What Is Communal Award And Poona Pact 1932 ?

 SCENARIO :

1. In 1906, Muslim League was formed in Dhaka. The Muslim League is also known as the All India Muslim League. And the founders were Khwaja Salimullah, Nawab Waqar-ul-Mulk, Syed Ameer Ali, Syed Nabiullah, Khan Bahadur Ghulam, and Mustafa Chowdhury. 

      2. The AIML was the first Muslim political party in India. 

      

     3.  OBJECTIVE:

 

                 (a)-  To create loyalty for the British Government.   

                 (b)-  To protect the political rights of the Muslims.

                 (c) - To prevent the rise of prejudice against other communities of India among the Muslims.

                 (d)- They wanted a separate electorate in Muslim Majority Areas.

British Government accepted the Muslim League's demand for a separate electorate in the GOI Act 1909.

After this, other communities also started demanding about the same. The British Government awarded a separate electorate in the GOI Act 1919 (Montagu Chelmsford Reforms) to Sikhs, Indian Christian, Anglo-Indians, and Europeans.

In the GOI Act 1919, there was a provision that after 10 years, i.e., in 1929, a commission would be set up to examine the progress and propose further constitutional reforms of this act. Still, Lord Birkenhead (Secretary Of State) set up this Commission in 1927. 

There were 7 members of the British Government in this Commission. Sir John Simon was the chairman.

Dr. B.R. Ambhedkar met Simon Commission and represented a demand for a separate electorate for Depressed Class ( Scheduled Castes) in front of Simon Commission.

People protested against Dr. Ambhedkar. Because everyone, including INC, was protesting against Simon Commission because everyone in the Commission was British, and not even a single was an Indian.

Simon Commission published its report in May 1930.

They did three round table conferences from 1930-1932 to understand the demand of Indian representatives more accurately. 

First Round Table Conference -  November 1930- January 1931

Second Round Table Conference - September 1931- December 1931 

Everyone, including Dr. Ambedkar, was demanding a separate electorate, but Mahatma Gandhi (only INC representative) was urging a fully responsible government.

- Announcements - 2 new Muslim majorities were formed NWFP and SIND

                               -  McDonald asked Indian leaders to resolve the issue of Minority Representation in                                    Government; otherwise, it will be decided by the COMMUNAL AWARD. ( Along with the Muslim, Sikhs, Indian Christians, Anglo Indians, and Europeans were also recognized as Minority Community In India.

71 seats were reserved for the Depressed Classes in the provincial assembly, and these candidates were to be selected based on the Separate Electorate. They were also permitted that these candidates could also vote for general constituencies. And this was also told that these benefits were only 25 years.)

Gandhiji was very upset with the demands of Indian leaders at the second round table conference. On 28 Dec 1931, Gandhiji came back to India, and with other congress members, he decided to restart CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE MOVEMENT. 

On 4 Jan 1932, Lord Willingdon sent Gandhiji and another influential leader to Jail before the initiation of the movement.

On 16 Aug 1932, Ramsay MacDonald in British Parliament announced something in the representation of Indian Minorities in Provincial Legislature also called the COMMUNAL AWARD.

Two main proposals were - Doubled the seats in the provincial legislature

                                             - Separate Electorates

Gandhiji was very disappointed and said that the British Government was trying to create a social divide using the communal award.  He was in the Yarawada jail, Pune.

On 20 Sept 1942, Gandhiji started a fast unto death from Jail itself.

British Govt said that we have awarded the separate electorate to those who were demanding it, and now the only way to change it is to make such agreement among the leaders of that community.

Gandhiji's health was deteriorating, and then Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya, Sir Tej Bahadur Sapru, Chakravarti Rajagopalachari met Dr. Ambhedkar to convince him to step back. But he denied it, and because of that, Gandhiji's health was constantly declining, and he became an evil person in front of Gandhiji's millions of followers. 

                                               

After immense pressure, Dr. Ambhedkar started negotiating with Gandhi.

And based on these negotiations, POONA PACT  was signed in 1932.

NEGOTIATIONS - 148 seats were reserved for the Depressed Classes instead of 71 in the provincial assembly. And, these candidates were to be based on Joint Electorate and not on the Separate Electorate.

Reservations will be for only 10 years instead of 25 years unless it does not get terminated by the mutual agreement.

LET'S LOOK AT THE DISTRIBUTION OF THE 148 SEATS : 

MADRAS                                      30

BOMBAY AND SINDH                15 

PUNJAB                                       8

BIHAR AND ORISSA                  18

CENTRAL PROVINCES             20

ASSAM                                        7

BENGAL                                    30 

UNITED PROVINCES              20 

19% of seats were reserved for depressed class candidates in the central legislative assembly. And these candidates were to be elected based on Joint Electorate.

After POONA PACT, Gandhiji retired from active politics and launched ALL INDIA UNTOUCHABILITY LEAGUE  in 1932, intending to finish untouchability in India.

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