Gandhi-Irwin Pact (1931)
The Gandhi-Irwin Pact was an agreement signed in March 1931 between Mahatma Gandhi and Lord Irwin (the Viceroy of India). It was a compromise between the Indian National Congress and the British government to end the Civil Disobedience Movement temporarily.
Events Leading to the Pact
-
August 1930:
-
Motilal and Jawaharlal Nehru met Gandhi in Yerwada Jail to discuss a possible settlement.
-
Congress leaders demanded: During discussions leading to the Gandhi-Irwin Pact (1931), Congress leaders, including Motilal Nehru, Jawaharlal Nehru, and Gandhi, put forward three key demands:
Right to Secession from British Rule 🏴
-
Congress wanted India to have the freedom to leave British rule whenever it chose.
-
This was a step toward complete independence (Purna Swaraj), declared by Congress in December 1929 at the Lahore Session.
-
-
National Government with Control Over Defence and Finance 🏛️
-
Congress demanded an Indian-controlled government that would handle:
-
Defence (Army, Navy, Airforce) – Instead of being under British control.
-
Finance (Taxes, Revenue, Spending) – To ensure that Indian wealth benefited Indians and not the British Empire.
-
-
-
An Independent Tribunal to Settle British Financial Claims on India ⚖️
-
The British claimed that India owed them money, but Congress wanted an independent panel (tribunal) to review these claims.
-
This was important because India was being economically exploited through heavy taxes and trade restrictions.
-
-
-
January 25, 1931:
-
Gandhi and other Congress leaders were released unconditionally.
-
The Congress Working Committee (CWC) authorized Gandhi to start talks with Lord Irwin.
-
-
February 1931:
-
After discussions, the Gandhi-Irwin Pact was signed.
-
Major Provisions of the Gandhi-Irwin Pact
What the British Government Agreed To:
✅ Release all political prisoners (except those convicted of violence).
✅ Cancel fines that had not yet been collected.
✅ Return lands seized from farmers (if not sold to third parties).
✅ Reinstate government employees who had resigned.
✅ Allow people in coastal villages to make salt (but only for personal use, not for sale).
✅ Permit peaceful picketing of liquor and foreign cloth shops.
✅ Withdraw emergency laws and ordinances.
What the British Rejected:
❌ No public inquiry into police brutality.
❌ No mercy for Bhagat Singh, Rajguru, and Sukhdev (they were hanged on March 23, 1931).
What Congress Agreed To:
✅ Suspend the Civil Disobedience Movement.
✅ Attend the Second Round Table Conference in London.
Significance of the Pact
-
The British acknowledged the Indian freedom movement and accepted some demands.
-
It was a political victory for Gandhi but disappointed many revolutionaries, especially after Bhagat Singh’s execution.
-
The Second Round Table Conference (1931) failed, leading to the revival of the Civil Disobedience Movement.
The Gandhi-Irwin Pact was an important step in India’s freedom struggle, but it also showed the limitations of negotiations with the British. 🚩