colonial state and nationalism in the 1930's

Question 1

mn roy - ideologue of indian communists

Answer 1

‘The oppressed people and exploited classes are not obliged to respect the moral philosophy of the ruling power….
A despotic power is always overthrown by force.
The force employed in this process is not criminal.
On the contrary, precisely the guns carried by the army of the
British government in India are instruments of crime.
They become instruments of virtue when they are turned
against the imperialist state’

Question 2

congress becomes…

Answer 2

1937 congress dominates the office but is borgeois party. Radicalism watered down. Look after landlords and middle class.

Question 3

1929

Answer 3

Deepavali declaration - india would be given dominion status

Question 4

new labour and constitution

Answer 4

New labour wantd to delay the consitution for indians but the conservatives that heralded consitution of advance. Berkenhead thought inmrtant to appoint a statuary commission

Question 5

Government of India Act 1935

Answer 5

No preamble: the ambiguity of British commitment to dominion status

No Bill of Rights

Relationship to a Dominion Constitution[edit]
In 1947, relatively few amendments in the Act made it the functioning interim constitutions of India and Pakistan.

Safeguards[edit]
The Act was not only extremely detailed, but it was riddled with ‘safeguards’ designed to enable the British Government to intervene whenever it saw the need in order to maintain British responsibilities and interests.

Reality of Responsible Government Under the Act – Is the Cup Half-Full or Half-Empty?[edit]
A close reading of the Act[2] reveals that the British Government equipped itself with the legal instruments to take back total control at any time they considered this to be desirable.

British Political Needs vs. Indian Constitutional Needs – the Ongoing Dysfunction[edit]
From the moment of the Montagu statement of 1917, it was vital that the reform process stay ahead of the curve if the British were to hold the strategic initiative. However, imperialist sentiment, and a lack of realism, in British political circles made this impossible. Thus the grudging conditional concessions of power in the Acts of 1919 and 1935 caused more resentment and signally failed to win the Raj the backing of influential groups in India which it desperately needed.

Separate electorates for muslims

Question 6

WHAT DOES the first rtc ACHIEVE?

Answer 6

· WHAT DOES IT ACHIEVE? Gansdhi pretends to negotiate but doesn’t come to the table, October 1930 – the british delegation of 8 inc pm, conservative group led by hall, liberal group led by reading, hindu communalists, sikhs, untouchables, madras justice party, anglo indians (mixed race, half white, half black), Indian liberal party
· All these minority groups come to meeting because they want a share of the cake.
· Jan 1930 Mcdonald closes the session with a declaration , that british govt accept principle of responsible government providing it is on a federal bases
Core of group the princes - 400 or so. Argue british are encouraging conservative core as they can’t ignore them or using them to divide and rule.

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] It was difficult for progress to be made in the absence of the Indian National Congress but some advances were made.

The idea of an All-India Federation was moved to the centre of discussion by Tej Bahadur Sapru.[2] All the groups attending the conference supported this concept. The princely states agreed to the proposed federation provided that their internal sovereignty was guaranteed. The Muslim League also supported the federation as it had always been opposed to a strong Centre. The British agreed that representative government should be introduced on provincial level.

Other important discussions were the responsibility of the executive to the legislature and a separate electorate for the so-called Untouchables as demanded by Dr. B.R. Ambedkar.

Question 7

Nehru report

Answer 7

Embraces question of dominion status and discusses it. Attempts to assuage the muslims with a provision of muslim majority provinces in Sindh and n/w frontier. Muslims worried if power devolved what happens to them? Where are muslims in majority ? in nw frontier. Attempts to assuage fears that they will have power accruing to majority muslim provinces. They will be allowed a sense of power. Only have reserved seats though – similar to untouchables.

Question 8

What happened when gandhi tried to restart CDM after second conference?

Answer 8

Gandhi returns to india to restart civil disobendience – failed. Can’t stop and restart a movement so instead forces the villages to spin cloth, do good work, sanitation work

Question 9

Reaction to simon commission

Answer 9

Resurgence of nationalism. Protest and death of Lala Lajpat Rai[edit]
Almost immediately with its arrival in Bombay on 3 February 1928, the Simon Commission was confronted by throngs of protesters. A strike began and many people turned out to greet the Commission with black flags. Similar protests occurred in every major Indian city that the seven British MPs visited.

One protest against the Simon Commission became infamous. On 30 October 1928, the Commission arrived in Lahore where it was met by protesters waving black flags.[1] The protest was led by Indian nationalist Lala Lajpat Rai, who had moved a resolution against the Commission in the Legislative Assembly of Punjab in February 1928. In order to make way for the Commission, the local police force began beating protestors with their sticks. The police were particularly brutal towards Lala Lajpat Rai, who died later on 17 November 1928.[citation needed] His death was widely believed to have been caused by the mental trauma of the beating.[1]

Question 10

Financial and military

Answer 10

control stayed with empire

Question 11

Who doesn’t go the 1st round Table conference?

Answer 11

INDIAN NATIONAL CONGRESS AND GANDHI. Irwin failed as did not succeed in getting gandhi to come to conference. This caused ruction sin britain. Churchill furious indian being invited to the table.

Question 12

dominion status and congress

Answer 12

Congress policy of congress constitution. The congress in the 1920’s were comitted to achieve dominion status and join princely and britsh india as a dominions status as a federation. Balfour had defined dominion in 1926 as complete autonomy.· Although india would remain loyal to the crown, they would have complete sutonomy.
· Some thought he british were offering holow gesture
Irwin said dominion for india means dominion of arthur balfour

in the 20’s happy if dominion status offered but 30’s no.

Question 13

congress and politics

Answer 13

Congress starting to see itself as a party which may come into power. Jostling for position indentifies the spirit between caste hindus and untouchables and muslims and hindus

Question 14

How many provinces?

Answer 14

11

Question 15

british response to proposed conditions of irwin pact

Answer 15

In reply, the British Government agreed to

Withdraw all ordinances and end prosecutions
Release all political prisoners, except those guilty of violence
Permit peaceful picketing of liquor and foreign cloth shops
Restore confiscated properties of the satyagrahis
Permit free collection or manufacture of salt by persons near the sea-coast
Lift the ban over the congress.

Question 16

2ND ROUND TABLE CONFERENCE 1931

Answer 16

· Gandhi chooses to join conference
· Gandhi and irwin declare truce Gandhi irin pact 1931 after salt march
· Gandhi seizes opportunity of political reform
· Congress decided this is a position of strength – picture shows gandhi as centre stage.
· Gandhi made a big impression on certain sections of the pucli – stayed in the East End (living amongst the poor) hes wearing his robes not his suit. Wearign the loincloth of the indian peasant
· Stayed there for 12 weeks. Spoke of his bond with London poor.
· Failed to unite indian poinion behind him
· The stark realities came to the fore at this conference.
· Congress sent him to ceced from Empire – rejected by British
· tbe conference was to maintain existing financial and military control as profitable for the empire.
poona pact with ambedkar

Question 17

how many provinces does indian national congress win

Answer 17

7

Question 18

communist party and the british

Answer 18

Consitantly charged with sedition. When charged, communism was then exposed through trials and arrests. Because the congress was sitting communists had little hope of getting communist support. All these people unable to gain support. Massani joined the congress party to make it more left. Nehru attracted to siaclims. Compromising socialism. Communists critical of socailsists and congress. Compromising tactics of congress and gandhi astride on stage seeking a middle path non radical. He was the one the british wanted to negotiate with.

Question 19

Gandhi round table first -

Answer 19

wants full independence. Churchill furious,

Question 20

INDIAN COMMUNISM

Answer 20

· Very very anti any sort of support fr the british
· First every communist who starts cvommunist party outside Russi. First in mexic.
· Language of communists – opposed to congress, no want of anything to do with the british.
Consitantly charged with sedition. When charged, communism was then exposed through trials and arrests. Because the congress was sitting communists had little hope of getting communist support. All these people unable to gain support. Massani joined the congress party to make it more left. Nehru attracted to siaclims. Compromising socialism. Communists critical of socailsists and congress. Compromising tactics of congress and gandhi astride on stage seeking a middle path non radical. He was the one the british wanted to negotiate with.

Question 21

07/1930

Answer 21

Irwin returns to england for leave and suggests conference to discuss impending reforms to which members of parliament, princes and british india invited.

Question 22

nationalism in the 1930’s

Answer 22

Pressure, Compromise, Pressure- PCP strategy continues.
Civil disobedience followed by Constitutional Negotiations leading to the 1935 Act
Office Acceptance follows- 1937-39
Alienation of untouchables and Muslims
Resignation from Office- 1939
The Congress Socialist Party and the Communist Party of India

Question 23

proposed conditions of gandhi-irwin pact

Answer 23

Below are the proposed conditions.

Discontinuation of the civil disobedience movement by the Indian National Congress
Participation by the Indian National Congress in the Round Table Conference
Withdrawal of all ordinances issued by the British Government imposing curbs on the activities of the Indian National Congress
Withdrawal of all prosecutions relating to several types of offenses except those involving violence
Release of prisoners arrested for participating in the civil disobedience movement
Removal of the tax on salt, which allowed the Indians to produce, trade, and sell salt legally and for their own private use
Many British officials in India, and in England, were outraged by the idea of a pact with a party whose avowed purpose was the destruction of the British Raj. Winston Churchill publicly expressed his disgust “…at the nauseating and humiliating spectacle of this one-time Inner Temple lawyer, now seditious fakir, striding half-naked up the steps of the Viceroy’s palace, there to negotiate and parley on equal terms with the representative of the King Emperor.”

Question 24

WHAT ARE WE LEFT WITH? NATIONALISM IN THE 1930’S

Answer 24

· Left with pcp strategy,
· Civil disobedience followed by the Consitutional Negotiations leading to the 1935 act
· Office Acceptance followes- 1937-1939
· Alienation of untouchables and muslims from the congress because it is no longer a movement but a party in power.
· Resugnation from office 1939 wwi no elected member of parliament were consulted about 1.5 million being sent to war. So congress resigns in 1939. The 1935 act was a sham
· Congress socialist party and cpi communist party of india on rise

Question 25

Quote churchill

Answer 25

We hope once and for all to kill the idea that the British in India are aliens moving with many apologies out of the country as soon as they have been able to set up any sort of governing organism to take their place. We shall try to inculcate the idea that….we are there for ever as honoured partners with our Indian fellow subjects whom we invite in all faithfulness to join with us in the highest functions of government for their lasting benefit and for our own.

Question 26

india and war

Answer 26

india made belligerent in war without a single elected mp being consulted. 1.5 million indians drafted. whole government era a sham. withdraw from office. Gandhi says 1935 act a sham

Question 27

Simon commission

Answer 27

The Indian Statutory Commission was a group of seven British Members of Parliament of United Kingdom that had been dispatched to India in 1928 to study constitutional reform in Britain’s most important colonial dependency. It was commonly referred to as the Simon Commission after its chairman, Sir John Simon. One of its members was Clement Attlee, who subsequently became the British Prime Minister and eventually oversaw the granting of independence to India in 1947.

At the time of introducing the Montagu-Chelmsford reforms the British Government declared that a commission would be sent to India after ten years to examine the effects and operations of the constitutional reforms and to suggest more reforms for India .

In November 1927 the British government appointed a commission under the chairmanship of Sir John Simon to report on India’s constitutional progress for introducing constitutional reforms as had been promised.

Question 28

gandhi irwin pact

Answer 28

The Gandhi–Irwin Pact was a political agreement signed by Mahatma Gandhi and the then Viceroy of India, Lord Irwin on 5 March 1931 before the second Round Table Conference in London.[1] Before this, the viceroy Lord Irwin announced in October 1929, a vague offer of ‘dominion status’ for India in an unspecified future and a Round Table Conference to discuss a future constitution.[2]

“The Two Mahatmas”—as Sarojini Naidu described Gandhi and Irwin—had eight meetings that totaled 24 hours. Gandhi was impressed by Irwin’s sincerity. The terms of the “Gandhi-Irwin Pact” fell manifestly short of those Gandhi prescribed as the minimum for a truce.[3]

Question 29

what is dominion status

Answer 29

Dominions were semi-independent polities that were nominally under the Crown, constituting the British Empire and later the British Commonwealth, beginning in the later part of the 19th century.[1][2] They included Canada, Australia, Pakistan, India, Ceylon (Sri Lanka), New Zealand, Newfoundland, South Africa, and the Irish Free State. The Balfour Declaration of 1926 recognised the Dominions as “autonomous Communities within the British Empire”. In 1931 the Statute of Westminster recognized the Dominions as fully sovereign from the United Kingdom, with which they shared a common allegiance to the Crown. The Dominions and later constitutional monarchies within the Commonwealth of Nations maintained the same royal house and royal succession from before full sovereignty, and became known after the year 1953 as Commonwealth realms.

Question 30

indian national congress and standing for elections

Answer 30

unsure whether to stand in an election which give limited powers. They decide to because if they don’t, the minorities will