Lucknow Pact

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The Lucknow Pact was an agreement

reached between the Indian National
Congress and the Muslim League at the
joint session of both the parties held in
Lucknow in December 1916. Through the
pact, the two parties agreed to allow
overrepresentation to religious minorities
in the provincial legislatures. The Muslim
League leaders agreed to join the
Congress movement demanding Indian
autonomy. Scholars cite this as an
example of a consociational practice in
Indian politics.[1]

Background
The British had announced, in order to
satisfy the Indians, that they will be
considering a series of proposals that
would lead to at least half of the members
of the Executive Council being elected and
the Legislative Council having a majority of
elected members. Both the Congress and
the Muslim League supported these. Both
had realized that for further concessions
to be gained, greater cooperation was
required.[2]

Agreements by the Congress

The Congress agreed to separate
electorates for Muslims in electing
representatives to the Imperial and
Provincial Legislative Councils. Although
the Muslims were given this right in the
Indian Councils Act of 1909, the Indian
National Congress opposed it. The
Congress also agreed to the idea of one-
third seats for the Muslims in the Councils
despite the fact that the Muslim
population represented less than a third.
Apart from that, the Congress agreed that
no act affecting a community should be
passed unless three-quarters of that
community's members on the council
supported it. After the signing of this pact
the rivalry between moderates and
extremist reduced to some extent.There
was a significant change in their relation.[2]

Demands presented to the

British
Both the parties presented some common
demands to the British. They demanded:

The number of elected seats on the

councils should be increased.
 Motions which were passed by large
majorities in the councils should be
accepted as bindings by the British
Government.
Minorities in the provinces should be
protected.
All provinces should be granted
autonomy.[2]
Separating the executive from the
judiciary

Importance
The Lucknow Pact is seen as a beacon of
hope of Hindu-Muslim unity. It established
cordial relations between the Muslim
League and the Indian National Congress.
Before the pact, both parties were viewed
as rivals who opposed each other and
worked in their own interests. However, the
pact brought a change in that view.

The Lucknow Pact also established cordial

relations between the two prominent
groups within the Indian National
Congress – the extremist faction, known
colloquially as the garam dal or "hot
faction," led by the Lal Bal Pal trio of Lala
Lajpat Rai, Bal Gangadhar Tilak and Bipin
Chandra Pal, and the moderate faction,
known as the naram dal, led by Gopal
Krishna Gokhale.
References
1. Wilkinson, Steven Ian (September–
October 2000), "India, Consociational
Theory, and Ethnic Violence", Asian Survey,
40 (5): 767–791, JSTOR 3021176
2. Kelly, Nigel (2014). The History and
Culture of Pakistan. Peak Publishing. p. 61.

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