Simon Commission Report
In 1930, the report of the Simon Commission was published. The main suggestions made in this report were as follows-
(1) Responsible government should be established by abolishing dual rule in the provinces.
(2) A federal government should be established for India.
(3) The High Court should be placed under the Government of India.
(4) Special powers should be given to the Governor and the Governor General for the interests of minorities.
(5) Indianization of the army.
(6) Burma should be separated from India and Sindh and Orissa should be recognized as new provinces.
(7) After every ten years, the scrutiny of constitutional progress of India should be abolished and such a flexible constitution should be made which keeps on evolving automatically.
Sir John Simon was an opponent of the communal electoral system. According to him, it is a disgusting system which produces the same disease for which it is used, but like the Montagu-Chelmsford Commission, the Simon Commission also accepted the communal elements of the Congress-Muslim League agreement and for the Muslims. Accepted the system of separate representation i.e. reservation of separate seats for Muslims in the Central Assembly and provincial legislatures.
In the report of the Simon Commission, 250 seats were proposed in the lower house (Lok Sabha) of the future union to be formed in India, of which 150 (60 percent) seats were proposed for non-Muslims and 100 (40 percent) seats for Muslims.
Opposition to separate Muslim nation
Jinnah's communal program had come to the fore in the form of a 14-point demand letter presented before the Nehru Committee, Congress used to reject this program but Jinnah was not being openly opposed in the country. The first Round Table Conference was to be held in November 1930. Therefore, the acting president of the Hindu Mahasabha, Dr. Shivram Munje issued a statement and gave some suggestions to the Government of India regarding the amendment of the Constitution-
(1) All communities should have equal rights to exercise their franchise in all provinces.
(2) Elections for all committees should be conducted by joint election system.
(3) Reservation of seats should not be given on the basis of any religion or sect.
(4) The reservation of seats in any province should not be in favor of the majority community.
(5) The provinces of India to be represented on the basis of merit, if necessary.
(6) Provinces should not be created on the basis of plurality of religion, due to which India should be divided as Muslim India, Sikh India, Christian India and Hindu India and become a hindrance to nationality.
(7) In getting government jobs, importance should be given to competition, not giving importance to any religion or caste.
(8) The number of Muslim ministers should not be fixed in the central and provincial cabinets, they should be given joint representation.
(9) The central government should not give its remaining power to the provinces. Central government should be strong.
(10) All sects should have complete religious freedom, freedom of thought, freedom of worship, freedom of expression, freedom of education and freedom to form institutions.
Government's failure at the London Round Table Conferences
On 12 November 1930, the British Government convened the First Round Table Conference in London to discuss the direction of creation of a federal-India proposed in the report of the Simon Commission. Congress boycotted it. Due to sharp differences between Muhammad Ali Jinnah and Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar in the conference, no decision could be taken on the formation of a federal government in India.
The Second Round Table Conference was convened in London on 17 September 1931. It was attended by Gandhiji alone as a representative of the Congress. This conference was also unsuccessful. The Third Round Table Conference was held in London on 17 November 1932. At this time the Congress had been declared an illegal institution, so it could not participate in the conference.
.....continuously (3)