Second Round Table Conference 1931: The Unresolved Debates on India’s Future

The intricate political environment of India in the early 20th century is effectively depicted in the second Round Table Conference of 1931. This important meeting in London assembled a wide variety of Indian delegates, including Congress leaders, rulers of princely states, and different minority groups, to discuss India’s constitutional destiny. Nevertheless, the results of the conference were impeded by long-standing disagreements and changing British politics.

Representatives/Participants at Second Round Table Conference

Members of the Indian Liberal Party: It included Tej Bahadur Sapru, C.Y. Chintamani, and Srinivasa Sastri, who urged Gandhi to engage in discussions with the Viceroy. 

• This led to a compromise known as the Gandhi-Irwin Pact or the Delhi Pact.
• Second Round Table Conference: The second Round Table Conference took place in London from September 7, 1931, to December 1, 1931. 
• • Gandhi was nominated as the sole representative of the Indian National Congress, accompanied by A. Rangaswami Iyengar and Madan Mohan Malaviya.
• Princely States Representatives: Numerous Indian participants, beyond the Congress representation, were present. 
  • The princely states had representatives such as the Maharaja of Alwar, Maharaja of Baroda, Nawab of Bhopal, and others.
• Muslim representatives: It included Aga Khan III, Maulana Shaukat Ali, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, A.K. Fazlul Huq, Muhammad Iqbal, Muhammad Shafi, Muhammad Zafarullah Khan, Syed Ali Imam, Maulvi Muhammad Shafi Daudi, Raja Sher Muhammad Khan of Domeli, A.H. Ghuznavi, Hafiz Hidayat Hussain, Sayed Muhammad Padshah Saheb Bahadur, Dr. Shafa’at Ahmad Khan, Jamal Muhammad, and Nawab Sahibzada Sayed Muhammad Mehr Shah. Hindu groups were represented by M.R. Jayakar, B.S. Moonje, and Diwan Bahadur Raja Narendra Nath.
• The Liberals: It included J.N. Basu, C.Y. Chintamani, Tej Bahadur Sapru, V.S. Srinivasa Sastri, and Chimanlal Harilal Setalvad. 
  • The Justice Party sent Raja of Bobbili, Arcot Ramasamy Mudaliar, Sir A.P. Patro, and Bhaskarrao Vithojirao Jadhav. 
  • The Depressed Classes were represented by B.R. Ambedkar and Rettamalai Srinivasan. Sardar Ujjal Singh and Sardar Sampuran Singh represented the Sikhs.
• Parsis: It had representation from Cowasji Jehangir, Homi Mody, and Phiroze Sethna. Indian Christians were represented by Surendra Kumar Datta and A.T. Pannirselvam. 
  • The industry had representatives like Ghanshyam Das Birla, Sir Purshottamdas Thakurdas, and Maneckji Dadabhoy. Labour was represented by N.M. Joshi, B. Shiva Rao, and V.V. Giri. Sarojini Naidu, Begum Jahanara Shahnawaz, and Radhabai Subbarayan represented Indian women.
• The universities: They were represented by Syed Sultan Ahmed and Bisheshwar Dayal Seth. Representatives from Burma and the provinces of Sindh, Assam, Central Provinces, and the NWFP also attended.
• The Government of India: It was represented by C.P. Ramaswami Iyer, Narendra Nath Law, and M. Ramachandra Rao. Little was anticipated from the conference due to several reasons.

Demands and Proposals at Second Round Table Conference

By this time, Lord Irwin had been replaced by Lord Willingdon as the viceroy in India. The Labour government in England had been replaced by a National Government, an uneasy coalition between Labour and Conservatives. The British were also angered by increased revolutionary activities in India that had claimed many European lives.

• Demand of Churchill Led Government: The Right Wing or Conservatives in Britain, led by Churchill, strongly objected to the British government negotiating with the Congress on an equal basis. They demanded a strong government in India. 
  • Prime Minister Ramsay MacDonald headed the Conservative-dominated cabinet with a weak and reactionary secretary of state for India, Samuel Hoare.
• Various Views of Second Round Table Conference: At the conference, Gandhi (and therefore the Congress) claimed to represent all people of India against imperialism. 
  • However, many delegates did not share this view. Historians note that many delegates were conservative, government loyalists, and communalists, used by the colonial government to neutralize Gandhi’s efforts. 
  • The British government claimed that the Congress did not represent the interests of all of India due to the participation of various groups.
• Gandhi Demands: Gandhi emphasized the need for a partnership between Britain and India based on equality. 
  • He demanded the immediate establishment of a responsible government at the center and in the provinces. 
  • Gandhi reiterated that the Congress alone represented political India. 
  • Rejecting the idea of separate electorates for untouchables, he argued against separate electorates or special safeguards for Muslims and other minorities. Many other delegates disagreed with Gandhi.
• Deadlock at Conference: The session faced a deadlock on the question of minorities. Muslims, depressed classes, Christians, and Anglo-Indians demanded separate electorates, forming a ‘Minorities’ Pact.’ 
  • Gandhi strongly opposed this move, fighting against making all constitutional progress conditional on resolving this issue.
• The reluctance of Princes: The princes were not enthusiastic about a federation, especially after the suspension of the civil disobedience movement, which diminished the possibility of a Congress government at the center.

Outcome

The absence of consensus among the diverse delegate groups meant that the conference yielded no significant outcomes regarding India’s constitutional future. The session concluded with MacDonald’s announcement of:

• Two Muslim majority provinces—North-West Frontier Province (NWFP) and Sindh.
• The establishment of an Indian Consultative Committee.
• Formation of three expert committees—finance, franchise, and states.
• The possibility of a unilateral British Communal Award if Indians failed to reach an agreement.

The government remained unwilling to concede the fundamental Indian demand for freedom. Gandhi returned to India on December 28, 1931.

Civil Disobedience Resumed

Following the failure of the Second Round Table Conference, the Congress Working Committee, on December 29, 1931, decided to recommence the civil disobedience movement.

During Truce Period (March-December 1931)

• Sustaining Defiance: Various activities between March and December 1931 sustained the spirit of defiance. 
  • In the United Provinces, Congress spearheaded a movement for rent reduction and opposed summary evictions. 
• Severe Repression in the NWFP: The NWFP witnessed severe repression against the Khudai Khidmatgars and the peasants agitating against the government’s brutal tax-collection methods. 
• Draconian Measures in Bengal: In Bengal, draconian ordinances and mass detentions were employed in the name of combating terrorism. 
  • In September 1931, a firing incident occurred on political prisoners in Hijli Jail.

Changed Government Attitude After Second RTC

Following the Second Round Table Conference, British officials reevaluated their approach. They perceived that the Delhi Pact had elevated the political standing of the Congress and the morale of the people, undermining British prestige. Determined to reverse this trend, the British government formulated a new approach with three main considerations:

• Preventing Gandhi from rekindling the momentum of a mass movement.
• Recognizing that the goodwill of the Congress was not necessary, but the confidence of those supporting the British against the Congress was crucial (government functionaries, loyalists, etc.).
• Not allowing the national movement to consolidate itself in rural areas.

After the Congress Working Committee decided to resume the civil disobedience movement, Viceroy Willingdon declined a meeting with Gandhi on December 31. Subsequently, on January 4, 1932, Gandhi was arrested.

Government Response

A series of repressive ordinances were enacted, establishing a virtual martial law under civilian control, often referred to as ‘Civil Martial Law.’ Congress organizations at all levels were outlawed, leading to the arrest of activists, leaders, and sympathizers, along with the confiscation of properties and occupation of Gandhi ashrams. Women faced particularly severe repression, including press censorship and the prohibition of nationalist literature.

Public Reaction

The populace responded with widespread indignation. Despite being unprepared, the reaction was substantial. In the initial four months alone, approximately 80,000 satyagrahis, primarily from urban and rural impoverished backgrounds, were incarcerated. Various forms of protest emerged, including the picketing of shops selling liquor and foreign cloth, illegal gatherings, non-violent demonstrations, celebrations of national days, symbolic hoisting of the national flag, non-payment of chowkidar tax, salt satyagraha, violations of forest laws, and the installation of a secret radio transmitter near Bombay.

This phase of the civil disobedience movement coincided with uprisings in two princely states—Kashmir and Alwar. However, this phase couldn’t be sustained for an extended period due to two main reasons:

• Gandhi and other leaders lacked the time to build up the momentum.
• The masses were not adequately prepared.

Ultimately, in April 1934, Gandhi decided to withdraw the civil disobedience movement. While the people had been subdued by superior force, they hadn’t lost their political faith in the Congress, holding the spirit of freedom in their hearts.

Conclusion

The Second Round Table Conference of 1931, though a significant attempt to address India’s political future, ultimately failed to produce substantial outcomes due to entrenched disagreements and shifting British politics. Despite diverse representation and earnest discussions, the lack of consensus on critical issues such as minority rights and federal structure led to a deadlock. The British response, marked by increased repression, further entrenched the divide, compelling Gandhi to resume the civil disobedience movement and reaffirm the ongoing struggle for India’s independence.

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