Jump to content

Round Table Conferences (India): Difference between revisions

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Content deleted Content added
Line 4: Line 4:


==First Round Table Conference (November 1930 – January 1931)==
==First Round Table Conference (November 1930 – January 1931)==
The Round Table Conference was opened officially by [[George V of the United Kingdom|King George V]] 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]].(In simple words ) Ramsay MacDonald (the British prime minister) organized a conference at London in 1930, to discuss certain constitutional issues related to India. it was known as 'round table conference' different political parties in India and the rulers of princely states sent their representatives to attend the conference. (Indian National Congress did not participate in this conference). The national congress was a body that represented the country. Without the congress, the deliberations in the round table conference were indeed meaningless. The British prime minister (Ramsay MacDonald) expressed a hope that congress would join the second round discussions.{{fact|date=January 2013}}
The Round Table Conference was opened officially by [[George V of the United Kingdom|King George V]] on November 12, 1930 at [[London]] and chaired by the British Prime Minister, [[Ramsay MacDonald]]. It was the first time that British and Indian political leaders and rulers of Indian princely states met at one place.

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===
===Participants===
Line 10: Line 12:
*'''British Representatives:''' [[Ramsay Macdonald]], [[John Sankey, 1st Viscount Sankey|Lord Sankey]], [[William Wedgwood Benn, 1st Viscount Stansgate|Wedgwood Benn]], [[Arthur Henderson]], [[James Henry Thomas|J. H. Thomas]], [[William Jowitt, 1st Earl Jowitt|William Jowitt]], [[Hastings Lees-Smith]], [[Frank Russell, 2nd Earl Russell|Earl Russell]], [[William Peel, 1st Earl Peel|Earl Peel]], [[Lawrence Dundas, 2nd Marquess of Zetland|Marquess of Zetland]], [[Samuel Hoare, 1st Viscount Templewood|Samuel Hoare]], [[Oliver Stanley]], [[Rufus Isaacs, 1st Marquess of Reading|Marquess of Reading]], [[Philip Kerr, 11th Marquess of Lothian|Marquess of Lothian]], [[Robert William Hamilton|Robert Hamilton]], [[Isaac Foot]]
*'''British Representatives:''' [[Ramsay Macdonald]], [[John Sankey, 1st Viscount Sankey|Lord Sankey]], [[William Wedgwood Benn, 1st Viscount Stansgate|Wedgwood Benn]], [[Arthur Henderson]], [[James Henry Thomas|J. H. Thomas]], [[William Jowitt, 1st Earl Jowitt|William Jowitt]], [[Hastings Lees-Smith]], [[Frank Russell, 2nd Earl Russell|Earl Russell]], [[William Peel, 1st Earl Peel|Earl Peel]], [[Lawrence Dundas, 2nd Marquess of Zetland|Marquess of Zetland]], [[Samuel Hoare, 1st Viscount Templewood|Samuel Hoare]], [[Oliver Stanley]], [[Rufus Isaacs, 1st Marquess of Reading|Marquess of Reading]], [[Philip Kerr, 11th Marquess of Lothian|Marquess of Lothian]], [[Robert William Hamilton|Robert Hamilton]], [[Isaac Foot]]


*'''Indian States' Representatives:''' [[Jai Singh Prabhakar|Maharaja of Alwar]], [[Sayajirao Gaekwad III|Maharaja of Baroda]], [[Hamidullah Khan|Nawab of Bhopal]], [[Ganga Singh|Maharaja of Bikaner]], [[Udaybhanu Singh|Rana of Dholpur]], [[Hari Singh|Maharaja of Jammu and Kashmir]], [[Ranjitsinhji|Maharaja of Nawanagar]], [[Bhupinder Singh of Patiala|Maharaja of Patiala]], Maharaja of Rewa, Chief Sahib of Sangli, Sir Prabhashankar Pattani, [[Manubhai Mehta]], Sardar Sahibzada Sultan Ahmed Khan, [[Muhammad Saleh Akbar Hydari|Sir Muhammad Akbar Hydari]], [[Mirza Ismail]], Col. K.N. Haksar
*'''Indian States' Representatives:''' [[Jai Singh Prabhakar|Maharaja of Alwar]], [[Sayajirao Gaekwad III|Maharaja of Baroda]], [[Hamidullah Khan|Nawab of Bhopal]], [[Ganga Singh|Maharaja of Bikaner]], [[Udaybhanu Singh|Rana of Dholpur]], [[Hari Singh|Maharaja of Jammu and Kashmir]], [[Ranjitsinhji|Maharaja of Nawanagar]], [[Bhupinder Singh of Patiala|Maharaja of Patiala]] (Chancellor of the [[Chamber of Princes]]), Maharaja of Rewa, Chief Sahib of Sangli, Sir Prabhashankar Pattani, [[Manubhai Mehta]], Sardar Sahibzada Sultan Ahmed Khan, [[Akbar Hydari]], [[Mirza Ismail]], Col. K.N. Haksar


*'''British-Indian Representatives:''' [[Aga Khan III]], [[C. P. Ramaswami Iyer]], [[Maulana Mohammad Ali]], [[B. R. Ambedkar]], U Aung Thin, [[Ba U]], [[Chandradhar Barua]], J. N. Basu, [[Shah Nawaz Bhutto]], Sir Hubert Carr, [[C. Y. Chintamani]], [[Muhammad Ahmad Said Khan Chhatari]], [[Raj Darbhanga|Kameshwar Singh of Darbhanga]], Raja Sher Muhammad Khan of Domeli, [[A. K. Fazlul Huq]], M. M. Ohn Ghine, A. H. Ghuznavi, [[Henry Gidney]], Sir O. de Glanville, [[Ghulam Hussain Hidayatullah]], Hafiz Hidayat Hussain, Bhaskarrao Vithojirao Jadhav, [[M. R. Jayakar]], [[Cowasji Jehangir]], [[Muhammad Ali Jinnah]], T. F. Gavin Jones, N. M. Joshi, Narendra Nath Law, [[Bhupendra Nath Mitra]], Provash Chandra Mitter, [[Homi Mody]], [[B. S. Moonje]], [[Arcot Ramasamy Mudaliar]], Diwan Bahadur Raja Narendra Nath, [[A. T. Pannirselvam]], [[Krushna Chandra Gajapati|Raja of Parlakimedi]], Sir Annepu Parasuramadas Patro, [[Sahibzada Abdul Qayyum]], M. Ramachandra Rao, [[B. Shiva Rao]], [[Syed Sultan Ahmed]], [[Tej Bahadur Sapru]], [[Muhammad Shafi (politician)|Muhammad Shafi]], Sardar Sampuran Singh, [[V. S. Srinivasa Sastri]], [[Chimanlal Harilal Setalvad]], Bisheshwar Dayal Seth, Phiroze Sethna, Dr. Shafa'at Ahmad Khan, [[Begum Jahanara Shahnawaz]], [[Rettamalai Srinivasan]], [[Radhabai Subbarayan]], Shripad Balwant Tambe, [[Sardar Ujjal Singh]], C. E. Wood, [[Muhammad Zafarullah Khan]]
*'''British-Indian Representatives:''' [[Aga Khan III]], [[C. P. Ramaswami Iyer]], [[Maulana Mohammad Ali]], [[B. R. Ambedkar]], U Aung Thin, [[Ba U]], [[Chandradhar Barua]], J. N. Basu, [[Shah Nawaz Bhutto]], Sir Hubert Carr, [[C. Y. Chintamani]], [[Muhammad Ahmad Said Khan Chhatari]], [[Raj Darbhanga|Kameshwar Singh of Darbhanga]], Raja Sher Muhammad Khan of Domeli, [[A. K. Fazlul Huq]], M. M. Ohn Ghine, A. H. Ghuznavi, [[Henry Gidney]], Sir O. de Glanville, [[Ghulam Hussain Hidayatullah]], Hafiz Hidayat Hussain, Bhaskarrao Vithojirao Jadhav, [[M. R. Jayakar]], [[Cowasji Jehangir]], [[Muhammad Ali Jinnah]], T. F. Gavin Jones, N. M. Joshi, Narendra Nath Law, [[Bhupendra Nath Mitra]], Provash Chandra Mitter, [[Homi Mody]], [[B. S. Moonje]], [[Arcot Ramasamy Mudaliar]], Diwan Bahadur Raja Narendra Nath, [[A. T. Pannirselvam]], [[Krushna Chandra Gajapati|Raja of Parlakimedi]], Sir Annepu Parasuramadas Patro, [[Sahibzada Abdul Qayyum]], M. Ramachandra Rao, [[B. Shiva Rao]], [[Syed Sultan Ahmed]], [[Tej Bahadur Sapru]], [[Muhammad Shafi (politician)|Muhammad Shafi]], Sardar Sampuran Singh, [[V. S. Srinivasa Sastri]], [[Chimanlal Harilal Setalvad]], Bisheshwar Dayal Seth, Phiroze Sethna, Dr. Shafa'at Ahmad Khan, [[Begum Jahanara Shahnawaz]], [[Rettamalai Srinivasan]], [[Radhabai Subbarayan]], Shripad Balwant Tambe, [[Sardar Ujjal Singh]], C. E. Wood, [[Muhammad Zafarullah Khan]]
Line 22: Line 24:
*'''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
*'''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


The conference started with 6 plenary meetings where delegates put forward their issues. These were followed by discussions on the reports of the sub-committees on Federal Structure, Provincial Constitution, Minorities, [[Burma]], [[North West Frontier Province]], Franchise, Defence, Services and [Sindh]]. These were followed by 2 more plenary meetings and a final concluding session.<ref name=IRTCP/>


The idea of an All-India Federation was moved to the centre of discussion. All the groups attending the conference supported this concept. The responsibility of the executive to the Legislature was discussed, and Dr. [[B.R. Ambedkar]] demanded a separate electorate for the so-called [[Dalit|Untouchables]].
The idea of an All-India Federation was moved to the centre of discussion. All the groups attending the conference supported this concept. The responsibility of the executive to the legislature was discussed, and Dr. [[B.R. Ambedkar]] demanded a separate electorate for the so-called [[Dalit|Untouchables]].


It was difficult for progress to be made in the absence of Congress (Indian National Congress) but some advances were made. The princes declared they would join future federation of India as long as their rights were recognized and the British agreed that representative government should be introduced on provincial level.
It was difficult for progress to be made in the absence of Congress (Indian National Congress) but some advances were made. The princes declared they would join future federation of India as long as their rights were recognized and the British agreed that representative government should be introduced on provincial level.

Revision as of 19:14, 26 August 2013

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.

First Round Table Conference (November 1930 – January 1931)

The Round Table Conference was opened officially by King George V on November 12, 1930 at London and chaired by the British Prime Minister, Ramsay MacDonald. It was the first time that British and Indian political leaders and rulers of Indian princely states met at one place.

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

[1]

  • Officials attending in consultative capacity: W. M. Hailey, C. A. Innes, A. C. MacWatters, H. G. Haig, L. W. Reynolds
  • 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

The conference started with 6 plenary meetings where delegates put forward their issues. These were followed by discussions on the reports of the sub-committees on Federal Structure, Provincial Constitution, Minorities, Burma, North West Frontier Province, Franchise, Defence, Services and [Sindh]]. These were followed by 2 more plenary meetings and a final concluding session.[1]

The idea of an All-India Federation was moved to the centre of discussion. All the groups attending the conference supported this concept. The responsibility of the executive to the legislature was discussed, and Dr. B.R. Ambedkar demanded a separate electorate for the so-called Untouchables.

It was difficult for progress to be made in the absence of Congress (Indian National Congress) but some advances were made. The princes declared they would join future federation of India as long as their rights were recognized and the British agreed that representative government should be introduced on provincial level.

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.
  • 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

[2]

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.

In this conference, Chaudhary Rahmat Ali, a college student, coined the name "Pakistan" (which means "land of pureness") as the name for the Muslim part of partitioned India. Jinnah did not attend it, since he went on a voluntary exile and was practicing law at Central London .

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

References

  1. ^ a b Indian Round Table Conference Proceedings. Government of India. 1931.
  2. ^ [www.irps.in/rtc1931.pdf Indian Round Table Conference (Second Session) Proceedings of the Plenary Sessions] (PDF). 1932. {{cite book}}: Check |url= value (help)