Round Table Conferences
- What are Round Table Conferences?
- How did the Round Table Conference originate (the background)?
- Who initiated/announced the Round Table Conference?
- When was the Round Table Conference initiated & held?
- Where was the Round Table Conferences held?
- Why was the Round Table Conference held?
- What was the outcome of the three Round Table Conferences?
- What is the significance of the Round Table Conference?
Question & Answers
What is Round Table Conference?
Round Table Conference was a series of meetings held in three sessions which was initiated by the British Government to consider the future Constitution of India.
The First Round Table Conference
It was held from 12 November 1930 to 19 January 1931.The Congress boycotted the conference. The British Government denied discussing the issue of Poorna Swaraj demanded by the Congress. The representatives of the Princely States, minority communities and depressed class took part in the conference. But in the absence of the Congress, no settlement on Indian problems could be made.
The Second Round Table Conference
It was held in London in September 1931.Gandhi went to England to attend it along with Sarojini Naidu, Mahadev Desai, G D Birla and Madan Mohan Malviya. He mainly demanded for the immediate grant of Dominion status to India. But it was not accepted. This led to the failure of the Second Round Table Conference.
The Third Round Table Conference
It was held from 17 November to 24 December 1932 which was very brief. Neither the Congress nor the British Labour Party took part in it.
How did the Round Table Conference originate (the background)?
When the Simon Commission arrived in India in 1928, it was greeted with the slogan ‘Go Back Simon’. All parties, including the Congress and the Muslin League, participated in the demonstrations. In an effort to win them over, the viceroy, Lord Irwin, announced in October 1929, a vague offer of ‘Dominion Status’ for India in an unspecified future, and a Round Table Conference to discuss a future Constitution.
Who initiated/announced the Round Table Conference?
The then Viceroy, Lord Irwin
When was the Round Table Conference initiated & held?
It was initiated in October 1929 & held between November 1930 and December 1932.
Where was the Round Table Conference held?
London, England
Why was the Round Table Conference held?
To discuss a Future Constitution for India.
What was the outcome of the three Round Table Conferences?
The outcome or consequences of these conferences led to the Government of India Act, 1935, establishing provincial autonomy and also a federal system whose implementation did not take place.
What is the significance of the Round Table Conference?
The Gandhi – Irwin Pact-Mahathma Gandhi called of the Civil Disobedience Movement and entered into a pact with Irwin on 5 March 1931.By this, Gandhiji consented to participate in a Round Table Conference (the Congress had boycotted the First Round Table Conference) in London and the government agreed to release the political prisoners.
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p style=”text-align: justify;”>The Poona Pact–Dr B.R.Ambedkar, who organized the dalits into the Depressed Classes Association in 1930, clashed with Mahatma Gandhi at the Second Round Table Conference by demanding separate electorates for dalits. When the British government conceded Ambedkar’s demand, Gandhiji began a fast unto death. He believed that separate electorates for dalits would slow down the process of their integration into the society. Ambedkar ultimately accepted Gandhiji’s position and the result was the Poona Pact of September 1932. It gave the Depressed Classes (later to be known as the Schedule Castes) reserved seats in provincial and central legislative councils, but they were to be voted in by the general electorate.