Despite the opposition it faced the simon commission still managed to

produce a two volume report.The report had little in it to cheer the

Muslims.Although it opposed the idead of separate electorates
however it supported 1/3 seats for Muslims in the central assembly and
sindh to be separated from bombay.The british called the round table
conferenc to discuss the commission.

The first round table conference was held in 1930 November and it was
attended by the Muslim League and representatives of the princely
states however Congress didnt attend the conference as it demanded
that anything agreed should be implemented but no such guarantee
was given and COngress began its programme of non cooperation.As
Congress was India's largest party therefore it was difficult for
significant progress in it's absence however some advancements were
made.The representatives of princely states agreed to join any future
federation of India as long as their rights were safeguarded and the
british also agreed to introduce a representative government at a
provincial level.The Muslim leaders after this left the conference feeling
some ground had been gained.

The Indians after returning from the first round table conference urged
gandhi to call off his non cooperation and attendt the next set of
talks.Gandhi met the viceroy Lord Irwin o discuss on the future
progress.Although some British politicians objected to Irwin for holding
talks with someone who was arrested for opposition to the British rule
however Irwin realised the urgency of bringing Congress into this
matter.On 5 march 1931 the Gandhi Irwin pact was signed in which
Irwin agreed to release most of the political prisoners and also return
the property seized by the government.Gandhi also agreed to call off his
non cooperation and attend the next set of talks.Gandhi also gave up
his demand for independence in return for that in federal India indians
would have a genuine say on how they'll be governed.

The second round table conferences were held in London in between

September and December 1931.The talks failed for two reasons firstly
the Labour Party in India had lost and now the coalition government
was less willing to make any concessions and secondly Gandhi refused
to recognise the rights of the minorities however there was an
agreement made that Sindh and NWFP will be made provinces with
their governors.The British warned that if there wasn't any solution
made they will aplly their own solution to the Indian problem

The new British Prime minister Ramsay MacDonald considered himself

as the friend of the Indians and wanted to resolve the issues in
India.After the failure of Second Round Table Conferences Sir Ramsay
Macdonald announced the Communal Award.According to this the
minorities got separate electorates

The reward was not popular amongst the muslims as it had reduced
their majority in Punjab and Bengal.For example in Punjab the muslims
constituted 56% of the population however they only got 86 seats out
of 176 in the Punjab Assembly.THe Muslims however were ready to
accept the award.

Congress rejected this award and decided to campaign against it.Gandhi

protested on the untouchables being declared as minority and took a
fast unto death.He also held meetings with the untouchables for the
first time to persuade them that they werent minrities but part of the
main Hindu stream.

THe third round table conference stood little chance of success as Lord
Irwin was replaced by Lord WIllington who was much less prepared to
make concessons.In places where Non cooperation restarted and
WIllington responded by having the Congress leaders including Gandhi
and Nehru arrested.

The events of 1932 meant that none of the parties invloved in the
conference expected it to achieve nothing.Congress had boycotted the
talks and so did the princes.Jinnah had gone into voluntary exile and
wasnt even invited to the meetings therefore the muslims were
represented by Aga KHan but therer were only 46 delegates and the
meeting also broke up with anything being agreed

JINNAH POINTS

After the rejection of Jinnah's ammendments to Nehru Report,Jinnah

produced his 14 points.In 1929 the all India Muslim League met in a
conference where Jinnah presented his 14 points saying that none of
the scheme of the constitution should be agreed until all these points
are given effect to and set out the points which were to be the basis of
the muslims demand from that time to the independence

Although after the events of 1920s the muslims had been divided into
factions however they were united in agreeing that Jinnah's points
should form the basis of any discussions with congress over future of
India

As Jinnah's points shortly followed by a rejection of Nehru Report,It was

apparent that any Hindu Muslim cooperation had now come to an end
however both the groups continued to campaign against the British in
their own ways.

simon

according to indian act of 1919,a commission was to be set up in India

to check on the reforms wet up in 1919.The British conservative
government feared that it would lose to Birtish labour party that was
much willing to make concessions to India therefore the date for the
commission was moved from 1929 to 1927.A seven man cmmittee
under the charmanship of SIr John Simon arrived in India.Not a single
man was INdian in the commission and the composition of commission
was not appreceated in IndiaAll Parties became convinced that they
should settle their differences and work against the commission
Partition of Bengal
Bengal was the largest of the provinces of India.By the end of the 19th
century it had a population of 54 Million in West Bengal with being the
Hindu majority and 31 Million in the East Bengal being the Muslim
majority.This was a huge area to govern as one unit
The British claimed that Bengal was a really large area to be governed as
one unit and that it would be more efficient that Bengal should be
governed as two separate units.Viceroy Curzon proposed that Bengal
should be partitioned into West and East.East Bengal would consist of
Assam MymenSingh Dhaka and Chittagong.
It was two years before the partition was put into effect however the
British partitioned Bengal in 1905.Many Hindus believed that the
partition had nothing to do with Administrative effeiciency and there
were much deeper and sinister reasons for the partition.Whatever the
reasons were,the most immediate one was to cause a conflict between
Hindus and Muslims.

Muslims were reeally delighted with the partition.SInce 1867 the british
had mistrusted the muslims and Hindu had gained almost all the benefits
however now after the partition Muslims were in majority in Eastern
Bengal now and their position was improved significantally
overnight.This enabled Many Muslims to escape from Hindu
oppression.
The Partition aroused fury amongst the Hindus.They proclaimed the day
partition was put into effect as the day of mourning and many petitions
were sent to the British.MOreover there was even an assasination
attempt on the future viceroy Lord Minto.
The Boycott of British goods was proclaimed by the Hindus and British
cloth was thrown into fire.Hindus started wearing locally made hand
produced cloth and it became a matter of pride to wear those
clothes.Many workers in India started strikes and opposition to the
British.
Morley Minto reforms.
Both the Lord Minto and John Morley were convinced that the Indian
demand for increased say in how their country was to be runned was
fully justified and they began to draw up a series of reforms which were
then passed by the British parliament.These reforms were also known as
Morley Minto reforms.According to these reforms the imperial council
and the central executive council were increased with 60 members and
the provincial council were increased with 50 members in large province
and 30 members in smaller province.The muslims also got separate
electorates.

Although the morley minto reforms increased the number of Indians

sitting on the council and it appeared to give the local population more
say in how their country was to be run however it should be remembered
that the locals functions were purely advisory and they didnt properly
have a power in the council.The British were keen to allow indians to
express their opinion and wanted to know what they had to say but they
didnt intend to give any more power to the locals more than they wanted
to.
The Congress also claimed that the separate electorates for Muslims was
undemocratic and Congress passed was to pass a resolution for the next
25 years resolution calling an end to the separate electorates
The Comgress however did not know that the British did not intend to
make India a democratic place instead it was just willing to make as few
concessions as possible
There was alot of opposition to the partition by hindus.The British
showed the muslims that they were not to be trusted when Lord Harding
the new viceroy agreed to reverse the partition of Bengal.THe reversal
was announced by King George V at Durbar when he was on his visit to
India.
The British claimed that they reversed the partition because of their
governing policies however they were forced to do so because of the
mass protests by Bengali Hindus.The British however moved the capital
from Calcutaa to Delhi to show that the opposition wast completely
successful

Lucknow Pact

The failure of British to provide more rights to the Indians had moved
the Hindus and Muslims closer.Thanks,partly to Jinnah a prominent
member of the Muslim League that both the parties held their annual
sessions in Bombay.At the same time joint council between COngress
and League were held to improve the understanding on the key issues.
The British realised that they'd need to take steps before any serious
unrest would be caused in India and at the same time it was fighting the
germany and its allies.They therefore let it be known that they were
considering a series of proposals that will lead to over half of the
members of executive council being elected the legisltive council having
the majority of elected members
The League and Congress were delighted by these proposals and
realised that if further concessions were to be made,they will need to
have a good grip on their relations.In 1916 once again the Congress and
League held their annual sessions in Lucknow largely as a support from
Jinnah from League and Mahajan from Congress and the lucknow pact
was drawn up which showed that the Congress was prepared to make
concessions to the League

Pakistan Resolution
Both Jinnah and Rahmat Ali had built upon the ideas of Sir Syed Ahmad
for a separate country for Muslims howevere Jinnah was not in this
idea.He believed that the muslims would be beter off in a federation
where they had a promise that their rights would be
safeguarded.However the two years of Congress Rule and the realization
of British will soon leave India made him believe that muslims need a
new homeland

On 22 March 1940,Maulana Fazl Ul Haq at Lahore at the premiere of

Bengal put forward a resolution demanding that the areas in which the
muslims are in majority like North western and Eastern areas should be
grouped together to form an independent state in which the constituent
units shall be autonomous and sovereign.This resolution was passed on
23 March 1940 which is now a national holiday in Pakistan.
This resolution was passed unanimously and became known as Lahore
Resolution but the Hindu press began referring it as the Pakistan
Resolution and soon this name was adopted.The muslims of the
subcontinent finally got their rallying call and the years of oppression
were to be put behind them and now it was time to work for a separate
homeland
The Muslim League had made its position clear however vehmently
opposed to any partition and THe British still had not agreed that their
rule will end.The British sent sir stafford cripps to India to see if any
compromise could be reached.Cripps proposed that after the war and
Indian union would be set up with dominion status though the provinces
could opt out the union,After the war a constituten assembly will frame
the constitution and elections for assembly will be held immediately
after the war
The Muslim league rejected the Cripps mission as it contained no
reference to establishment of Pakisan however Jinnah was pleased to see
that there was a right to opt out of a Union and this showed that Britissh
realized the right of minorities
THe COngress too rejected the Cripps Mission as it was now demanding
direct control of India's affairs and Congress wasnt sure to trust British
to deliver their promise after the war was over.
Gandhi spoke at a Congress meeting.He pointed out that how british
behaviour towards india had filled him with great pain.He also pointed
out that if the British leave india there would no longer be a threat of
Japanese Invasion therefore there should be a mass struggle on non
violent lines
Two days later Congress leaders including Gandhi and Nehru were
arrested and Congress party was banned.There were riotings and protests
which got out of control.Control was only established with the use of
weapons and at the cost of thousan indian lives
THe Muslim league rejected the resolution as it saw this as Hindu's
attempt to establish their anti muslim rule over the muslims and drive
out the British.

Gandhi Jinnah

Gandhi was released by the new viceroy on medical grounds.After his

release Gandhi asked Jinnah that the two should meet to discuss on
future of India after the British had left.The two met at Jinnah's house in
BOmbay.Although many people expected a compromise to be reached
however the talks broke down for a number of reasons

GAndhi asked Jinnah that the League should declare it's support to the
Congress and the partition would be discussed only after the British had
left.Jinnah knew that why would Congress want the partition therefore
He should secure it by his own.Gandhi wanted Central government to
have control over areas such as defence and foreign policy but Jinnah
wanted these to be in the hands of Provincial government.Gandhi felt as
if he was speaking for all of India but Jinnah made him remember that
he was just speaking as a spokesman of Congress and lastly Gandhi gave
an impression that he didn't support the two nation theory.

By 1945 it was clear that the world war 2 was drawing to an end.Lord
Wavell flew to London to discuss on the future policy of India,It was
now clear that the British intended to leave India,what they needed was
an agreement on what would happen after they would leave.
Wavell proposed than an executive council should be set up under the
present constituion until new constitution would be agreed on.The
executive council would contain equal number of Muslims and Hindus
and be entirely indian except the viceroy and the member controlling
defence.To discuss this He called a conference.
The Conference was called in Simla and had members from League
Congress Sikhs scheduled castes and other groups.Jinnah Liaquat and
KHwaja NazimUddin led the League delegation and Gandhi led the
congress though Maulana abdul kalam azad was also present.

IN 1946 the british made their final efforts to settle the differences in
India.A three man delegation was sent to India to settle the
differences.THe delegation arrived and met the members of League
CongressSIkhs and Hindu Mahasabha
The delegation soon found out that there was little common ground
between League and Congress, League demanded the partition and after
that it would consider the setting up of a central agency however
Congress was opposed to parition
The delegation proposed that an interim govt to be set up until the
British withdrawal was organised.The govt would form an All India
commission with the members of Provincial and Central assembly