Communal Award 1932: Controversy, Division, & Impact on Indian Politics

Communal Award 1932: Addressing Communal Representation in British India

The Communal Award was a significant development that resulted from the Third Round Table Conference, which was held in the Communal Award 1932 during the British rule of India. It was enacted in response to concerns about communal representation and minority rights. The award sought to meet the needs of various religious and social groups, but it was met with criticism and controversy. Let’s take a look at the Communal Award and its significance.

Communal Award 1932: Divide and Rule Sparks Controversy in Indian Politics

• Establishment of Separate Electorate: The Communal Award was announced by the British prime minister, Ramsay MacDonald, on August 16, 1932, and established separate electorates and reserved seats for minorities, including the depressed classes.  
• Manifestation Of Divide And Rule: This award was viewed as another example of the British tactic of divide and rule by national leaders led by Congress.
• Demand For Depressed Class:  Dr B.R. Ambedkar in the past had argued for separate electorates for the depressed classes, and the Bengal Depressed Classes Association had lobbied for seats reserved according to the proportion of depressed class members to the total population.  
• Gandhi’s Opposition to Separate Electorate: At the second Round Table Conference held in London, Ambedkar again raised the issue of a separate electorate, but Gandhi rejected his proposal and denounced the other delegates as unrepresentative.  
• Meditation by Ramsay MacDonald: Ramsay MacDonald offered to mediate on the condition that the other members of the committee supported his decision, but the outcome was the same. 

Communal Award 1932: Diverse Electorates and Controversial Provisions in Indian Politics

• Communities and Classes: Muslims, Europeans, Sikhs, Indian Christians, Anglo-Indians, the poor, women, and even the Marathas were to have their own electorates. A similar structure for the poor classes was to be created over a period of 20 years.  
• Community Basis for Seats: Seats in provincial legislatures were to be distributed on a community basis. 
• Double Seats: The number of seats in provincial legislatures was to be doubled. 
• Extra Weightage to Muslims: Muslims were to be given weightage wherever they were in the minority. 
• Minority Status: Except in the North West Frontier Province, 3% of seats in all provinces were to be designated for women, and the poor classes were to be declared/assigned the status of minority. 
• Double Vote System: The poor were to be given a “double vote,” one to be utilised in distinct electorates and the other in general electorates. 
• Special Seat in Bombay Province: Labourers, landowners, traders, and industrialists were to be given seats, while the Marathas were to be given seven seats in the province of Bombay.
• Congress Stand: The Congress was opposed to separate electorates, but was not in favour of changing the communal award 1932 without the consent of minorities. The effort to separate the depressed classes from the rest of the Hindus was opposed by all nationalists. 

Gandhi’s Opposition: Communal Award, Unity Concerns, and the Poona Pact

• Attack On Unity: Gandhi saw the communal award 1932 as an attack on Indian unity and nationalism.  
• Untouchable to Perpetuity: He argued that separate electorates would ensure that the untouchables remained untouchables in perpetuity.  
• A Middle Way: He demanded that the depressed classes be elected through joint and if possible a wider electorate through the universal franchise while expressing no objection to the demand for a larger number of reserved seats.  
• Comprise In A Poona Pact: Leaders of various persuasions, including B.R. Ambedkar, M.C. Rajah and Madan Mohan Malaviya, agreed to a compromise contained in the Poona Pact. 

Communal Award: Empowerment and Polarization in British India

• The communal award 1932 had a significant impact on British India’s political landscape.
• It gave religious and marginalized communities a political platform and the opportunity to protect their rights and interests.
• However, it also contributed to the polarization of politics along communal lines, which has implications for India’s social fabric in the future.

Conclusion

The Third Round Table Conference’s communal award 1932 sought to address communal representation and minority rights in British India. While it provided political representation for religious and marginalized communities, it was also criticized for having the potential to worsen communal divisions. The Communal Award had a significant impact on Indian politics and society, shaping subsequent discussions on representation and the complexities of identity in a diverse nation.

Previous Year Question (Prelims)

1. Mahatma Gandhi undertook a fast unto death in 1932, mainly because: (2012)

1. The Round Table Conference failed to satisfy Indian political aspirations.
2. Congress and Muslim League had differences of opinion.
3. Ramsay Macdonald announced the Communal Award.
4. None of the statements (a), (b) and (c) given above is correct in this context.

On The Communal Award 1932 FAQs

Q1. Who is the father of the Indian Communal Award 1932?

Ans. Lord Minto is often regarded as the “Father of the Communal Electorate.” This was because the Indian Councils Act of 1909 established separate electorates for Muslims. This measure effectively ‘legalised communalism’ by instituting primarily religious electorates.

Q2. Why is it called the Communal Award 1932?

Ans. The Communal Award was a series of elections for the poor and minorities. On 16 August 1932, British Prime Minister Ramsay MacDonald established it. It was created as a result of the second round table conference and is also known as the MacDonald Award.

Q3. The Communal Award is based on which committee?

Ans. Based on the conclusions of the Indian Franchise Committee (also known as the Lothian Committee), the Communal Award established distinct electorates and reserved seats for minorities, especially the depressed classes, who were allocated 78 reserved seats.

Q4. What exactly is a communal electorate?

Ans. Only the representative of a certain community contests elections in separate (communal) electorates. Only members of a specific community are eligible to vote in these types of elections.

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