The Nehru Report and Calcutta session of congress

The Nehru Report and Calcutta session of congress

Background:

• In 1927, the British government appointed the Simon Commission to review the Government of India Act 1919 and propose constitutional reforms.

• The Commission did not have any Indian member, which irked nationalist leaders.

• As a challenge, Lord Birkenhead asked Indians to draft a constitution themselves in 1925.

• In response, the All Parties Conference was set up to draft the Nehru Report in 1928.

• The report was headed by Motilal Nehru and recommended several constitutional reforms.

Recommendations:

• Dominion status with a parliamentary form of government and a federal set-up.

• A bi-cameral legislature consisting of the Senate and House of Representatives.

• Responsible government at the Centre and in provinces, with the Governor-General acting on the advice of the executive council.

• Provincial councils to have a 5-year tenure, headed by a governor acting on the advice of the provincial executive council.

• Federal form of government with residuary powers vested in the Centre.

• Joint electorate and no separate electorate for minorities to avoid communal sentiments.

• Nineteen fundamental rights including equal rights for women, right to form unions, and universal adult suffrage.

• Full protection to cultural and religious interests of Muslims.

• Complete dissociation of State from religion.

The Nehru Report demanded Fundamental Rights for the people of India, inspired by the American bill of rights.

Unfortunately, it was not adopted by the All Party Convention in Calcutta in December 1928 due to objections from communal leaders.

Muslim League reaction:

• Muslim League rejected the Nehru proposals and drafted their Fourteen Points in 1929.

• The League demanded separate electorates and weightage for Muslims, contrary to the Nehru Report.

• The League wanted residuary powers to go to the provinces, where they would be a majority.

Younger section of Congress reaction:

• The younger section of Congress led by Nehru and Bose rejected the idea of dominion status in the report.

• They set up the Independence for India League to pursue complete independence from British rule.

Amendments Proposed by Jinnah
At the All Parties Conference held at Calcutta in December 1928 to consider the Nehru Report , Jinnah , on behalf of the Muslim League, proposed three amendments to the report:
(i) one-third representation to Muslims in the central legislature;

(ii) reservation to Muslims in Bengal and Punjab legislatures proportionate to their population, till adult suffrage was established; and

(iii) residual powers to provinces.

These demands were not accommodated.

Jinnah’s Fourteen Points

1. The form of the future constitution should be federal, with the residuary powers vested in the provinces
2. All provinces must be given equal Autonomy
3. All legislatures in the country and other elected bodies shall be constituted on the definite principle of adequate and effective representationof minorities in every province without reducing the majority in any province to a minority or even equality
4. In the Central Legislature, Muslim representation shall not be less than one-third
5. Representation of communal groups shall continue to be by means of the separate electorate at present it shall be open to any community, at any time, to abandon its separate electorate in favour of joint electorate
6. Any territorial distribution that might at any time be necessary shall not in any way affect the Muslim majority in Punjab, Bengaland NWFP provinces
7. Full religious liberty shall be guaranteed to all communities
8. No bill or resolution shall be passed in any legislature if three-fourths of the members of any community in that body oppose the bill
9. Separation of Sindh from Bombay
10. Reforms should be introduced in the NWFP and Balochistanon the same footings as in the other provinces
11. Muslims should be given an adequate share in all services, having due regard to the requirement of efficiency
12. The Constitution should embody adequate safeguards for the protection of Muslim culture, education, language, religion and personal laws, as well as for Muslim charitable institutions
13. One-third representation shall be given to Muslims in both central and provincial cabinets
14. No change will be made in the constitution without the consent of the provinces

Calcutta session of Congress in 1928:

Background:

• The Calcutta session of the Indian National Congress was held from December 26 to December 31, 1928, at the Victoria Memorial Hall, Calcutta.

• This session was significant because it was held after the Nehru Report was submitted and it was expected that the Congress would adopt the report as its official demand for constitutional reform.

Recommendations and Resolutions:

The Congress adopted the Nehru Report with some modifications and additions, which were:

1. The report's demand for Dominion Status was replaced by complete independence as the ultimate goal of the Congress.
2. The Congress demanded the abolition of the communal electorate system, which had been introduced by the British in 1909 and later expanded by the Government of India Act 1919.
3. The Congress demanded the right of all communities to elect their representatives in joint electorates based on adult suffrage.
4. The Congress also demanded the protection of minorities, their culture, and their religious rights.
5. The Congress demanded the establishment of a federal form of government with the residuary powers vested in the provinces.

Impact and Consequences:

• The Calcutta session of Congress and its resolutions had a significant impact on the Indian National Movement, which was entering a new phase of militant and radical nationalism.

• The demand for complete independence and the rejection of Dominion Status was a radical departure from the Congress's earlier moderate demand for self-government.

• The demand for the abolition of the communal electorate system and the establishment of joint electorates based on adult suffrage was a major victory for the secular and democratic forces in India.

• However, the demand for the protection of minority rights was criticized by some radical nationalist leaders, who felt that it gave too much power to the communal leaders and weakened the unity of the national movement.