Topic 3: Consultation and Confrontation Flashcards
1930-42
When was the first RTC
12 November 1930 until January
Who attended the first RTC
Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar, representative for the Untouchables
16 representatives from the three main British political parties
Provincial Princes
Unionist Party
57 people the Viceroy nominated to attend
Jinnah
Indian Liberal Party
King George V
89 representatives
What was the state of the British government during the 1st RTC
Labour: Ramsay MacDonald
Committed to progressing India (not Dominion status)
Lord Irwin as Viceroy
William Wedgewood-Benn as SoS
What was happening in India during the 1st RTC
Gandhi’s salt satyagraha: undermined negotiations
Gandhi was in prison
Why were the INC not in attendance at the first RTC
Had rejected the offer to attend after declaring purna swaraj at the June 1929 Lahore congress
What was the plan for the RTC
To provide long-term reassurance to nationalists and co-operate with the Simon Commission
For India to be democratic and accountable to itself
For the Princely states to be federally linked as one nation
What was decided at the 1st RTC
Princely states agreed to join the British Union, which would strengthen the Raj and British control over India
Separate electorate for Untouchables and religious minorities (Communal Award 1930)
How successful was the 1st RTC
Generally cooperative between all parties as they had a similar goal
Not fully successful as the INC, affiliated with 80% of the population were not in attendance
Did not clear up the plan for the future
When was the 2nd RTC
7 September 1931
What was the situation of the British government during the 2nd RTC
Viceroy changed from Irwin to Willingdon, who was repressive and strict
Sir Samuel Hoare as SoS, a Conservative imperialist
Great Depression forced MacDonald to accept a coalition government
Economic struggles made India a crucial asset for Britian
Who attended the second RTC
Sir Samuel Hoare chaired
Gandhi as the sole INC representative, despite not being the leader of the INC at the time
Iqbal, the Aga Khan and Jinnah for the ML
Gandhi during the 2nd RTC
Claimed to speak for all of India, questioning the need for the other representatives
Angry about the outcome of the first RTC, especially since his Back to Basics campaign in which he sought to bridge the gap with the Untouchables
Outcome of the 2nd RTC
Showed to the SoS that there would be clashes in leadership as not only did the INC and the ML disagree, the Hindus disagreed among themselves
Gandhi and Jinnah clashed on the 14 points, representation and the movements in the ’20s
How successful was the 2nd RTC
No next steps planned
Communal Award announced
What did Gandhi do in Britain
Visited working class cities (East London and Lancashire) to justify the nationalist cause and advocate for the Labour party
Visited C.P Scott <333, editor of the Manchester Guardian
What happened upon Gandhi’s return to India
Immediately imprisoned by Willingdon, among Nehru, the CWC and other INC members
Placed in the Yeravda prison in Poona
Enacted ‘Emergency Powers’, similar to the Rowlatt Acts and the DOIA
When was the Gandhi Irwin Pact
Agreed March 1931
First approached Gandhi in July 1930, but he didn’t meet Irwin until February 1931
What was the Gandhi Irwin pact
Irwin’s move after realising the futility of holding RTCs without the INC
Agreed to release him from prison, as well as 19,000 members of the INC if he attended the 2nd Conference
Fellow Indians, especially businessmen, encouraged Gandhi to take the pact
Gandhi’s response to the Communal Award
Fast unto death
Declared the separate electorate a betrayal to his cause
Wrote to Hoare, who refused to change the legislation
Pressured Ambedkar to negotiate
Willingdon was prepared to let him die, though he was planning to release him so he wouldn’t die in prison
Poona Pact
Increased the no. of seats to be awarded to the Untouchables from 71 to 148, as well as guaranteeing at least 18% of the seats in future elections if they won the votes
Abandoned the separate electorate for the Untouchables
Ambedkar proposed a revisal clause, in which this could be changed if the Untouchables felt under-represented, though Gandhi did not budge
Set aside funding for the Untouchables
Communal Award
August 1932
Recognised Sikhs, Christian, Anglo Indians and Untouchables as separate classes, creating separate electorates for them
British response to the Poona Pact
Made necessary amendments to the Communal Award
Still unhappy about the divisions within India
What did Churchill refer to Gandhi as in response to seeing him ascend the steps to the Viceroy’s palace for the Gandhi-Irwin pact
A half-naked fakir