Simon Commission (1927) - Modern India History Notes

The Indian Statutory Commission, also known as the Simon Commission (after its chairman Sir John Simon), was an all-white, seven-member Commission established by the British government on November 8, 1927 and led by Sir John Simon. The Government of India Act of 1919 provided for the appointment of a commission to study the progress of the governance scheme and suggest new steps after ten years. In 1928, the commission arrived in British India to investigate constitutional reform in Britain's most populous and important possession. One of its members was future Labour Party leader Clement Attlee, who became committed to India's self-government. In this article, we will discuss the Simon Commission (1927) which will be helpful for UPSC exam preparation.

Simon Commission - Background

• The Dyarchy system was introduced by the Government of India Act of 1919, which also included a provision that a Commission would be appointed in India after ten years to study constitutional reforms.
• The Simon Commission was established on November 8, 1927, by the British government, which was led by Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin at the time.
• The Simon Commission, also known as the Indian Statutory Commission, was a seven-member commission.
• The Simon Commission was made up entirely of white people. This Commission's members were all British. It was chastised because there was no Indian representation on the Commission.
• The purpose of this Commission was to make recommendations to the British government on constitutional reforms in British India.
• The Conservative British government, which was in power at the time, feared electoral defeat by the British Labour Party.
• The British government appointed the Simon Commission in 1927 to protect their foothold in India, despite the fact that the Commission was not due until 1929.
• Lord Birkenhead, the Secretary of State for India, stated that Indians were incapable of devising a constitutional reform scheme that could be accepted by various segments of Indian politics.
• As a result, he was in charge of establishing the Simon Commission in 1927.

Simon Commission - Objectives

• The British government established a commission to investigate the Government of India Act of 1919.
• The commission's mission was to investigate the operation of the act and make recommendations for further reforms to the administrative system.
• Its main goal was to spread communal feelings in order to tear the country's social fabric apart.
• It wished to postpone the process of granting Indians governance powers.
• They were attempting to spread and support the regional movement, which had the potential to annihilate the country's national movements.

Simon Commission - Recommendations

• Create a representative government in the provinces.
• The governor should have discretionary authority in administrative matters and internal security.
• Dyarchy should be abolished.
• The number of members of the provincial legislative council should be increased.
• The Government of India will have complete control over the Supreme Court.
• Separate communal electorates were retained and extended to other communities.
• The Governor General will have full authority to appoint cabinet members.
• There is no universal franchise.
• Local legislatures and rights to be represented at the centre should be established in the northwestern frontier provinces and in Balochistan.
• Sindh will be split from Bombay, and Burma will be split from India.
• The Indian army needs to be Indianized.
• A Greater India Consultative Council will be formed.

Simon Commission - Impact

• A new generation of youth have made their first forays into political action. They were the protest's most active participants.
• The radical forces began to demand not only total independence, but also significant socio-economic reforms.
• Lord Birkenhead's challenge to produce an agreed-upon constitution was accepted by a number of political parties, paving the way for unity.
• The report of the Commission was published in 1930. Before the publication, the government stated that Indian opinion would be taken into account in the future, and that the natural outcome of constitutional reforms would be dominion status for India.
• The Simon Commission resulted in the Government of India Act 1935, which served as the foundation for many aspects of the current Indian Constitution.
• The first provincial elections were held in 1937, and Congress governments were formed in nearly all of the provinces.
• The arrival of the Commission galvanised leaders and the masses, giving a boost to the Indian independence movement.

Simon Commission - Criticism

• The all-European composition of the Commission was interpreted as an insult to Indian nationalism.
• As a result, the Indian National Congress resolved to boycott the Commission at all stages and in all forms.
• The Commission's seven members were all Englishmen who were members of the British Parliament.
• The British government argued that because the committee had to report its findings to the British Parliament, it was justified to appoint only British citizens.
• This argument was undermined by the presence of two Indian members of the British Parliament, Lord Sinha and Mr. Saklatwala.
• The British government declared that it was not possible to appoint an Indian as a member of the Constitutional Development Commission because there was no unanimity of Indian opinion on the issue.

Response to Simon Commission

Response of Indians

• The Indian reaction to the Simon Commission was swift and nearly unanimous.
• What enraged Indians the most was the exclusion of Indians from the commission, as well as the underlying assumption that foreigners would debate and decide on India's suitability for self-government.
• This idea was viewed as a violation of the principle of self-determination, as well as a deliberate insult to Indian self-respect.

Response of Congress

• The Congress session in Madras (December 1927), presided over by M.A. Ansari, resolved to boycott the commission "at every stage and in every form."
• Meanwhile, Nehru was successful in getting a snap resolution passed at the session declaring complete independence as the Congress's goal.

Response of Other Groups

• The liberals of the Hindu Mahasabha and the majority faction of the Muslim League under Jinnah were among those who decided to support the Congress' call for a boycott of the Simon Commission.
• In 1927, the Muslim League held two sessions: one in Calcutta under Jinnah, where it was decided to oppose the Simon Commission, and another in Lahore under Muhammad Shafi, who supported the government.
• Others, such as the Punjab Unionists and the Justice Party in the south, have decided not to boycott the commission.

Response of Public

• On February 3, 1928, the commission arrived in Bombay. On that day, a nationwide hartal was called, and mass rallies were held.
• There were black flag protests, hartals, and chants of 'Simon Go Back' wherever the commission went.

• Lala Lajpat Rai, who was leading a protest against the Simon Commission in Lahore, was brutally lathi-charged. He died later that year as a result of the injuries he sustained at the time.
• Dr. B.R Ambedkar had submitted a report on the education of the oppressed classes in the Bombay Presidency on behalf of the Bahishkrit Hitakarini Sabha.

Conclusion

The Simon Commission was established under the leadership of Sir John Simon to investigate the functioning of India's constitutional system and make recommendations for changes. It was officially known as the 'Indian Statutory Commission,' and it was made up of four Conservative, two Labour, and one Liberal members of the British Parliament. There was not a single Indian on the Commission. As a result, when they arrived, they were greeted with the slogan 'Go back, Simon.' To quell the protests, the viceroy, Lord Irwin, announced an offer of "dominion status" for India in October 1929, as well as a Round Table Conference to discuss a future constitution.

FAQs

MCQs

1. Who chaired the Simon Commission of 1927?

A. Lord Reading
B. Sir John Simon
C. Lord Mountbatten
D. Sir Stafford Cripps

2. What was the main reason for the opposition to the Simon Commission by Indian leaders?

A. It increased taxes on Indians
B. It lacked Indian representation
C. It abolished provincial autonomy
D. It supported the Rowlatt Act

3. What was the main recommendation of the Simon Commission regarding provincial administration?

A. Complete independence for India
B. Abolition of diarchy in the provinces
C. Introduction of universal adult suffrage
D. Formation of a federal system

4. Which report was drafted in response to the Simon Commission?

A. Lucknow Pact
B. Poona Pact
C. Nehru Report
D. Cabinet Mission Plan

5. Which Indian leader was severely injured during the protests against the Simon Commission in Lahore?

A. Subhas Chandra Bose
B. Mahatma Gandhi
C. Lala Lajpat Rai
D. Jawaharlal Nehru

GS Mains Questions and Model Answers

1. Discuss the reasons behind the widespread opposition to the Simon Commission in India.

Answer: The Simon Commission faced widespread opposition in India primarily because it lacked Indian representation. All the members of the Commission were British, which was seen as an insult to Indian aspirations for self-governance. Indian leaders believed that the Commission’s recommendations would be biased and would not reflect the needs and desires of the Indian people. Moreover, the Commission's mandate was to review the Government of India Act 1919, which had already failed to meet Indian expectations. This united Indian political groups, including the Indian National Congress and the Muslim League, in their rejection of the Commission. The protests were marked by the slogan "Simon, Go Back" and reflected the growing demand for real political reforms and self-rule.

2. Analyze the impact of the Simon Commission on the Indian independence movement.

Answer: The Simon Commission played a crucial role in galvanizing the Indian freedom movement. The lack of Indian representation on the Commission united Indian leaders across political divides in their opposition to British rule. This unity was reflected in the joint protests organized by the Indian National Congress, the Muslim League, and other political organizations. The Commission's failure to propose significant reforms led to the drafting of the Nehru Report (1928), which outlined India's demand for Dominion Status. The protests against the Simon Commission also intensified the nationalist struggle, leading to the Civil Disobedience Movement in the following years. The Commission highlighted the British government's unwillingness to consider Indian aspirations, further fueling the demand for complete independence.

3. Evaluate the significance of the Nehru Report (1928) as a response to the Simon Commission.

Answer: The Nehru Report (1928) was a direct response to the Simon Commission, which had failed to address Indian demands for greater self-governance. The report, drafted by a committee headed by Motilal Nehru, proposed a constitutional framework for India that included Dominion Status and a federal system with autonomy for provinces. It also recommended fundamental rights and universal suffrage. The Nehru Report was significant because it represented the first time that Indian leaders had come together to propose a unified constitutional plan for India. It also marked a shift in Indian political demands from mere reforms to Dominion Status, which was a step closer to full independence. However, the rejection of the report by some Muslim leaders highlighted the growing communal divide, which would later have a significant impact on the freedom struggle.

Previous Year Questions on the Simon Commission

1. UPSC CSE Prelims 2018

Question: Which of the following was the primary reason for the boycott of the Simon Commission in 1927?
A. Its support for the Rowlatt Act
B. The introduction of diarchy in the provinces
C. The exclusion of Indians from the Commission
D. The introduction of a new taxation system

Answer: C. The Simon Commission was boycotted by Indian leaders primarily because it lacked Indian representation. All its members were British, which led to widespread protests and rejection of the Commission.

2. UPSC CSE Mains 2017 (GS Paper 1)

Question: "The Simon Commission and its aftermath marked a critical phase in India’s struggle for independence." Discuss.
Answer: The Simon Commission marked a critical phase in India’s independence movement because it united Indian leaders across political divides in their opposition to British policies. The Commission, established to review the Government of India Act 1919, was met with widespread protests due to its lack of Indian representation. The opposition to the Commission also led to the drafting of the Nehru Report (1928), which outlined India's constitutional demands. Although the Commission's recommendations for the abolition of diarchy and provincial autonomy were significant, they were seen as insufficient by Indian leaders. The protests against the Simon Commission highlighted the growing dissatisfaction with British rule and paved the way for future movements such as the Civil Disobedience Movement. The Commission's failure to address Indian aspirations for self-governance played a crucial role in strengthening the demand for complete independence.