In the previous post, we read about the Karachi Session of Indian National Congress. After the Karachi Session Gandhi as a representative of Congress went to Britain to attend Second Round Table Conference there.

But on the issue of Ramsay MacDonald’s Communal Award, Gandhi left the round table conference and strongly opposed the communal award.

Communal Award

The representative of the depressed class was Dr B.R. Ambedkar. He was demanding some favours for the depressed class in the second round table conference. Dr Ambedkar wanted some provisions to bring the backward section of the society into the mainstream of the country.

So, the British Government, which was the opportunist government came out with Communal Award. They came out with a separate electorate system for the Backward Class also. Initially, by India’s Council Act of 1909, they gave provision for the separate electorate for the Muslims. The act of 1919, ie Montagu-Chelmsford reforms widened the separate electorate for the Sikh community also.

All these separate electorate provisions harmed our Indian Society from time to time. Pakistan is the outcome of India’s Council Act of 1909. Whereas the demand for Khalistan came after the independence as the outcome of India’s Council Act of 1919.

Actual Agenda of Britishers Behind the Separate Electorate

Britishers for a very long were applying the formula of Divide and Rule in India. They wanted to divide India into different “STAN”. They wanted the Balkanisation of the Indian Subcontinent. So, they accepted the demand of the Dr B.R. Ambedkar and gave Communal Award to the depressed class.

Role of Gandhi

Gandhi strongly opposed the Communal Award and left the Round Table Conference. He declared 23rd September 1932 as the prayer day in India. He sent the eminent personalities like Dr Rajendra Prasad, Madan Mohan Malviya and C Rajagopalachari to convince Dr B.R. Ambedkar.

So, finally, Gandhi did fast until death and then Dr Ambedkar came forward with all his humility and greatness to reject the provision of a separate electorate. This was the Poona Pact of 1932.

Poona Pact of 1932

Gandhi and Ambedkar signed this pact for the depressed class. The main provisions of the act were,

• Reservation in the provincial legislature.
• Reservation in the Central Legislature(18%).
• Education for the depressed class.

In this way, Gandhi and Dr Ambedkar were great in this way and contributed to the nation.

Dr Ambedkar

Though Dr Ambedkar faced caste discrimination throughout his life. Still, he was the greatest soul behind the framing of the Indian Constitution. He and his team framed Indian Constitution in such a way as to provide accommodation to each and every section of society with equality.

Though he faced caste stigma and discrimination from the early age to the end of his life. But still, he framed Indian Constitution without any tussle in his heart. In this way, he was one of the great personalities of India. Once asked to describe the social structure of Indian Society, he said that Indian Society is just like a multi-storey building. In which the upper storey houses and lower storey houses do not have stairs to bridge their gap.

He always tried to build staircases between the two extreme storey of the building. But due to the politicisation of the country, this bridge widened in another direction and people did not get the gist of Dr Ambedkar.

The present Indian Society is in dire need to understand its great leaders and their messages. Because the whole world is chasing us now again and one should always create some excellent examples for the people to follow.

Thank you so much. 🙂 Stay Connected. 🙂 Stay United. 🙂