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Nehru Report

The Nehru Report proposed constitutional reforms in India in 1928 in response to the failure of the Simon Commission. It recommended complete responsible government for India within the framework of Dominion status. However, it rejected many Muslim demands, such as separate electorates and reserved seats for Muslims in Punjab and Bengal. It also proposed a unitary rather than federal system of government. The Nehru Report increased Hindu-Muslim tensions and was a warning to Muslims that they needed to resolve their differences to protect their rights.

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Aiman Zahra
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101 views

Nehru Report

The Nehru Report proposed constitutional reforms in India in 1928 in response to the failure of the Simon Commission. It recommended complete responsible government for India within the framework of Dominion status. However, it rejected many Muslim demands, such as separate electorates and reserved seats for Muslims in Punjab and Bengal. It also proposed a unitary rather than federal system of government. The Nehru Report increased Hindu-Muslim tensions and was a warning to Muslims that they needed to resolve their differences to protect their rights.

Uploaded by

Aiman Zahra
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Restricted handouts: Pakistan Studies

Instructor: Aimal Agha

The Nehru Report


The Montague Chelmsford reforms had envisaged that after ten years a commission would be
formed to assess the viability of the reforms and to determine the next stage for the attainment of
self rule in India. So, the British government sent Simon commission in 1927 which came up
with its own proposals for the constitutional reforms in India. However, the Indian political
parties including the congress and the All-India Muslim league out rightly rejected the proposals
as the commission had no Indian member. Consequently, this caused the failure of the Simon
commission. Discouraged by the behavior of the Indian political forces, lord Birkenhead, the
secretary of state for India at that time, challenged the Indian that they were unable to resolve
their differences and frame their own constitution. Therefore, accepting the challenge of lord
Birkenhead, the Indian political forces called an All Parties Conference and a committee was
appointed under the leadership of Moti Lal Nehru to make proposals for the constitutional
reforms in India. This committee included Syed Ali Imam and Muhammad Shoaib Qureshi as
the representatives from All India Muslim league though they were not given a significant say in
the overall process. The reforms proposal set up by a committee under the leadership of Nehru Is
known as the Nehru report.

Important features of the Nehru report

• The Nehru committee demanded a complete responsible government for India with in the
limit of Dominion status.

• The right of separate electorate which was demanded by the Muslims through Simla
deputation and made part of the Minto-Morley reforms as well as the Montague –
Chelmsford reforms was rejected by the report. The Nehru report established that the
separate electorate awakens communal differences therefore a system of joint electorate
should be implemented for elections in India. Muslims had enough majority in Punjab,
Bengal, NWFP and Sind to ensure the protection of their rights.

• The Muslims had demanded that in Punjab and Bengal, they should be given seats in
proportion to their population and seats should be reserved for them. However, the Nehru
report not only rejected this but also refused to accept the Weightage formula agreed
through Lucknow pact arguing that Muslim majority in Punjab and Bengal is sufficient to
help them protect their rights and interests.

• The East India Company captured Sind in 1843 and attached it with Bombay
immediately after it. As a result of it, the majority of the Muslims were turned into
minority. So, during the deliberations of the Nehru committee the Muslims demanded the
separation of Sind from Bombay. Therefore, the Nehru report favored it by proposing the
Restricted handouts: Pakistan Studies
Instructor: Aimal Agha

formation of an investigation committee to consider the financial and administrative


measures before separating Sind from Bombay.

• In case of NWFP and Baluchistan, the Nehru committee proposed that as in other
provinces, reforms should be introduced in NWFP and Baluchistan.

• The Hindus had accepted the Muslim demand of 1/3rd representation in the central
legislature. However, in the final decision of the Nehru report, this demand of Muslims
was completely rejected.

• The Nehru committee proposed a unitary system of government making the central
government all powerful.It also proposed to invest all remaining powers in the central
government. The federal system assured the protection of the rights of minorities and
ensured more powers to the provinces. The Hindus favored unitary system as they were
more powerful at the center.

The short period of Hindu-Muslim unity had come to an end after the Khlilafat
movement. However, the Nehru report completely closed this chapter

The Nehru report was a warning to the Muslims that they should remove their
differences and develop unity among themselves.

India, Pakistan and Bangladesh[edit]


British India acquired a partially representative government in 1909, and the first Parliament was
introduced in 1919.[41] Discussions on the further devolution of power, and granting of Dominion
status, continued through the 1920s, with The Commonwealth of India Bill 1925,[42][43] Simon
Commission 1927-1930, and Nehru Report 1928 being often cited proposals. Further powers were
eventually devolved, following the 1930-32 Round Table Conferences (India), to the locally elected
legislatures, via the Government of India Act, 1935. The Cripps Mission of 1942 proposed the further
devolution of powers, within Dominion status, to the Political leadership of British India. Cripps's plan
was rejected and full independence was sought.[44] Pakistan (including Muslim-majority East
Bengal forming East Pakistan) seceded from India at the point of Indian Independence with the
passage of the Indian Independence Act 1947 and ensuing partition, resulting in two
dominions.[45] For India, dominion status was transitory until its new republican constitution was
drafted and promulgated in 1950.[46] Pakistan remained a dominion until 1956 when it became an
Islamic Republic under its 1956 constitution.[47] East Pakistan gained independence from Pakistan,
as Bangladesh, in 1971.
Restricted handouts: Pakistan Studies
Instructor: Aimal Agha

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