These conferences were a response to the dissatisfaction and opposition that arose after the publication of the Simon Commission's report in 1930. The Simon Commission was appointed by the British government to assess the constitutional situation in India and recommend potential reforms.
Despite facing resistance, the Simon Commission managed to produce a two-volume report in 1930. However, the recommendations put forth in the report failed to meet the expectations and demands of various political parties in India. The report was particularly unsatisfactory for the Indian National Congress and the Muslim community. While it did support the concept of separate electorates, it rejected the idea of Muslims having a one-third share of seats in the Central Assembly. Additionally, the report dismissed the notion of separating Sindh from the Bombay Presidency.
The political climate in India was tense during this time. In response to the disappointing recommendations of the Simon Commission and the perceived lack of progress toward self-governance, the Indian National Congress launched the Civil Disobedience Movement. A prominent event during this movement was the Salt March led by Mahatma Gandhi. However, this movement was met with violence, and both Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru were arrested.
With the political situation at an impasse and growing frustration among the Indian masses, the British government recognized the need for further dialogue. They acknowledged that the Simon Report was not the final word and decided to convene a series of Round Table Conferences to discuss the recommendations and the future governance of India.
The first Round Table Conference was held in London in 1930, followed by subsequent sessions in 1931 and 1932. These conferences brought together representatives from various Indian political parties and communities, as well as British officials, to discuss and debate the potential shape of the future Indian government. The Muslim League, led by Muhammad Ali Jinnah, initially reserved judgment on the recommendations of the Simon Report, opting to adhere to the 14 Points put forth by Jinnah in 1929.
Why were they held?
Demand for Constitutional Reforms: By the late 1920s, there was a growing demand for greater political representation and participation in India's governance. The Indian National Congress and other political parties were advocating for constitutional reforms that would grant Indians more say in their own affairs.
Civil Disobedience Movements: The Civil Disobedience Movement, led by Mahatma Gandhi, was gaining momentum in India. The British government sought to find a peaceful and negotiated solution to the growing unrest and demands for self-governance.
Review of Simon Commission Recommendations: The Simon Commission, appointed by the British government in 1927, was meant to review India's constitutional arrangements. However, it was criticized for not having any Indian members and faced opposition in India. The Round Table Conferences were seen as a way to revisit the recommendations and include Indian voices.
Representation of Indian Interests: The British government wanted to include various Indian stakeholders in the discussions to ensure that a wide range of perspectives were considered. The conferences aimed to involve representatives from different communities, including princes, landowners, and religious groups, in addition to the political parties.
Diverse Issues to Address: The conferences addressed several complex issues, such as communal representation, franchise (voting rights), federal structure, provincial autonomy, and the relationship between British India and the princely states.
The Round Table Conferences led to extensive discussions and debates among the participants, but they did not result in a consensus. Various parties and communities had different visions for India's future, leading to disagreements and deadlock. The failure to reach a satisfactory agreement during these conferences contributed to the continuation of the political turmoil and demands for independence in India.
It's important to note that the Round Table Conferences were held in London due to the British colonial administration's control over India and its imperial policies. The British government wanted to maintain control over the process and discussions while involving Indian representatives in the decision-making process.
The First Round Table Conference
The first conference was held in London from November 1930 to January 1931 and was officially initiated by King George V and chaired by the British Prime Minister, Ramsay MacDonald. It was attended by the Muslim League and representatives of the Princely States. Almost 89 members attended the conference, out of which 58 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, Muhammad Ali Jinnah (RA), Maulana Mohammad Ali Jauhar, Muhammad Shafi, Muhammad Zafarullah Khan and A. K. Fazl-ul-Huq.
However, the Congress declared that it would attend the conference only if it was given the assurance that the Nehru Report would be enforced in totality as the constitution of India. The Congress also refused to attend unless there was a guarantee that anything agreed at the conference would be implemented. No such guarantee was given. Instead of attending, Congress began its programme of non-cooperation. The British government reacted by arresting thousands of congress supporters including Gandhi and Nehru.
However, some advances were made. The princes declared that they would join a future federation of India as long as their rights were recognised. The British agreed that representative government should be introduced at provincial level. This was a great achievement for the Congress because it had suggested forming a unitary form of government in the Nehru Report.
Yet, the conference also failed to an extent. Since Congress was India’s largest party, it was difficult for significant progress to be made in the talks in its absence. There was no major progress about Princely States who were willing to cooperate in the formation of federation for India with guaranteed protection.
Gandhi-Irwin Pact
When the Indian representatives returned from the first Round Table Conference, the British urged Gandhi to stop his non-cooperation and agree to attend the next set of talks. For this the British government directed the Viceroy, Lord Irwin, to make efforts in this regard. In February 1931, Lord Irwin and Gandhi met in the first of a series of meetings to agree the terms of future progress. Some British politicians, especially Winston Churchill, objected to Lord Irwin holding talks with someone who had just been imprisoned for opposition to British rule. Lord Irwin, however, understood the need to bring Congress into the discussions.
It was very difficult for the British government to reach an agreement without the Congress, so they tried their best to convince Gandhi to attend the second Round Table Conference. After all, on 5 March 1931, the ‘Gandhi-Irwin Pact’ was signed. Lord Irwin agreed to release most political prisoners and return property seized by the government. Gandhi agreed to call off the non-cooperation campaign and attend the next round of talks. He also agreed to give up his demand for full independence in return for a promise that, in a federal India, Indians would have a genuine say in how they were governed.
The Second Round Table Conference
The second conference took place in London from 7 September 1931 and 1 December 1931. It was a very important occasion because almost all the political parties of India were present during this conference. The Muslim League was led by Jinnah (RA) and Allama Iqbal and the Indian National Congress was represented by Gandhi.
The conference failed badly. The Labour Party had lost power in Britain and the new coalition government, the Conservative government, was less keen to reach a compromise in India. Additionally, Gandhi also claimed himself as the sole representative of all the Indians. This view was totally rejected by the British government, as well as by Jinnah (RA), who tried his best to prove that the Muslims were a separate nation from any definition of nation in the world.
Not just Jinnah (RA), other parties also disagreed with Gandhi’s view. In fact, the division between the many attending groups was one of the reasons why the outcomes of the conference were again no substantial results regarding India's constitutional future. Gandhi took a hard line in the talks and refused to recognise the problems of the minorities in the subcontinent. Due to his attitude, there was no settlement of various issues, which could be settled easily.
Consequently, little was achieved at the conference, other than an agreement that the North-West Frontier Province and Sindh should be made provinces with their own governors. Also, there was a unanimous agreement between all parties concerned that diarchy should be abolished and dominion status was proposed for India. The Diarchy was shifted from the provinces to the centers. The British government warned the Indians that if agreement could not soon be reached, they would impose their own solution to the ‘Indian problem’.
The Communal Award of 1932
The British Prime Minister, Ramsay MacDonald, saw himself as a friend of the Indians and wanted to resolve the issues in India. Also, the British government gave enough time and chance to Indian leaders to come up with a workable constitutional setup. After the failure of the Second Round Table Conference, he announced the Communal Award on August 16, 1932.
This Award gave the right of separate electorate to all the minority communities in the country, i.e. Forward Caste, Muslims, Buddhists, Sikhs, Indian Christians, Anglo-Indians, Europeans and the Scheduled Caste. The principle of weightage was also applied. Sindh was also separated from the Bombay province.
It also awarded the Muslims more seats than their population in Hindu Majority provinces. The Hindus were also awarded more seats than their population in Muslim Majority provinces. However, the Award was not popular with the Muslim community as the majority of Muslims in Punjab and Bengal was reduced. For example, in Punjab, although the Muslims constituted almost 56 percent of the total population of Punjab, they were given only 86 out of 175 seats in the Punjab Assembly.
Yet, the Muslims were prepared to accept the Award and the League passed a resolution saying: “Though the decision falls far short of the Muslim demands, the Muslims have accepted it in the best interest of the country, reserving to themselves the right to press for the acceptance of all.”
Also the Congress was not happy with this Award because the Muslims were given separate electorate and the seats in Hindu-majority provinces. As always, Congress launched a campaign against it as well.
The Untouchables were assigned a number of seats to be filled by election from special constituencies in which voters belonging to the Untouchables only could vote. Gandhi protested against this and undertook a fast unto death. Gandhi also had meetings with the Untouchable leadership for the first time to persuade them that they were not minorities, but part of the mainstream Hindu society. This is called the Poona Pact.
The Third Round Table Conference
The Third Round Table Conference was held in London from November 1932 to December 1932. It stood a little chance of success. Lord Irwin had been replaced by Lord Willington, who was much less prepared to make concessions and less aware of the problems and solutions of India. In places, the non-cooperation movement re-started and Willington responded by having Congress leaders, including Gandhi and Nehru, arrested. In January 1932, Congress formally re-started the non-cooperation campaign.
Congress boycotted the talks, as did all the major princes. Jinnah (RA) had gone into voluntary exile, disillusioned by the lack of progress being made, and was not even invited to the conference; also his wife had died the same year. The Muslim League was, therefore, represented by the Aga Khan, but there were only 46 delegates and the meeting broke up with nothing of any substance agreed. The conference ended on December 25, 1932.
Post Events
The Round Table Conferences, while ultimately falling short of achieving significant breakthroughs, played a pivotal role by providing a neutral platform for Indian leaders to contribute to the shaping of India's future constitution. These conferences, held in 1930, 1931, and 1932-1933, allowed diverse Indian voices to be heard, although their outcomes were not entirely successful.
After the culmination of the three conferences in March 1933, the British government used the insights garnered from these discussions to formulate their vision for India's governance. The comprehensive proposals were outlined in a document known as the 'White Paper.' This document served as a precursor to the formal presentation of a Bill before the British parliament, offering a space for constructive deliberation before the legislative process commenced.
Subsequently, the British politicians engaged in discussions and consultations with select Indian delegates, designated by the government to participate in the talks. This collaborative process helped refine the proposed Bill, ensuring that it considered the perspectives of both the British government and the Indian representatives.
In December 1934, the refined Bill was introduced in the British parliament. This Bill was the culmination of extensive discussions, negotiations, and input from Indian leaders, reflecting a concerted effort to address India's constitutional aspirations.
Finally, in August 1935, the Government of India Act, arising from this iterative process of dialogue and refinement, was enacted into law. This legislation marked a significant step in India's constitutional journey, as it laid out the framework for governance, albeit with its limitations and imperfections.
Conclusion
The Round Table Conferences played a crucial role in shaping the course of India's constitutional development and the eventual move towards independence. While they did not immediately lead to a definitive solution, they provided a platform for different stakeholders to voice their opinions and engage in dialogue about India's political future. The series of conferences highlighted the complexities and diversity of India's political landscape and marked an important step in the broader struggle for self-governance and independence from British rule.
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