The Simon Commission and the Nehru Report (1927 to 1929)

The all-white Simon Commission (1927) united Indian parties in a boycott, and the Nehru Report (1928) was the first major Indian attempt to draft a constitution.

The Simon Commission

• Announced in November 1927 (before the due date of 1929), the Indian Statutory Commission under Sir John Simon had seven British MPs and no Indian member. The Conservative government wanted to act before the Labour Party came to power, and Lord Birkenhead challenged Indians to produce an agreed constitution.
• It was boycotted by the Congress (Madras session, December 1927) and the main Muslim League group of Jinnah, but the Shafi League (Punjab) and the Justice Party supported it.
• It reached Bombay on 3 February 1928, and met with black flags and "Simon Go Back" slogans.
• Lahore (30 October 1928): police lathi charge on a protest led by Lala Lajpat Rai, who died on 17 November 1928. In Lucknow, Jawaharlal Nehru and G.B. Pant were injured.
• The Report (1930) recommended end of dyarchy, provincial autonomy, and a federation. It did not advise responsible government at the Centre.

The Nehru Report (August 1928)

• All Parties Conference at Bombay (May 1928) set up a committee under Motilal Nehru (members: Tej Bahadur Sapru, Subhas Bose, M.S. Aney, Ali Imam, Shuaib Qureshi, Mangal Singh, G.R. Pradhan; Jawaharlal Nehru was secretary).
• Recommendations: Dominion Status; joint electorates with reservation of seats for Muslims in provinces where they were a minority; 19 Fundamental Rights; separation of Sindh from Bombay; linguistic provinces; responsible government at the Centre.
• Result: The Nehru Report was a pioneering draft. The Muslim League under Jinnah demanded changes (a third of seats), which were not accepted at the All Parties Convention (Calcutta, December 1928). Jinnah then put forward his Fourteen Points (March 1929).
• Congress (Calcutta, December 1928) said that if Dominion Status was not granted within a year (31 December 1929), it would demand complete independence. Subhas Bose and Jawaharlal Nehru founded the Independence for India League.

Bardoli and Irwin's Declaration

• Bardoli Satyagraha (1928) led by Vallabhbhai Patel against a revenue hike.
• Irwin's Declaration (31 October 1929): Dominion status was the goal of British policy, and there would be a Round Table Conference. The Congress's Delhi Manifesto asked for conditions.