demand of the partition of India. Yet, Quaid-i-Azam wanted the British Government and Cripps to thoroughly amend the proposals to make them acceptable for the Muslim League.

Actually Quaid-i-Azam and other Muslim League leaders were convinced that Cripps was a traditional supporter of Congress and thus could not present an objective solution to the problem. On the arrival of Cripps, Quaid-i-Azam made it clear that he was a friend of Congress and would only support the Congress’ interests. Congress leaders themselves accepted that Cripps was their man. On his first visit to India, Cripps in fact attended the meetings of the Congress Working Committee. He also visited Gandhi and was so much impressed by him that he wore white khadi suit. He openly ridiculed the Muslim League’s demand for Pakistan when he said, “we cannot deny 25 carore Hindus desire of United India only because 9 carore Muslims oppose it.” In fact the proposals Cripps presented were mainly consisted of the ideas which were discussed in a meeting between Nehru and Cripps in 1938

The AICC met in Bombay on 7 Aug 1942 and considered the resolution drafted by the Working Committee. After two days discussion it was passed by an overwhelming majority; Only a few Communists were against it.
The sudden removal of all types of leaders upto the level of Taluk - left no responsible men to guide the mass movement announced by AICC. Thd news of the arrest of Gandhi and other Congress leaders led to a violent popular demonstration which spread over nearly the whole of India.
The cult of non-violence , as understood and preached by them , came to an end .
The disturbances spread over Bombay, Ahmedabad, and Poona, but the rest
The all India sabotage figures as follows;
Railway Stations damaged or destroyed  ........ 259
Post Offices attacked .......              ..........         550
Post offices burnt    ....................        ............   50
Post offices damaged ................      ..............      200
Telegraph and Telephone wires cut .......    ......   3,500
Police Station burnt ........                   ..............      70
Other overnment buildings  ........            ........      85
The Quit India movement ended in a failure.

Last Phase of Freedom Struggle of India

The Last Phase  of Freedom Struggle of India was started at the beginning of 2nd World War , 1939 when Britain was at Difficulty and as Subhas Chandra said, "Britain's difficulty   is India's opportunity". This situation also arrived   in Tilak Era in 1916 when Tilak noted, "England's need is India's Opportunity", and "Home Rule League" was formed separately by Tilak (left) and Annie Basant (right).   But Congress was divided, at that time,  into " moderates and extremists" and the chances were missed.
This time the Freedom Struggle was, ultimately, spread over three fronts;
  
1. Outside India - Violent; Led by Subhas Chandra Bose; In Europre
2.      ,,         ,,     -     ,,           ,,           ,,            ,,           ,,   ; In south-east Asia
3. Inside India - Led by Gandhi.

In this Great War ( WW II), 61 countries  with 70 crores of people ( world population in 1939 was 230 crores i.e., about 30% of world population) and 11 crores of soldiers were involved in which about 5.5 crores of people died.  
Though the WWII, officially, started when Germany invaded Poland on 1 Sept 1939, virtually, Europe was at War earlier than the declaration of WWII by Britain and France. The important incidents that took place, before the beginning of 2nd WW,  were ;

• 1 Italian invasion of Ethiopia (1935)
• 2 Spanish Civil War (1936–39)
• 3 Japanese invasion of China (1937)
• 4 Japanese invasion of the Soviet Union and Mongolia (1938)

The Congress Working Committee regarded the Viceroy's (Lord Linlithgow ) statement as "an unequivocal reiteration of the old imperialist policy" and therefore declared itself unable to give any support to Great Britain , for it would amount to an  endorsement of the Imperialist policy , which it has always sought to end.As a first step in the direction , the Committee called upon the Congress ministers to resign.

All the Congress Ministries accordingly resigned between 27 Oct and 15 Nov 1939.  

The Congress "declined to consider any steps to further co-operation."unless the British Govt. clearly declared its policy in favour of Indian Independence.

The Congress reiterated its objective in even clearer and stronger terms in the Ramgarh session in March 1940. The resolution adopted by it declared that " nothing short of complete independence can be accepted by the people of India." and they " alone can properly shape their own constitution."..

According to the majority of the Congress leaders , could only be carried on under the leadership Gandhi. So, Gandhi once more regained the supremacy in the Congress.Gandhi began the campaign on 17 Oct 1940, by selecting one individual at a time to go out in the street shouting anti-war slogans , and get arrested. On 17 Nov , the individual Satyagraha was replaced by what Gandhi called representative Satyagraha . The Satyagrahis were selected from groups  from the Congressmen in  different position.

On 17 Dec 1940, Gandhi suspended the campaign as it created little interest and less excitement among the Congress Working Committee , meeting at Wardha on 16th Jan 1942, passed a resolution offering co-operation in the War effort once again.       

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Quit India resolution - drafted by Gandhi

The "Quit India" - Resolution of the Indian National Congress (1942)

Introduction: After the rejection of the Cripps Offer, the Congress leaders felt compelled to launch an agitational campaign. Mahatma Gandhi suggested that the British should "Quit India" as long as they had still  time to do so before the Japanese entered India. His draft resolution (a) was considered to be to pro-Japanese by other Congress leaders and Jawaharlal Nehru was asked to amend it. The amended resolution (b) was passed in July 1942. The Viceroy, Lord Linlithgow, then imprisoned all Congress leaders before they could take any action.

a) TEXT ISSUED BY THE GOVERNMENT OF INDIA OF THE ORIGINAL "QUIT INDIA" RESOLUTION DRAFTED BY MOHANDAS K. GANDHI AND REJECTED BY THE ALL-INDIA CONGRESS WORKING COMMITTEE IN FAVOR OF THE MODIFIED VERSION SUBMITTED BY PANDIT JAWAHARLAL NEHRU.

The Gandhi Draft Was Presented to the Committee on April 27, 1942

Whereas the British War Cabinet proposals by Sir Stafford Cripps have shown up British imperialism in its nakedness as never before, the All-India Congress Committee has come to the following conclusions:

The committee is of the opinion that Britain is incapable of defending India. It is natural that whatever she does is for her own defense. There is the eternal conflict between Indian and British interest. It follows that their notions of defense would also differ.
The British Government has no trust in India's political parties. The Indian Army has been maintained up till now mainly to hold India in subjugation. It has been completely segregated from the general population, who can in no sense regard it as their own. This policy of mistrust still continues, and is the reason why national defense is not entrusted to India's elected representatives.
Japan's quarrel is not with India. She is warring against the British Empire. India's participation in the war has not been with the consent of the representatives of the Indian people. It was purely a British act. If India were freed, her first step would probably be to negotiate with Japan.

The Congress is of the opinion that if the British withdrew from India, India would be able to defend herself in the event of the Japanese, or any aggressor, attacking India.

The committee is, therefore, of the opinion that the British should withdraw from India. The plea that they should remain in India for the protection of the Indian princes is wholly untenable. It is an additional proof of their determination to maintain their hold over India. The princes need have no fear from an unarmed India.

The question of majority and minority is the creation of the British Government, and would disappear on their withdrawal.
For all these reasons, the committee appeals to Britain, for the sake of her own safety, for the sake of India's safety and for the cause of world peace, to let go her hold on India, even if she does not give up all her Asiatic and African possessions.

This committee desires to assure the Japanese Government and people that India bears no enmity, either toward Japan or toward any other nation. India only desires freedom from all alien domination. But in this fight for freedom the committee is of the opinion that India, while welcoming universal sympathy, does not stand in need of foreign military aid.

India will attain her freedom through her non-violent strength, and will retain it likewise. Therefore, the committee hopes that Japan will not have any designs on India. But if Japan attacks India, and Britain makes no response to its appeal, the committee will expect all those who look to the Congress for guidance to offer complete non-violent non-cooperation to the Japanese forces, and not to render any assistance to them. It is no part of the duty of those who are attacked to render any assistance to the attacker. It is their duty to offer complete non-cooperation.

It is not difficult to understand the simple principle of nonviolent non-cooperation:

First, we may not bend the knee to an aggressor, or obey any of his orders.

Second, we may not look to him for any favors nor fall to his bribes, but we may not bear him any malice nor wish him ill.

Third, if he wishes to take possession of our fields we will refuse to give them up, even if we have to die in an effort to resist him.
Fourth, if he is attacked by disease, or is dying of thirst and seeks our aid, we may not refuse it.

Fifth, in such places where British and Japanese forces are fighting, our non-cooperation will be fruitless and unnecessary.

At present, our non-cooperation with the British Government is limited. Were we to offer them complete non-cooperation when they are actually fighting, it would be tantamount to bringing our country deliberately into Japanese hands. Therefore, not to put any obstacle in the way of the British forces will often be the only way of demonstrating our non-cooperation with the Japanese.

Neither may we assist the British in any active manner. If we can judge from their recent attitude, the British Government do not need any help from us beyond our non-interference. They desire our help only as slaves.

It is not necessary for the committee to make a clear declaration in regard to a scorched-earth policy. If, in spite of our nonviolence, any part of the country falls into Japanese hands, we may not destroy our crops or water supply, etc., if only because it will be our endeavor to regain them. The destruction of war material is another matter, and may, under certain circumstances, be a military necessity. But it can never be the Congress policy to destroy what belongs, or is of use, to the masses.

Whilst non-cooperation against the Japanese forces will necessarily be limited to a comparatively small number, and must succeed if it is complete and genuine, true building up of swaraj [self-government] consists in the millions of India wholeheartedly working for a constructive program. Without it, the whole nation cannot rise from its age-long torpor.

Whether the British remain or not, it is our duty always to wipe out our unemployment, to bridge the gulf between the rich and the poor, to banish communal strife, to exorcise the demon of untouchability, to reform the Dacoits [armed bandits] and save the people from them. If scores of people do not take a living interest in this nation-building work, freedom must remain a dream and unattainable by either non-violence or violence.

Foreign soldiers: The committee is of the opinion that it is harmful to India's interests, and dangerous to the cause of India's freedom, to introduce foreign soldiers in India. It therefore appeals to the British Government to remove these foreign legions, and henceforth stop further introduction. It is a crying shame to bring foreign troops in, in spite of India's inexhaustible man power, and it is proof of the immorality that British imperialism is.

b) From the Quit India Resolution passed on August 7, 1940 as amended by Jawaharlal  Nehru

.......... The possession of empire, instead of adding to the strength of the ruling Power, has become a burden and a curse. India, the classic land of modern imperialism has become the crux of the question, for by the freedom of India will Britain and the United Nations be judged, and the peoples of Asia and Africa be filled with hope and enthusiasm. The ending of British rule in this country is thus a vital and immediate issue on which depend the future of the war and the success of freedom and democracy. A free India will assure this success by throwing all her great resources in the struggle for freedom against the aggression of Nazism, Fascism and Imperialism. This will not only affect materially the fortunes of the war, but will bring all subject and oppressed humanity on the side of the United Nations and give these Nations whose ally India would be, the  moral and spiritual leadership of the world. India in bondage will continue to be the symbol of British imperialism and the taint of that imperialism will affect the fortunes of all the United Nations.

........(The All-Indian Congress Committee) feels that it is no longer justified in holding the nation back from endeavouring to assert its will against an imperialist and authoritarian government  which dominates over it and prevents it from functioning in its own interest and in the interest of humanity. The Committee resolves, therefore, to sanction for the vindication of India’s inalienable right to freedom and independence, the starting of a mass struggle on non-violent lines on the widest possible scale so that the country might utilise all the non-violent strength  it has gathered during the last twenty-two years of peaceful struggle.. Such a struggle must inevitably be under the leadership of Gandhiji and the Committee request him to take the lead and guide the nation in the steps to be taken.

.......Lastly the All-India Congress Commitee ... wishes to make it quite clear to all concerned that by embarking on mass struggle it has no intention of gaining power for the Congress. The power, when it comes, will belong to the whole people of India.

Gandhi (1938-1942)

Shortly before the meeting of the Working Committee at Wardha on Sep 25, Gandhi had decided to retire from the Congress and made no secret of it.
The results of the poll (1935)
1. Congress ..........................44
2. Congress natiomnlist.........11
3. Europeans...........................11
4. Nominated Officials............26
5. Nominated Non-officials ....13
6. Independents........................22
It is seen that Govt could normally command not more than 50 seats, ( 3,4 & 5), Congress had 55 votes (1 & 2), Independents had 22 ( 19 Muslims led by M.A.Jinnah). though the Congress condemned the new constitution introduced by the act of 1935, it contested the election The positionof the Congress in the new Legislature may be summed up as follows ;
The Congress have absolute majority in the in the Legislative Assembly in
1. Madras, 2. The United Province, 3. the Central Provinces, 4. Bihar, and 5. Orissa ,
It was the biggest single party in 4 Provinces, namely;
1. Bombay, 2. Bengal, 3. Assam, and 4. the NWFP,
In the sindh and Punjab it have comparatively smaller minority. The totl number of Muslim seatds in the assemblies of the 11 provinces was 482. Out of this number the Congress contested 58 seats and won 26., i.e., 46 %.
Owing to the difference in the attitude towards the War Gandhi lost his influence and leadership in the Congress in June 1940,  Although recovered his position and was asked by the congress to lead the Satyagraha campaign in 1940-41, he was again relieved of this responsibility by the working committee on 23rd dec 1941. This explains why Gandhi took no active part in the negotiations with cripps and left Delhi when they were only half way through as stated above.
Gandhi suggested in his  " harijan" on 19 April 1941, the safety and interest of both Britain and India lie in orderly and timely British withdrawal from India. in other words , for the first time, Gandhi
openly declared that there was an end of of all ideas of co-operation or friendly understanding between Britain and India which Subhas had persistently tried to make the Congress adopt the policy. Gandhihad again recovered his undisputed supremacy over the Congress.
" Leave India in God's hands."

.",

Time line of Ganfhi (1869-1948) in Indian politics

Mahatma Gandhi timeline

Mar 1919
British Government Passes the Rowlatt Act in Colonial India, Indefinitely Extending the Use of 'Emergency Measures'
The Rowlatt Act was a law passed by the British in colonial India in March 1919, indefinitely extending "emergency measures" (of the Defence of... Read more

Apr 13 1919
Jallianwala Bagh Massacre
The Jallianwala Bagh Massacre (Hindi: जलियांवाला बाग़ हत्याकांड جلیانوالہ باغ Jallianwala Bāġa Hatyākāṇḍ), alternatively known as the Amritsar... Read more

Sep 1920
The Gandhi Era of the Indian Independence Movement Begins with the Non-Cooperation Movement
The non-cooperation movement (Hindi: असहयोग आन्दोलन), was the first-ever series of nationwide people's movements of nonviolent resistance and civil... Read more

Dec 1921
Gandhi is Given Exclusive Authority Over the Indian National Congress
In December 1921, Gandhi was invested with executive authority on behalf of the Indian National Congress. Under his leadership, the Congress was... Read more

Feb 1922
Nationalist Mob Sets Fire to a Police Station in Chauri Chaura Incident, Prompting Mahatma Gandhi to Call Off the Non-Cooperation Movement
On February 4, 1922, around 2,000 protesters gathered for picketing of the liquor shop at the local market in Chauri Chaura. Sensing the trouble,... Read more

Mar 10 1922
Gandhi is Arrested by the British Government on Charges of Inciting Violence at Chauri Chaura
The Government seized the opportunity for which it was waiting. On the evening of March 10, 1922, Gandhi was arrested in his ashram. The trial was... Read more

Feb 1924
Gandhi is Released from Prison After Serving Only Two Years of a Six-Year Sentence Following Surgery for Appendicitis
In February, after he had served only two years in jail, Gandhi, after an operation for appendicitis, was released. He did not, as his faithful... Read more

Sep 1924
Gandhi Begins Twenty-One Day Fast in an Attempt to Reconcile Hindus and Muslims
In September 1924, Gandhi went on a twenty-one day fast to "purify" himself and " to recover the power to react on the people." The fast had a... Read more

Sep 1925
Gandhi Founds the All-India Spinners' Association
During the next three years, while national politics were dominated by communal issues and controversies in legislatures, Gandhi retired from the... Read more

1927
Gandhi's 'The Story of My Experiments with Truth' is Published
The Story of My Experiments with Truth (Gujarātī "સત્યના પ્રયોગો અથવા આત્મકથા" transliterated: Satyanā Prayogo athvā Ātmakathā) is the... Read more

Dec 31 1929
Indian National Congress Raises the Tricolor Flag of India
In December 1928, Congress held in Calcutta, Mohandas Gandhi proposed a resolution that called for the British to grant dominion status to India... Read more

Jan 26 1930
Declaration of the Independence of India
The Declaration of the Independence of India was promulgated by the Indian National Congress on January 26, 1930, resolving the Congress and Indian... Read more

Mar 12 1930
Mahatma Gandhi Embarks on the Salt Satyagraha
The Salt Satyagraha was a campaign of nonviolent protest against the British salt tax in colonial India which began with the Salt March to Dandi on... Read more

Apr 6 1930
Mahatma Gandhi Arrives at Dandi, Gujarat, Concluding the Salt March
On March 12, 1930, Gandhi and 78 male satyagrahis set out on foot for the coastal village of Dandi, Gujarat, 390 kilometres (240 mi) from their... Read more

Mar 5 1931
Lord Irwin, Viceroy of India, Signs the Gandhi-Irwin Pact. Salt Satyagraha was suspended.
Gandhi–Irwin Pact refers to a political agreement signed by Mahatma Gandhi and the then Viceroy of India, Lord Irwin on 5th March 1931. before... Read more

Aug 29 1931
Gandhi Sets Sail for England to Represent the Indian National Congress at the Second Round Table Conference
On August 29, 1931, Gandhi sailed for England in the SS Rajputana to attend the Second Round Table Conference, He went as the sole representative... Read more

Dec 28 1931
Gandhi Arrives in Bombay After His Visit to Europe
While Gandhi was on the high seas, the arrests of Jawaharlal Nehru and Abdul Ghaffar Khan, two of his ablest lieutenants, had created a crisis.... Read more

Sep 1932
Gandhi Begins Six-Day Fast to Protest Separate Elections for Untouchables
A new twist to the civil disobedience movement came in September 1932 when Gandhi, who was in Yeravda Jail, went on a fast as a protest against the... Read more

Sep 17 1934
Gandhi Announces Retirement from Politics to Focus on Village Economics
In the summer of 1934, three unsuccessful attempts were made on his life. When the Congress Party chose to contest elections and accept power... Read more

Apr 30 1936
Gandhi Relocates Base of Operations to Sevagram, a Small Village Near Wardha in Central India
When the Congress Party chose to contest elections and accept power under the Federation scheme, Gandhi decided to resign from party membership. He... Read more

Mar 3 1939
Gandhi Announces Fast-Unto-Death in the Effort to Form a People's Council in Rajkot
Before the convening of the plenary session of the Congress Party at Tripuri on March 11, India watched with interest and alarm the struggle... Read more

Mar 27 1942
The Cripps' Mission
Upon his arrival in India, Cripps held talks with Indian leaders. There is some confusion over what Cripps had been authorised to offer India's... Read more

Aug 8 1942
The All India Congress Committee Launches the Quit India Movement
The "Quit India" resolution passed by the All-India Congress Committee brought it into a head-on collision with the Government in August 1942. The... Read more

Aug 9 1942
Gandhi is Arrested, Along with the Entire Congress Working Committee
World War II broke out in 1939 when Nazi Germany invaded Poland. Initially, Gandhi had favored offering "non-violent moral support" to the British... Read more

Aug 15 1942
Mahadev Desai, Gandhi's Personal Secretary, Dies From Heart Failure
Gandhi and the entire Congress Working Committee were arrested in Bombay by the British on 9 August 1942. Gandhi was held for two years in the Aga... Read more

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Conclusion of the Round Table Conference

The third and last session of the Round Table Conference was held in London on 17 Nov 1932. the members attending it were much less in number than those in the preceding session, and there was no representative of the Congress. The decisions taken by His Majesty's Government in the light of the  Conference were Published in a White Paper issued in March , 1933. It was condemned by leaders of all sections of Indian opinion , " One could not see in it any family resemblance to many of the recommendations of the Round Table Conference Committees. " This was in flagrant contravention of the assurances given by Lord Irwin in , 1934. July, 1930,
A bill prepared on the basis of the White Paper was introduced in the Prliament on 19 Dec 1934, and inspite of strenuous opposition of the die-hard section of the conservatives led by Churchill, was passed on 2Aug 1935.
Every section of public opinion in India expressed dissatisfaction with the Govt. of India Act 1935,
The Working Committee and All India Congress Committee met in Patna on 18-20 may, 1934 and as recommended  by Gandhi, suspended the Civil Disobedience Movement and accepted the entry into the Legislature as a part of the Programme of the Congress . The Working Committee , in accordance with the resolutions of the AICC, called upon all the Congressmen to give up Civil disobedience and the movement was officially terminated on May, 20  
  The Govt being satisfied lifted the ban on the Congress organisation except in Bengal and NWFP and announced a general policy of expediting the release of Civil disobedience prisoners.
This was the real tragedy of the Congress under the leadership of Gandhiji - a leadership which was not boldly disowned till it was too .late to  undo he mischief .
Shortly after the meeting of the Working Committee at Wardha on 15th Sept 1934, Gandhi had decided to tetire from the Congress and made no secret of it.

 

Round Table Conference (contd-1)

Gandhi with hiscolleagues going to attend Round Table Conference'

Round Table Conferences [1930-33]

The First Round Table Conference was held in London, 1930

The report of the Simon Commission issued in June 1930 - was received with great resentment and the Indian political parties reacted in different ways. In resentment, the Congress started a Civil Disobedience Movement under Gandhi’s command.

The Muslims reserved their opinion on the Simon Report and declared that this report was not final and the matters would be finally decided after consultations with the leaders representing all communities in India.

The Indian political situation seemed deadlocked. The British government refused to contemplate any form of self-government for the people of India who were frustrated and often expressed their anger in violent clashes.

However, in 1931, Labour government returned to power in Britain, and a glimmer of hope ran through Indian hearts. Labour leaders had always been sympathetic to the Indian cause. The Labour Government decided to hold a Round Table Conference in London, to consider new constitutional reforms. All the Indian politicians, Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs and Christians were summoned to London for the conference.

Gandhi immediately insisted at the conference that he alone spoke for all Indians, and that the Congress was the party of the people of India. He argued that the other parties only represented sectarian viewpoints, with little or no significant following.

At the Round Table Conference held in London, 1930 (from left to right): Sardar Aurangzeb, A. K. Fazlul Haq, Nawab Chhatari, Mian Muhammad Shafi, The Aga Khan, Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, Sir Muhammad Zafarullah Khan, Sahebzada Abdul Qayyum and Sir Ghulam Hussain Hidayatullah

First Round Table Conference
The first session of the conference opened in London on November 12, 1930. All parties were present except for the Congress, whose leaders were in jail due to the Civil Disobedience Movement. Congress leaders stated that they had nothing to do with further constitutional discussion unless the Nehru report was enforced in it’s entirety as the constitution of India.

Almost eighty-nine members attended the conference, out of which fifty-eight were chosen from various communities and interests in British India, and the rest from princely states and other political parties. The prominent among the Muslim delegates invited by the British government were Sir Aga Khan, Quaid-i-Azam, Maulana Mohammad Ali Johar, Sir Mohammad Shafi and Maluvi Fazl-i-Haq. Sir Taj Bahadur Sapru, Mr. Jaikar and Dr. Moonje were outstanding among the Hindu leaders.

The Hindu- Muslim differences overcast the conference as the Hindus were for a powerful Central government while the Muslims stood for a loose federation of completely autonomous province. The Muslims demanded maintenance of weightage and separate electorates, the Hindus their abolition. The Muslims claimed statutory majority in Punjab and Bengal, while Hindus resisted their imposition. In Punjab, the situation was complicated by inflated Sikh claims.

The Conference dealt with the details through eight sub-committees on federal structure, provincial constitution, franchise, Sind, the North-West Frontier Province, defense services and minorities.

The conference broke up on January 19, 1931, and what emerged from it was a general agreement to write safeguards for minorities into the constitution and a vague desire to devise a federal system for the country.

Seated participants at the Second Round Table Conference

Second Round Table Conference
The second session of the conference opened in London on September 7, 1931. The main task of the conference was done through the two committees on federal structure and minorities. Gandhi was a member of both but he adopted a very unreasonable attitude. He claimed that he represented all India and dismissed all other Indian delegates as non-representative because they did not belong to the Congress.

The communal problem represented the most difficult issue to the delegates. Gandhi again tabled the Congress scheme for a settlement, a mere reproduction of the Nehru report, but it was rejected by all the minorities.

As a counter to the Congress scheme the Muslims, the depressed classes, the Indian Christians, the Anglo-Indians and the European presented a joint statement of claims which they said must stand as an interdependent whole. As their main demands were not acceptable to Gandhi, the communal issue was postponed for future discussion.

On the concluding day, the British Prime Minister, Ramsay Macdonald appealed to the Indian leaders to reach a communal settlement. Failing to do so, the British government would take a unilateral decision.

Quaid-i-Azam did not participate in the session of the second Round Table Conference as he decided to keep himself aloof from the Indian politics and to practice as a professional lawyer in England.

On his return to India, Gandhi once again started civil disobedience movement and was duly arrested. Three important committees drafted their reports: The Franchise Committee, the Federal Finance Committee and States Inquiry Committee.

A news clip reporting the Third Round Table Conference

Third Round Table Conference
The third session began on November 17, 1932, was short and unimportant. The Congress was once again absent, so was the Labour opposition in the British parliament. Reports of the various committees were scrutinized and ended on December 25, 1932.

The recommendations of the Round Table Conferences were embodied in a White Paper. It was published in March 1933, and debated in Parliament directly afterwards, analyzed by the Joint Select Committee and after the final reading and the loyal assent, 

Round Table Conference

The three Round Table Conferences of 1930–32 were a series of conferences organized by the British Government to discuss constitutional reforms in India. They were conducted as per the recommendation by the report submitted by the Simon Commission in May 1930. Demands for swaraj, or self-rule, in India had been growing increasingly strong. By the 1930s, many British politicians believed that India needed to move towards dominion status. However, there were significant disagreements between the Indian and the British political parties that the Conferences would not resolve.

• 1 First Round Table Conference (November 1930 – January 1931)
  • 2 Second Round Table Conference (September – December 1931)
• • 3 Third Round Table Conference (November – December 1932)
• • Participants :

  • First Round Table Conference (November 1930 – January 1931)

    The Round Table Conference was opened officially by Lord Irwin on November 12, 1930 at London and chaired by the British Prime Minister, Ramsay MacDonald.
    The three British political parties were represented by sixteen delegates. There were fifty-seven political leaders from British India and sixteen delegates from the princely states. In total 89 delegates from India attended the Conference. However, the Indian National Congress, along with Indian business leaders, kept away from the conference. Many of them were in jail for their participation in Civil Disobedience Movement.

    Participants

    • British Representatives:
      • Labour: Ramsay Macdonald, Lord Sankey, Wedgwood Benn, Arthur Henderson, J. H. Thomas, William Jowitt, Hastings Lees-Smith, Earl Russell
      • Conservative: Earl Peel, Marquess of Zetland, [[Samuel Hoare, 1st Viscount
    • Indian States' Representatives: Maharaja of Alwar, Maharaja of Baroda, Nawab of Bhopal, Maharaja of Bikaner, Rana of Dholpur, Maharaja of Jammu and Kashmir, Maharaja of Nawanagar, Maharaja of Patiala(Chancellor of the Chamber of Princes), Maharaja of Rewa, Chief Sahib of Sangli, Sir Prabhashankar Pattani (Bhavnagar), Manubhai Mehta (Baroda), Sardar Sahibzada Sultan Ahmed Khan (Gwalior), Akbar Hydari(Hyderabad), Mirza Ismail (Mysore), Col. Kailas Narain Haksar (Jammu and Kashmir)
    • British-Indian Representatives:
      • Muslims: Aga Khan III (leader of British-Indian delegation), Maulana Mohammad Ali, Muhammad Shafi,Muhammad Ali Jinnah, Muhammad Zafarullah Khan, A. K. Fazlul Huq, Hafiz Hidayat Hussain, Dr. Shafa'at Ahmad Khan, Raja Sher Muhammad Khan of Domeli, A. H. Ghuznavi
      • Hindus: B. S. Moonje, M. R. Jayakar, Diwan Bahadur Raja Narendra Nath
      • Liberals: J. N. Basu, Tej Bahadur Sapru, C. Y. Chintamani, V. S. Srinivasa Sastri, Chimanlal Harilal Setalvad
      • Justice Party: Arcot Ramasamy Mudaliar, Bhaskarrao Vithojirao Jadhav, Sir A. P. Patro
      • Depressed Classes: B. R. Ambedkar, Rettamalai Srinivasan
      • Sikhs: Sardar Ujjal Singh, Sardar Sampuran Singh
      • Parsis: Phiroze Sethna, Cowasji Jehangir, Homi Mody
      • Indian Christians: A. T. Pannirselvam
      • Europeans: Sir Hubert Carr, Sir Oscar de Glanville (Burma), T. F. Gavin Jones, C. E. Wood (Madras)
      • Anglo-Indians: Henry Gidney
      • Women: Begum Jahanara Shahnawaz, Radhabai Subbarayan
      • Landlords: Maharaja Kameshwar Singh of Darbhanga (Bihar), Muhammad Ahmad Said Khan Chhatari(United Provinces), Raja of Parlekhmundi (Orissa), Provash Chandra Mitter
      • Labour: N. M. Joshi, B. Shiva Rao
      • Universities: Syed Sultan Ahmed, Bisheshwar Dayal Seth,
      • Burma: U Aung Thin, Ba U, M. M. Ohn Ghine
      • Sindh: Shah Nawaz Bhutto, Ghulam Hussain Hidayatullah
      • Other Provinces: Chandradhar Barua (Assam), Sahibzada Abdul Qayyum (NWFP), S. B. Tambe (Central Provinces)
      • Government of India: Narendra Nath Law, Bhupendra Nath Mitra, C. P. Ramaswami Iyer, M. Ramachandra Rao
    • Officials attending in consultative capacity: W. M. Hailey, C. A. Innes, A. C. MacWatters, H. G. Haig, L. W. Reynolds
    • Indian States Delegation Staff:
      • Hyderabad: Sir Richard Chenevix-Trench, Nawab Mahdi Yar Jung, Ahmed Hussain, Nawab Sir Amin Jung Bahadur, Sir Reginald Glancy
      • South Indian States: T. Raghavaiah
      • Baroda: V. T. Krishnamachari
      • Orissa States: K. C. Neogy
      • Nominated by the Chamber of Princes Special Organisation: L. F. Rushbrook Williams, Qazi Ali Haidar Abbasi, Jarmani Dass, A. B. Latthe, D. A. Surve
    • Secretariats: S. K. Brown, V. Dawson, K. S. Fitze, W. H. Lewis, R. J. Stopford, J. Coatman, Marmaduke Pickthall, K. M. Panikkar, N. S. Subba Rao, Geoffrey Corbett, A. Latifi, Girija Shankar Bajpai
    • Secretariat-General: R. H. A. Carter, Mian Abdul Aziz, W. D. Croft, G. E. J. Gent, B. G. Holdsworth, R. F. Mudie, G. S. Rajadhyaksha.

    Second Round Table Conference (September – December 1931)

    The second session opened on September 7, 1931. There were three major differences between the first and second Round Table Conferences. By the second:

    

    The Second Round Table Conference (September 7, 1931)

    • Congress Representation — The Gandhi-Irwin Pact opened the way for Congress participation in this conference. Mahatma Gandhi was invited from India and attended as the sole official Congress representative accompanied by Sarojini Naidu and also 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; that the Untouchables were Hindus and should not be treated as a “minority”; and that there should be no separate electorates or special safeguards for Muslims or other minorities. These claims were rejected by the other Indian participants. According to this pact, Gandhi was asked to call off the Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM) and if he did so the prisoners of the British government would be freed excepting the criminal prisoners, i.e. those who had killed British officials. He returned to India, disappointed with the results and empty-handed.

    • National Government — two weeks earlier the Labour government in London had fallen. Ramsay MacDonaldnow headed a National Government dominated by the Conservative Party.

    • Financial Crisis – During the conference, Britain went off the Gold Standard further distracting the National Government.

    
    During the Conference, Gandhi could not reach agreement with the Muslims on Muslim representation and safeguards. At the end of the conference Ramsay MacDonald undertook to produce a Communal Award for minority representation, with the provision that any free agreement between the parties could be substituted for his award.

    Gandhi took particular exception to the treatment of untouchables as a minority separate from the rest of the Hindu community. He clashed with the leader of depressed classes, Dr.B. R. Ambedkar, over this issue: the two eventually resolved the situation with the Poona Pact of 1932.

    Participants

    
    

    • British Representatives:
      • Labour: Ramsay Macdonald, Wedgwood Benn, Arthur Henderson, William Jowitt, Hastings Lees-Smith, F. W. Pethick-Lawrence, Lord Sankey, Lord Snell, J. H. Thomas
      • Conservative: Viscount Hailsham, Samuel Hoare, Earl Peel, Oliver Stanley, Marquess of Zetland
      • Scottish Unionist: Walter Elliot
      • Liberal: Isaac Foot, Henry Graham White, Robert Hamilton, Marquess of Lothian, Marquess of Reading,

    • Indian States' Representatives: Maharaja of Alwar, Maharaja of Baroda, Nawab of Bhopal, Maharaja of Bikaner, Maharao of Cutch, Rana of Dholpur, Maharaja of Indore, Maharaja of Jammu and Kashmir, Maharaja of Kapurthala, Maharaja of Nawanagar, Maharaja of Patiala, Maharaja of Rewa, Chief Sahib of Sangli, Raja of Korea, Raja of Sarila, Sir Prabhashankar Pattani (Bhavnagar), Manubhai Mehta (Baroda), Sardar Sahibzada Sultan Ahmed Khan (Gwalior), Sir Muhammad Akbar Hydari (Hyderabad), Mirza Ismail (Mysore), Col. K.N. Haksar (Jammu and Kashmir), T. Raghavaiah (Travancore), Liaqat Hayat Khan (Patiala)

    • British-Indian Representatives:
      • Government of India: C. P. Ramaswami Iyer, Narendra Nath Law, M. Ramachandra Rao
      • Indian National Congress: Mahatma Gandhi, A. Rangaswami Iyengar, Madan Mohan Malaviya
      • Muslims: Aga Khan III, Maulana Shaukat Ali, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, A. K. Fazlul Huq, Muhammad Iqbal,Muhammad Shafi, Muhammad Zafarullah Khan, Syed Ali Imam, Maulvi Muhammad Shafi Daudi, Raja Sher Muhammad Khan of Domeli, A. H. Ghuznavi, Hafiz Hidayat Hussain, Sayed Muhammad Padshah Saheb Bahadur, Dr. Shafa'at Ahmad Khan, Jamal Muhammad, Nawab Sahibzada Sayed Muhammad Mehr Shah
      • Hindus: M. R. Jayakar, B. S. Moonje, Diwan Bahadur Raja Narendra Nath
      • Liberals: J. N. Basu, C. Y. Chintamani, Tej Bahadur Sapru, V. S. Srinivasa Sastri, Chimanlal Harilal Setalvad
      • Justice Party: Raja of Bobbili, Arcot Ramasamy Mudaliar, Sir A. P. Patro, Bhaskarrao Vithojirao Jadhav
      • Depressed Classes: B. R. Ambedkar, Rettamalai Srinivasan,
      • Sikhs: Sardar Ujjal Singh, Sardar Sampuran Singh
      • Parsis: Cowasji Jehangir, Homi Mody, Phiroze Sethna
      • Indian Christians: Surendra Kumar Datta, A. T. Pannirselvam
      • Europeans: E. C. Benthall, Sir Hubert Carr, T. F. Gavin Jones, C. E. Wood (Madras)
      • Anglo-Indians: Henry Gidney
      • Women: Sarojini Naidu, Begum Jahanara Shahnawaz, Radhabai Subbarayan
      • Landlords: Muhammad Ahmad Said Khan Chhatari (United Provinces), Kameshwar Singh of Darbhanga(Bihar), Raja of Parlakimedi (Orissa), Sir Provash Chandra Mitter
      • Industry: Ghanshyam Das Birla, Purshotamdas Thakurdas, Maneckji Dadabhoy
      • Labour: N. M. Joshi, B. Shiva Rao, V. V. Giri
      • Universities: Syed Sultan Ahmed, Bisheshwar Dayal Seth
      • Burma: Sir Padamji Ginwala
      • Sindh: Shah Nawaz Bhutto, Ghulam Hussain Hidayatullah
      • Other Provinces: Chandradhar Barua (Assam), Sahibzada Abdul Qayyum (NWFP), S. B. Tambe (Central Provinces)

    • Indian States Delegation Staff: V. T. Krishnamachari (Baroda), Richard Chenevix-Trench (Hyderabad), Nawab Mahdi Yar Jung (Hyderabad), S. M. Bapna (Indore), Amar Nath Atal (Jaipur), J. W. Young (Jodhpur),Ram Chandra Kak (Jammu and Kashmir), Sahibzada Abdus Samad Khan (Rampur), K. C. Neogy (Orissa states), L. F. Rushbrook Williams, Jarmani Dass, Muhammad Saleh Akbar Hydari, K. M. Panikkar, N. Madhava Rao
    • British Delegation Staff: H. G. Haig, V. Dawson, K. S. Fitze, J. G. Laithwaite, W. H. Lewis, P. J. Patrick, J. Coatman, G. T. Garratt, R. J. Stopford
    • British Indian Delegation Staff: Geoffrey Corbett, A. Latifi, Girija Shankar Bajpai, Benegal Rama Rau, Syed Amjad Ali, Prince Aly Khan, A. M. Chaudhury, Mahadev Desai, Govind Malaviya, K. T. Shah, P. Sinha
    • Secretariat-General: R. H. A. Carter, K. Anderson, C. D. Deshmukh, J. M. Sladen, Hugh MacGregor, G. F. Steward, A. H. Joyce, Syed Amjad Ali, Ram Babu Saksena

    Third Round Table Conference (November – December 1932)

    The third and last session assembled on November 17, 1932. Only forty-six delegates attended since most of the main political figures of India were not present. The Labour Party from Britain and the Indian National Congress refused to attend.

    From September 1931 until March 1933, under the supervision of the Secretary of State for India, Sir Samuel Hoare, the proposed reforms took the form reflected in the Government of India Act 1935.

    Participants

    
    

    • Indian States' Representatives: Akbar Hydari (Dewan of Hyderabad), Mirza Ismail (Dewan of Mysore), V. T. Krishnamachari (Dewan of Baroda), Wajahat Hussain (Jammu and Kashmir), Sir Sukhdeo Prasad (Udaipur, Jaipur, Jodhpur), J. A. Surve (Kolhapur), Raja Oudh Narain Bisarya (Bhopal), Manubhai Mehta (Bikaner), Nawab Liaqat Hayat Khan (Patiala), Fateh Naseeb Khan (Alwar State), L. F. Rushbrook Williams(Nawanagar), Raja of Sarila (small states)

    • British-Indian Representatives: Aga Khan III, B. R. Ambedkar (Depressed Classes), Ramakrishna Ranga Rao of Bobbili, Sir Hubert Carr (Europeans), Nanak Chand Pandit, A. H. Ghuznavi, Henry Gidney (Anglo-Indians), Hafiz Hidayat Hussain, Muhammad Iqbal, M. R. Jayakar, Cowasji Jehangir, N. M. Joshi (Labour),Narasimha Chintaman Kelkar, Arcot Ramasamy Mudaliar, Begum Jahanara Shahnawaz (Women), A. P. Patro, Tej Bahadur Sapru, Dr. Shafa'at Ahmad Khan, Sir Shadi Lal, Tara Singh Malhotra, Sir Nripendra Nath Sircar, Sir Purshottamdas Thakurdas, Muhammad Zafarullah Khan.
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