Sambhav-2023

Answer 1

Approach

• Introduce the Communal Award and Poona pacts.
• Discuss if Poona Pact had a significant contribution to the upliftment of Dalits.
• Conclude suitably.

Introduction

• The Communal Award was a decision made by the British government in 1932 that granted separate electorates for different religious communities. This decision was met with widespread opposition from nationalists, eventually Poona Pact was signed between Mahatma Gandhi and B. R. Ambedkar in 1932, as an agreement between the parties.

Body

Communal Award and Poona pacts

• The Communal Award was announced by the British prime minister, Ramsay MacDonald, on August 16, 1932. It was based on the findings of the Indian Franchise Committee (also called the Lothian Committee), established separate electorates and reserved seats for minorities, including the depressed classes.
  • Thus, this award accorded separate electorates for Muslims, Europeans, Sikhs, Indian Christians, Anglo-Indians, depressed classes, and even to the Marathas for some seats in Bombay.
• Dr B.R. Ambedkar in the past, in his testimony to the Simon Commission and second Round Table Conference, had stressed that the depressed classes should be treated as a distinct, independent minority separate from the caste Hindus.
• Even, the Bengal Depressed Classes Association had lobbied for separate electorates with seats reserved according to the proportion of depressed class members to the total population as well as for adult franchise. But the Simon Commission rejected the proposal of separate electorate for the depressed classes; however, it retained the concept of reserving seats.
  • Gandhi attempted to strike a deal with Muslims, promising to support their demands as long as the Muslims voted against separate electorates for the depressed classes. This initiative Gandhiji was heavily criticized.
• Poona Pact Signed by B.R. Ambedkar on behalf of the depressed classes on September 24, 1932, the Poona Pact abandoned the idea of separate electorates for the depressed classes. But the seats reserved for the depressed classes were increased in provincial and Central Legislature. The Poona Pact was accepted by the government as an amendment to the Communal Award.

Impact of the Poona Pact:

• Gandhi’s Harijan campaign included a programme of internal reform by Harijans covering education, cleanliness, hygiene, giving up eating of beef and carrion and consumption of liquor, and removing untouchability among themselves.
• It boosted the moral and internal strength of the depressed community.
• Though the campaign had significant contribution to the upliftment of the Dalits in various ways by raising social awareness about their plight but in absence of economic and educational upliftment the gain was only emotional, momentary and does not long last.
• It tried to undo the divisive intentions of the government’s divide-and-rule policy (Communal Award).
• Poona pact failed to fill the various rifts like:
  • Could not achieve the desired goal of emancipation of the depressed class instead enabled the same old Hindu social order to continue and gave birth to many problems.
  • The Pact made the depressed classes political tools which could be used by the majoritarian caste Hindu organizations.
    • It made the depressed classes leaderless as the true representatives of the classes were unable to win against the stooges who were chosen and supported by the caste Hindu organisations.
  • This led to the depressed classes to submit to the status quo in political, ideological, and cultural fields and not being able to develop independent and genuine leadership to fight the Brahminical order.
  • It subordinated the depressed classes into being part of the Hindu social order by denying them a separate and distinct existence.

Conclusion

The Communal Award and Poona Pact were significant developments in the context of the rights of the Dalits. Gandhi's Harijan Campaign was a social reform movement that carried the message of nationalism to Harijans who also happened to be the agricultural labourers in most parts of the country, leading to their increasing participation in the national and peasant movements.

Answer 2

Approach

• Briefly talk about the essence of policies in India from the Govt of India Act 1935 and afterward, that had contributed to materialisation of partition of India.
• Enumerate the few policies one by one as per demand of question.
• Conclude suitably.

Introduction

• Policies of British govt in India like GOI Act 1935, August offer, Cripps Mission, and cabinet mission, all had either implicit or explicit recognition to the demand of partition of India.
• These policies were the morale booster that led to unforgettable and horrific partition of India.

Body

Provisions in the policies of British that had contribution to the Partition of India:

• Govt of India Act 1935: It aimed to establish an All-India Federation comprising Governors’ province and Chief commissioners’ province and the Indian state (which might accede to be united).
  • This Act not only introduced the probability of the partition but also intended to the Balkanization of India on the name of Federation in which states have liberty to be in or out of the federation.
• August Offer 1940: Provision like “No future constitution to be adopted without the consent of minorities” it had given an unofficial veto to Muslim league for propagating his own demand of separate state for minorities.
• Cripps mission 1942: Provisions of Cripps mission that “any province not willing to join the union could have a separate constitution and form a separate union” also hinted towards the possibility of partition of India into the number of Union.
• Cabinet mission 1946: To find out ways and means for a peaceful transfer of power to India.
  • Although the mission explicitly rejected the demand of creation of Pakistan based on the division of population, linguistic, administrative-economic and security point of view.
  • But few provisions in the mission which explicitly supporting demand of India’s partition and creation of Muslim majority state Pakistan like,
    • The grouping of existing provincial assemblies into 3 sections based on the religious population example section A was Hindu majority and section B and C was the Muslim majority.
    • Provinces were to have full autonomy and residual powers
    • The province can join either of the successor Governments.
    • There was a provision that provinces can come out of the group after 10 years.
  • Overall Cabinet Mission also contributed to the motivation for partition of India.
• Wavell’s “Breakdown Plan”: In May 1946 Wavell presented a plan that envisaged the withdrawal of the British army and official to Muslim provinces of north west and north east and handing over rest of the country to Congress.
  • The Wavell plan was evidence of the Desire in some high official Circle to make in Northern Ireland of Pakistan.
• British’s unwillingness to act against the notorious Direct Action Day of Jinnah and invitation to Muslim League in the Interim Govt even without stopping blood bath by Direct Action Day.
• Plan Balkan of Mountbatten: May 1947, Mountbatten under this plan envisaged the transfer of power to the separate provinces with Punjab Bengal given the option to vote for the partition of their provinces.
  • The various units thus formed along with the princely state would have the option to join India or Pakistan or remain separate.
  • This plan aimed for the possibility for Balkanisation of India.
• Mountbatten Plan and Indian Independence Act 1947: These two moves materialised the creation of Pakistan and the unforgettable partition of India.

Conclusion

Although the British had contributed to the partition of India but along with other factors like the socio religious movement, the formation of religious political parties, and international geo-politics of the time equally contributed to partition of India.