Pakistan Studies History

IGCSE 0448/1
• The Simon Commission 1927
• Nehru Report
• Jinnah’s Fourteen points
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 The Simon Commission
Background/1
• In the 1919 Act, there was a provision for
the appointment of a commission after 10
years to know constitutional reforms.
• Appointed in 1927 by Stanley Baldwin on
the Indian Constitution.
• It was a group of seven British Members
of Parliament of the United Kingdom to
study constitutional reform in Britain's
most important colony. 2
 The Simon Commission
Background/2
• It was commonly referred to as the Simon
Commission after its chairman, Sir John
Simon.
• One of its members was Clement Attlee.
• The Government of India Act 1919
introduced the system of diarchy to govern
the provinces of British India.

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 Purpose of Simon Commission

• Review of 1919 Act, to investigate

the progress of the governance and
suggest new steps for reform.

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 The Simon Commission
• In the late 1920s, the Conservative government
then in power in Britain feared imminent
electoral defeat at the hands of the Labour Party,
and also feared the effects of the consequent
transference of control of India to such an
"inexperienced" body.
• The people of the Indian subcontinent were
outraged and insulted, as the Simon Commission,
which was to determine the future of India, did
not include a single Indian member in it.
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Opposition to the Simon Commission
• The Indian National Congress, at its
December 1927 meeting in Madras
resolved to boycott the Commission and
challenged Lord Birkenhead, the Secretary
of State for India, to draft a constitution
that would be acceptable to the Indian
populace.
• A faction of the Muslim League, led by
Mohammed Ali Jinnah, also decided to
boycott the Commission. 6
The Commission’s recommendations
The Commission published its 2-volume report in
May 1930.
• It proposed the abolition of diarchy and the
establishment of representative government in
the provinces.
• It also recommended that separate communal
electorates be retained.
• This report advocated that India be given
dominion status of complete internal self-
government.
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 Features of Simon Commission
• Diarchy should end in Provinces and all portfolio
to be given to elected representatives.
• Provincial Autonomy.
• Power of Central Government and Provincial
Governors should be reduced.

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 Consequences
• In September 1928, ahead of the Commission's release,
Mr. Motilal Nehru presented his Nehru Report to counter
its charges that Indians could not find a constitutional
consensus among themselves.
• Round table conferences held1930-1932.
• The Government of India Act, of 1935 ended Diarchy, and
direct elections were introduced, Sindh separated from
the Bombay, Provincial Assembly to have more members
who could form a government by the majority. The
governor retained special discretionary powers.
• Gandhi started the Civil Disobedience Movement.
• Jinnah said that the report was not acceptable to
Indians. 9
 Protests against the commission
• Almost immediately with its arrival in
Bombay on February 3, 1928, the Simon
Commission was confronted by mobs of
protestors.
• The entire country observed a strike, and
many people turned out to greet the
Commission with black flags.
• Similar protests occurred in every major
Indian city that the seven British MPs
visited. 10
 Protest
 Separate electorate were
accepted by congress
 The congress agreed to enforce
separate electorate in those
province, where they do not exist
(Punjab, CP)
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 Simon Commission had no Indian
members
 Greater association of all Indians in all branches
of Government.
 Responsible Government.
 Induction of Indians in Commissioned ranks.
 Symbolized Hindu Muslim unity.
 Congress and League demanded self
government
 Government could not easily reject the demand
for constitutional reforms
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 Outcome of commission
• Noting that educated Indians opposed the Commission
and also that communal tensions had increased instead
of decreased, the British government opted for another
method of dealing with the constitutional issues of
India. Before the publication of the report, the British
government stated that Indian opinion would
henceforth be taken into account, and that the natural
outcome of the constitutional process would be
dominion status for India. The outcome of the Simon
Commission was the Government of India Act 1935,
which established representative government at the
provincial level in India .
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 Indians’ Reaction

 There shall be self-government in India

 Muslims should be given one-third representation
in the central government
 There should be separate electorates for all the
communities until a community demanded joint
electorates
 A system of weightage to minority political
representation should be adopted
• How does Source help us to understand Indian
concerns about the Simon Commission of 1927? 514
• The Simon Commission 1927 The offer of the hand of
friendship from Congress is more valuable than any
concession which the British Government is willing to make.
This public meeting of the citizens of Bombay firmly declares
that the commission which has been announced is
unacceptable to the people of India as it denies the right of
the people of India to participate on equal terms in framing
the future constitution of the country. It contains no Indian
representation. Indians throughout the country should have
nothing to do with the commission at any stage or in any
form. We are not satisfied with the status of just being
petitioners to this commission. From a speech made by
Jinnah in Bombay in 1927, in reaction to the appointment of
the Simon Commission.
• According to the Source, why was there opposition to the
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Simon Commission of 1927? [3]
Class work
• What was the Simon Commission? [4]
Homework
• What was the Simon Report? [4]
• Describe the Nehru Report. [4]

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 Nehru Report/ Background/1
• The "Nehru Report" (August 1928) outlined a
proposed new Dominion constitution for India.
• It was prepared by a committee of the All
Parties Conference chaired by Motilal Nehru
with his son Jawaharlal acting as secretary.
• British policy, until almost the end of the Raj,
was that the timing and nature of Indian
constitutional development was to be decided
exclusively by the British parliament, though it
was assumed that Indians would be consulted.
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 Nehru Report/ Background/2
• The rejection by Indian leaders of the all-white Simon
Commission led Lord Birkenhead, the Secretary of State for
India to make a speech in the House of Lords in which he
challenged the Indians to draft a Constitution implying that
they could not produce one that would be widely
acceptable among the leaders of the various Indian
communities.
• This report did not arouse any popular enthusiasm, perhaps
because it was not an Indian product, but mainly because
of the negative character of the Nationalist movement.
• The leaders were more interested in opposing the existing
system than they were in preparing a constructive
alternative.
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 Main Feature of Nehru Report/1
The constitution outlined by the Nehru report
was for India to enjoy dominion status within
the British Commonwealth. Some of the
important elements of the report are:
• All power of government and all authority are
derived from the people and the same shall be
exercised.
• There shall be no state religion; men and
women shall have equal rights as citizens.
• There should be a federal form of government
with residuary powers vested in the center.
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 Main Feature of Nehru Report/2
• It did not provide for separate electorates for
any community or weightage for minorities.
However, it did allow for the reservation of
minority seats in provinces having a minority of
at least ten percent, but this was to be in strict
proportion to the size of the community.
• The language of the Commonwealth shall be
Indian (Hindi). The use of the English language
shall be permitted.
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 Rejection of Nehru Report

• All Muslim Parties Conference held under the

presidency of Agha Khan in Delhi unanimously
rejected the Nehru Report.
• If the Nehru Committee had shown flexibility
and incorporated some genuine demands of
Muslim leadership, then partition might have
been avoided and freedom wouldn’t have
lingered.

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 Amendments Proposed by Muslim
League/ Jinnah
• Muslims should have 1/3 seats in Central
Parliament.
• Residuary powers should rest in Provinces not
in Centre
• Muslims in Punjab and Bengal should be
represented based on population for 10 years
• N.W.F.P and Sindh should have full provincial
status

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 Conclusion
• The proposals were rejected by the
Congress.
• Jinnah was greatly disappointed at the
outcome of the Nehru Report. He left the
convention in utter dismay and he said,
“Now it is the parting of ways”.
• The extremism of Hindus was exposed in
the publication of the Nehru Report
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 Classwork
• Explain why the All India Muslim Conference
rejected the Nehru Report in 1928. [7]
Homework
• Why did Jinnah produce his 14 Points in 1929?
[7]

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 Jinnah’s Fourteen Points /Background/1
• In March 1929, the Muslim League session
was held in Delhi under the presidency of
Jinnah. In his address to his delegates, he
consolidated Muslim viewpoints under
fourteen points which became Jinnah’s 14
points.
• The Fourteen Points of Jinnah were proposed
by Muhammad Ali Jinnah as a constitutional
reform plan to safeguard the political rights of
Muslims in a self-governing India.
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Jinnah’s Fourteen Points /Background/2
• A comparison of the Nehru Report (1928) with
Jinnah’s Fourteen points had a political gap
between the Muslims and the Hindus in India.
Jinnah aimed to get more rights for Muslims.
He therefore gave his 14 points.
• These points covered all of the interests of the
Muslims and Jinnah stated that it was the
"parting of ways" and that he did not want and
would not have anything to do with the Indian
National Congress in the future.
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Jinnah’s Fourteen Points /Background/3
• The report was given in a meeting of the council
of the All India Muslim League on March 28,
1929.
• Nehru Report was criticized by Muslim leaders
Aga Khan and Mohammad Shafi. They
considered it as a death warrant because it
recommended joint electoral rolls for Hindus
and Muslims.
• Muhammad Ali Jinnah left for England in May
1928 and returned after six months.
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 Jinnah’s Fourteen Points/1
• Federal System: The form of the future
constitution should be federal, with the residuary
powers vested in the provinces.
• Representation of Minorities: 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.
• Number of Muslim Representative: All cabinets
at central or local level should have at least 1/3
Muslim representation.
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 Jinnah’s Fourteen Points/2
• Separate Electorates: Representation of
communal groups shall continue by means
of separate electorate as at present,
provided it shall be open to any community
at any time to abandon its separate
electorate in favor of a joint electorate.
• Muslim Majority Provinces: Any territorial
distribution that might at any time be necessary
shall not in any way affect the Muslim majority.
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 Jinnah’s Fourteen Points/3
• Full Religious Liberty: Full religious liberty, i.e.
liberty of belief, worship and observance,
association, and education, shall be guaranteed
to all communities.
• Separation of Sindh: Sindh should be
separated from the Bombay Presidency.
• Introduction of Reforms in N.W.F. and
Balochistan: Reforms should be introduced in
the North West Frontier Province and
Balochistan on the same footing as in the other
provinces. 30
 Jinnah’s Fourteen Points/4
• Three Fourth Representation: No bill or resolution or
any part 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 it as
being injurious to the interests of that community or
in the alternative, such other method is devised as
may be found feasible and practicable to deal with
such cases.
• Share in Government Services: 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 in local self-governing bodies.
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 Jinnah’s Fourteen Points/5
• Territorial Changes should not affect the
Muslims: Any territorial changes should not
affect the Muslim majority in Punjab, Bengal and
N.W.F.P.
• One- Third Muslim Ministries: No Cabinets,
either Central or Provincial is formed without
being a proportion of at least one third Muslim
Ministries
• No change in Laws without Provinces’ consent:
The Federation of India must not change laws
without the consent of the provinces. 32
 Jinnah’s Fourteen Points/6
• Protection of Muslim Culture and
Language: The constitution should embody
adequate safeguards for the protection of
Muslim culture and for the protection and
promotion of Muslim education, language,
religion, personal laws and Muslim
charitable institutions and for their due
share in the grants-in-aid given by the state
and by local self-governing bodies. 33
 Jinnah’s Fourteen Points
• These points became the demands of the
Muslims and greatly influenced the Muslims
thinking for the next two decades till the
establishment of Pakistan in 1947.

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 Reaction
• Only a few of his close friends welcomed his
stance but overall, from the Muslim community,
he had very little support.
• Among the Hindus, Jinnah's points were highly
disregarded. Jawaharlal Nehru referred to them
as "Jinnah's ridiculous 14 points". These demands
were rejected by the Congress Party.
• After the fourteen points were publicized, Jinnah
was invited to attend the round table
conferences, where he forwarded the Muslim
point of view. 35
 THANK YOU!

• By Pakistan Studies Department

• Senior School
• Aitchison College Lahore

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