ASSIGNMENT # 01

NAME:
QURAT UL AIN
REG NO.:
FA21-BSM-039
SEMESTER:
4th
SUBJECT:
PAKISTAN STUDIES
SUBMITTED TO:
SIR SANA ULLAH KHAN

QUESTION:
Simon Commission, a group, appointed in November 1927 by the British government
on the working of the Indian constitution established by the Government of India Act of 1919.
Why did both parties boycott this commission and what were the proposals given by Nehru &
Jinnah after the commission?
ANSWER:
Simon Commission:
Simon Commission, a group, appointed in November 1927 by the British government
under Stanley Baldwin to report on the working of the Indian constitution established by the
Government of India Act of 1919. The commission consisted of seven members under the joint
leadership of the distinguished Liberal lawyer, Sir John Simon, and Clement Attlee, the future
prime minister. Its composition met with a storm of criticism in India because Indians were
excluded. The commission was boycotted by the Indian National Congress and most other
Indian political parties. Regarded as one of the classic state documents, the Simon Commission
report proposed provincial autonomy in India but rejected parliamentary responsibility at the
center. It accepted the idea of federalism and sought to retain direct contact between the
British crown and the Indian states.
NEHRU REPORT:
Most of the Indian political parties decided to boycott the Simon Commission on the
appeal that it lacked Indian representation. The British decided to throw the ball in the court of
Indian Politicians. Indian political parties accepted the challenge and called an All-Parties
Conference at Delhi in January 1928. The conference was attended by around hundred
delegates from all the important parties. The conference failed to conclude the issue of the
rights of minorities. The second round of the All-Parties Conference was held in March the same
year. It was during the third session of the All-Parties Conference held at Bombay in May 1928
that a seven members committee under the leadership of Motilal Nehru was formed to
determine the essential features of the future constitution of India. Despite many hurdles, the
Nehru Committee completed its task and its report, commonly known as Nehru Report, was
presented in the fourth session of the All-Parties Conference held in August 1928.
Nehru Report demanded that India should be given Dominion Status with the Parliamentary
form of Government. There should be a bicameral legislature consisting of the Senate and
House of Representatives. The Senate will comprise of two hundred members elected for seven
years, while the House of Representatives should consist of five hundred members elected for
five years. The Governor-General will act on the advice of the executive council. It was to be
collectively responsible to the parliament. There should be a Federal form of Government in
India with Residuary powers to be vested in Centre, Nehru report demanded. There will be no
separate electorate for minorities. It claimed, “Since a separate electorate awakens communal
sentiments, therefore, it should be scrapped, and the joint electorate should be introduced.”
The system of weightage should not be adopted for any province. There will be no reserved
seats for communities in Punjab and Bengal. However, reservation of Muslim seats could be
possible in the provinces where Muslim population should be at least ten percent. Judiciary
should be independent of the Executive. There should be 1/4th Muslim Representation at
Centre. Sind should be separated from Bombay provided it proves to be financially self-
sufficient. Reforms should be introduced in NWFP. The report was not acceptable to Muslims. In
the fourth session of the All-Parties Conference convened in December to review the Nehru
Report, Jinnah representing the Muslim League presented four amendments in the report.
Jinnah’s 14 Points:
To counter the proposals made in the Nehru Report, Jinnah presented his proposal in the form
of Fourteen Points, insisting that no scheme for the future constitution of the government of
India will be satisfactory to the Muslims until and unless stipulations were made to safeguard
their interests. The following points were presented by the Quaid to defend the rights of the
Muslims of the sub-continent:
1. The form of the future constitution should be federal, with the residuary powers to be vested
in the provinces.
2. A uniform measure of autonomy shall be granted to all provinces.
3. All legislatures in the country and other elected bodies shall be constituted on the definite
principle of adequate and effective representation of 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 separate electorates: if it shall be
open to any community, at any time, to abandon its separate electorate in favor of joint
electorate.
6. Any territorial redistribution that might at any time be necessary shall not in any way affect
the Muslim majority in the Punjab, Bengal and the NWFP.
7. Full religious liberty, i.e., liberty of belief, worship, and observance, propaganda, association,
and education, shall be guaranteed to all communities.
8. No bill or resolution or any part thereof shall be passed in any legislature or any other
elected body if three fourths of the members of any community in that particular body oppose
such a bill, resolution or part thereof on the ground that it would be injurious to that
community or in the alternative, such other method is devised as may be found feasible
practicable to deal with such cases.
9. Sind should be separated from the Bombay Presidency.
10. Reforms should be introduced in the NWFP and Baluchistan on the same footing as in other
provinces.
11. Provision should be made in the Constitution giving Muslims an adequate share along with
the other Indians in all the services of the State and local self-governing bodies, having due
regard to the requirements of efficiency.
12. The Constitution should embody adequate safeguards for the protection of Muslim culture
and the protection and promotion of Muslim education, language, religion and personal laws
and Muslim charitable institutions and their due share in the grants-in-aid given by the State
and by local self-governing bodies.
13. No cabinet, either Central or Provincial, should be formed without there being a proportion
of at least one-third Muslim ministers.
14. No change shall be made in the Constitution by the Central Legislature except with the
concurrence of the States constituting the Indian Federation. Muslim League made it clear that
no constitutional solution will be acceptable to them unless and until it incorporates the
fourteen points.