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The Round Table Conferences (1930-1932): A Structured Overview
1. General Overview & Nature
- The meetings between Indian and British leaders in London (1930-1932) are commonly called the First, Second, and Third Round Table Conferences.
- More accurately, they constitute a single conference held in three distinct sessions.
- Primary Purpose: To discuss constitutional reforms for India, specifically in response to the Simon Commission Report.
2. Summary of Key Participation
- Indian National Congress:
- Did not participate in the First and Third Conferences.
- Was only present at the Second Conference.
- B.R. Ambedkar: The only Indian leader to attend all three sessions.
- Mahatma Gandhi: Attended only the Second Conference.
- Jawaharlal Nehru: Did not attend any of the conferences.
Detailed Breakdown of the Three Sessions
Session 1: First Round Table Conference
- Date & Location: November 1930, London (St. James’s Palace).
- Purpose: Called to discuss the Simon Commission Report (published June 1930), which had been rejected by Indian political groups.
- Congress Participation: None. Its main leaders were in jail.
- Key Attendees:
- Maulana Mohammad Ali, Tej Bahadur Sapru, Srinivas Shastri, Muhammad Shafi, Aga Khan, Fazlul Haq, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, Homi Modi, M.R. Jaykar, B.S. Munje, B.R. Ambedkar, Sundar Singh Majithia.
- K.T. Paul represented the Indian Christians.
- Conduct: Inaugurated by the British King and chaired by British Prime Minister Ramsay MacDonald.
- Key Development: B.R. Ambedkar demanded separate electorates for the Depressed Classes.
Session 2: Second Round Table Conference
- Date & Location: September 7 to December 1, 1931, in London.
- Congress Participation: First and only conference attended by the Indian National Congress. Its participation was agreed upon in the Gandhi-Irwin Pact (March 5, 1931).
- Key Attendees:
- Mahatma Gandhi was the sole official representative of the Congress.
- Other delegates included Sarojini Naidu, Madan Mohan Malviya, Annie Besant, Mahadev Desai, and B.R. Ambedkar.
- Gandhi’s Journey: Traveled to London aboard the ship S.S. Rajputana and stayed at Kingsley Hall.
- Outcome: The conference failed without significant results.
- Reason for Failure: The main point of contention was the issue of communal representation, specifically Ambedkar’s demand for separate electorates for the Depressed Classes vs. Gandhi’s strong opposition.
- Result: Gandhi returned to India empty-handed in December 1931.
Session 3: Third Round Table Conference
- Date: 1932 (specifically from November 17 to December 24).
- Congress Participation: The Indian National Congress did not take part.
- Key Development:
- Choudhary Rahmat Ali authored and distributed the pamphlet ‘Now or Never’ to the delegates. This was a key early articulation of the demand for a separate Muslim state (Pakistan).
3. Direct Outcomes & Related Events
The Poona Pact (1932)
- A direct outcome of the deadlock over minority representation from the Second Conference.
- It was an alternative to the demand for separate electorates for the Depressed Classes.
- It included special provisions for the representation of the Depressed Classes in local bodies and civil services.
4. Miscellaneous Context (Not Directly Related to Conferences)
- Operation Rubicon: The code name used by the British Government for the imprisonment of Mahatma Gandhi at the Aga Khan Palace in Pune (1942-1944). It is not related to the Round Table Conferences.
- Government of India Act 1919: The last election under this act was held in 1945. This act established a diarchic system in provinces and a bicameral legislature at the center.
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