3 RTC b/w 1930 and 1932?????

Question 1

Why was the first Round Table Conference (RTC) held between November 1930 and January 1931?

Answer 1

• The first RTC was held because the Indian political community rejected the Simon Commission Report of 1927.
• Both the Congress and the Muslim League refused to accept its recommendations, leading to political unrest in India.
• The British government, unwilling to grant self-government, faced increasing frustration and violent clashes among the masses.
• To address the political deadlock and review the Simon Commission Report, the British announced the RTC (november 1930- january 1931).
• However, the Indian National Congress (INC) did not attend because Gandhi was in jail for his non-cooperation movement.
• The Muslim League did participate, but in the absence of the INC, no major decisions could be made.

Question 2

Why was the Second Round Table Conference (RTC) necessary, and how did Gandhi become involved?

Answer 2

• The second RTC was necessary because the first RTC failed to make significant progress without the presence of the INC, the largest political party in India.
• The British needed to involve Gandhi in the negotiations, as he was the most prominent leader of the INC.
• To achieve this, Lord Irwin met Gandhi in jail and persuaded him to end his non-cooperation movement.
• They reached an agreement called the Gandhi-Irwin Pact in March 1931, under which Gandhi was released and allowed to travel to London to attend the second RTC.

Question 3

What led to the failure of the second Round Table Conference (RTC) held from September to December 1931?

Answer 3

• The second RTC(sep-dec 1931) failed due to a deadlock between Gandhi and Jinnah over the rights of minorities.
• Jinnah demanded constitutional guarantees to protect minorities, while Gandhi insisted that granting religious liberty would be sufficient.
• Neither leader was willing to compromise, leading to the breakdown of negotiations.
• Since the issue of minority rights was unresolved, another RTC was needed to reach a consensus on India’s future constitution.

Question 4

Why was a third Round Table Conference (RTC) held in November–December 1932, and why was it unsuccessful?

Answer 4

• The third RTC was held in November–December 1932 to resolve the deadlock from the second RTC, particularly regarding minority rights.
• However, it was largely a formality because the Labour Party, which had been supportive of the conferences, was no longer in power.
• A new national government in Britain showed little interest in Indian constitutional reforms.
• The conference had only 46 delegates, including Allama Iqbal and Sir Agha Khan representing the Muslims, but it failed to produce any meaningful outcome.