Round table conferences

The Round Table Conferences
After the Simon commission there was increasing political tension in India (1928-1930)
Labour government brought together interested parties to improve the way India was governed
They were concerned that dyarchy wasn’t working effectively because;
The provincial government was always short on money
Problems between the Muslims and the Hindu’s were increasing
The congress was becoming more extreme in their views
The First Round Table Conferences November 1930 – January 1931
Met in London
Three British political parties were represented (16 delegates)
57 political leaders from British India
16 delegates from princely states
The congress refused to attend because many of their members were still imprisoned
The congress demanded immediate Dominion Status
The delegates agreed to set up an all India federation where Indian states would take responsibility for everything barring defence, foreign affairs and finance
No final agreements were reached because of the absence of congress
The Second Round Table Conferences September-December 1931
Gandhi was invited to represent the congress following his release from prison due to his new friendship with the Viceroy of India
Gandhi claimed that the congress alone represented India and the everyone should be treated equally including Muslims and the untouchables.
These claims were rejected by other Indian participants
No agreement could be made and the conference collapsed
The new National government decided to deal with only those groups who were willing to work with the administration in India. Gandhi was arrested and by the middle of 1932 60,000 members of the congress were in prison.
In August the communal award was announced which guaranteed separate seats to Sikhs, Muslims, Christian and the Untouchables in any future assembly. Gandhi began to fast and was prepared to die unless the leader of the Untouchables rejected the communal award which he did.
The Third Round Table Conferences November-December 1932
The British labour party and the congress sent no representatives
It discussed the franchise, finance and role of the Indian states but no decisions were reached