releveant point on poona pact

 As you know, the British government sent Simon Commission in 1927 to work out the possible administrative changes in order to make the legislative bodies more representative. The Indian National Congress decided to boycott the Commission on the ground that there was no Indian representative in the Commission, whereas the Depressed Classes decided to cooperate with the Commission. The reason for cooperating with the Commission was probably to create pressure on the upper caste leaders to give legitimate political rights to the Depressed Classes. Inspite of the demand for separate electorate for the Depressed Classes, the Simon Commission recommended for reservation of seats for the Depressed Classes but did not support the demand for separate electorate. Although the leaders of the Depressed Classes were not happy with the recommendations, it definitely provided them much strength to bargain for their legitimate rights. This was the time when Ambedkar emerged as the strong exponent of the rights of the Depressed Classes and he attacked the Congress for its inability to address the problems of the Depressed Classes. Ambedkar and R.Srinivasan were invited by the British government as representatives of the Depressed Classes to attend the Round Table Conference in London in 1930 to deliberate on the constitutional reforms. Instead of sympathies and good will, the Depressed Classes leadership asserted that they would not be party to any self-governing constitution for India unless their demands for equal citizenship rights, adequate representation in the legislature and services, etc. are met. Gandhi did not agree to Ambedkar’s demand for political representation and said, ‘with all the emphasis that I can command that if I was the only person to resist this thing, I will resist it with my life’. Gandhi’s stand failed to convince Ambedkar who was asking for separate electorate. The Round Table Conference failed to resolve the issue of representation of the Depressed Classes. Then in 1932 under Lord Lothian the Indian Franchise Committee was constituted to decide on the matters concerning franchise. One of the directives given to the Committee was that in place of nomination of Depressed Classes to legislatures there would be election and for that to ascertain whether joint electorate or separate electorate would be effective for the Depressed Classes. A significant development that took place during this time was the signing of an agreement between M.C.Rajah and B.S.Moonje, leader of the Hindu Mahasabha to prove Ambedkar’s position on representation of the Depressed Classes wrong. Ambedkar described Rajah as a leader of no consequence and asserted that the Rajah-Moonje pact had been repudiated by theDepressed Classes. Being challenged by M.C.Rajah, Ambedkar decided to impress upon the British government the need for special provision for the Depressed Classes and succeeded in his mission when the British Prime Minister Ramsay Mac-Donald announced the Communal Award in August, 1932, making the provision for a separate electorate for the Depressed Classes. The Communal Award gave the Depressed Classes voting right along with caste Hindus in the general constituencies and also an extra vote in special Depressed Classes constituencies numbering 71 for a period of 20 years. The announcement of the Communal Award was considered as a clear indication of widening the rift between the Depressed Classes and caste Hindus posing a serious challenge to the Indian nationalist movement. Gandhi, opposing the segregation of the Depressed Classes into a separate electoral group, wrote, ‘So far as Hinduism is concerned separate electorate would simply vivisect and disrupt it. For me the question of these classes is predominantly moral and religious….I feel that no penance that caste Hindus may do can, in any way, compensate for the calculated degradation to which they have consigned the Depressed Classes for centuries. But I know that separate electorate is neither penance nor any remedy for the crushing degradation they have groaned under’ (CWMG,Vol-LXIX, p.191). Gandhi, in his letter to the British government, informed his decision for going to fast unto death unless the government withdrew the scheme of separate electorate for the Depressed Classes. He further explained that he might be wrong in taking this decision but to him the scheme of separate electorate was against the interest of the Depressed Classes. Gandhi was supportive of adequate representation of the Depressed Classes but he was not agreeable to the proposal of separate electorate. He differed strongly on this matter with the leaders of the Depressed Classes. The weapon of fast used by Gandhi aroused strong public opinion. Public meetings were organised in different places to bring the caste Hindus and the Depressed Classes together. Even the leaders of the Hindu Mahasabha appealed to their followers to demonstrate equality in religious and social matters towards the Depressed Classes. Appeal was also made to the Depressed Classes not to press for separate electorate. Gandhi confided to his close associates that the Depressed Classes would fail to understand his decision of fasting when they were granted some privileges. Ambedkar’s response to Gandhi’s decision of fast was different and he said, ‘I do not care for these political stunts. This threat of Mr. Gandhi to starve himself to death is not a moral fight but only a political move. I can understand a person trying to negotiate with his political opponents on equal terms but I will never be moved by those methods….If Mr. Gandhi wants to fight with his life for the interests of the Hindu community, the depressed Classes will also be forced to fight with their lives to safeguard their interests.’ The British government saw in Gandhi’s fast a ploy to coerce the Depressed Classes in accepting the Congress view point. How the deadlock between Gandhi and Ambedkar on the issue of representation of the Depressed Classes ended is the subject of our discussion in the next section.

what  was term and condition of puna pact

 After prolonged deliberations between the leaders of the two groups, a formula based on the principle of joint electorate was devised and against 71 seats given by the Communal Award 148 seats were reserved for the Depressed Classes in the provincial legislatures. As regards the central legislature, 18 percent of the total seats meant for general electorate would be kept for the Depressed Classes. It was also decided that the continuance of reservation would be decided in future by mutual agreement. On 24 September 1932, the Poona Pact was signed between the leaders of the Depressed Classes and caste Hindus and the same was sent to the British Prime Minister for acceptance. The major provisions of the Poona Pact are as follows: ‘There shall be seats reserved for the Depressed Classes out of general electorates. Seats in the Provincial Legislatures shall be as follows- Madras-30; Bombay with Sind 15; Punjab 8; Bihar and Orissa 18; Central Provinces 20; Assam 7; Bengal 30; United Provinces 20 (Total-148). Election to these seats shall be by joint electorates subject, however, to the following procedure: All the members of the Depressed Classes, registered in the general electoral roll in a constituency, will form an electoral college which will elect a panel of four candidates belonging to the depressed Classes for each of such reserved seats by the method of the single vote; the four persons getting the highest number of votes in such primary election shall be candidates for election by the general electorate. Representation of the Depressed Classes in the Central Legislature shall likewise be on the principle of joint electorates and reserved seats by the method of primary election in the manner provided for in clause 2 above for their representation in Provincial Legislatures. In the Central legislature eighteen per cent of the seats allotted to the general electorate for British India in the said legislature shall be reserved for the Depressed Classes.’

see dtail of pact

The terms of the Poona Pact were as follows.

1. There shall be electoral seats reserved for the Depressed Classes out of general electorate. Seats in the provincial Legislatures were as follows:

These figures were based on the total strength of the Provincial Councils announced in Ramsay MacDonald's decision.

2. Election to these seats shall be by joint electorates subject, however, to the following procedure –

All members of the Depressed Classes registered in the general electoral roll of a constituency will form an electoral college which will elect a panel of four candidates belonging to the Depressed Classes for each of such reserved seats by the method of the single vote and four persons getting the highest number of votes in such primary elections shall be the candidates for election by the general electorate.

3. The representation of the Depressed Classes in the Central Legislature shall likewise be on the principle of joint electorates and reserved seats by the method of the primary election in the manner provided for in clause above for their representation in the provincial legislatures.

4. In the Central Legislature, 18% of the seats allotted to the general electorate for British India in the said legislature shall be reserved for the Depressed Classes.

5. The system of primary election to a panel of candidates for election to the Central and Provincial Legislatures as hereinbefore mentioned shall come to an end after the first ten years unless terminated sooner by mutual agreement under the provision of clause 6 below.

6. The system of representation of Depressed Classes by reserved seats in the Provincial and Central Legislatures as provided for in clauses (1) and (4) shall continue until determined otherwise by mutual agreement between the communities concerned in this settlement.

7. The Franchise for the Central and Provincial Legislatures of the Depressed Classes shall be as indicated, in the Lothian Committee Report.

8. There shall be no disabilities attached to anyone on the ground of his being a member of the Depressed Classes in regard to any election to local bodies or appointment to the public services. Every endeavour shall be made to secure a fair representation of the Depressed Classes in these respects, subject to such educational qualifications as may be laid down for appointment to the Public Services.

9. In every province out of the educational grant, an adequate sum shall be earmarked for providing educational facilities to the members of Depressed Classes.