The Poona Pact: Who Signed with Mahatma Gandhi?

The Poona Pact was a historic agreement signed in 1932. It resolved the controversy surrounding the British government's decision to grant separate electorates to the 'Depressed Classes' (later known as Scheduled Castes) as part of the Communal Award.

Mahatma Gandhi opposed the idea of separate electorates for the Depressed Classes, believing it would permanently segregate them from the Hindu community. He undertook a fast unto death while imprisoned in Yerwada Jail, Poona (now Pune), to protest this decision.

In response to Gandhi's fast, negotiations took place between leaders of the caste Hindus and the Depressed Classes to reach an alternative arrangement. Dr. B.R. Ambedkar was the key leader representing the Depressed Classes during these negotiations.

The Poona Pact was the outcome of these negotiations. It was signed on September 24, 1932, at Yerwada Jail. While Mahatma Gandhi was fasting, the pact was signed by various leaders on behalf of caste Hindus and the Depressed Classes. Dr. B.R. Ambedkar signed the pact on behalf of the Depressed Classes.

Therefore, when asked who signed the Poona Pact with Mahatma Gandhi, the correct answer is Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar, as he was the principal figure representing the Depressed Classes in reaching this agreement with the leaders negotiating with Gandhi.

Understanding the Poona Pact

The key terms of the Poona Pact were:

• Separate electorates for the Depressed Classes were abolished.
• Instead of separate electorates, the Depressed Classes were granted a specific number of reserved seats in the provincial legislatures and the central legislature.
• The number of reserved seats for the Depressed Classes was significantly increased compared to what the Communal Award had proposed.
• The election for these reserved seats would be through joint electorates, meaning all voters from a constituency (including caste Hindus) would vote for the candidates from the Depressed Classes in the reserved seats.

Analysis of Options

• Ali Brothers: Mohammad Ali Jauhar and Shaukat Ali were prominent leaders of the Khilafat Movement in the early 1920s. They were not involved in the Poona Pact negotiations in 1932.
• Chittaranjan Das: Also known as C.R. Das, he was a prominent freedom fighter and a leader of the Swaraj Party. He passed away in 1925, well before the Poona Pact was signed in 1932.
• Jyotiba Phule: A pioneering social reformer and activist from the 19th century who worked for the upliftment of the backward classes and women. He passed away in 1890, long before the events leading to the Poona Pact.
• Bhimrao Ambedkar: Dr. B.R. Ambedkar was a key leader representing the Depressed Classes and played a crucial role in negotiating the terms of the Poona Pact with those representing the interests of caste Hindus, prompted by Gandhi's fast. He was a signatory to the pact.

Based on the historical context and the signatories, Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar was the leader who signed the Poona Pact alongside others negotiating with Mahatma Gandhi.

Revision Table: Poona Pact

Additional Information: Communal Award and Separate Electorates

The Communal Award was announced by the British Prime Minister Ramsay MacDonald in August 1932. It extended separate electorates not only to Muslims, Sikhs, Indian Christians, Anglo-Indians, and Europeans but also to the Depressed Classes.

Separate electorates meant that voters from a particular community would elect their own representatives from their community through separate voting rolls. This system was introduced by the Morley-Minto Reforms of 1909 for Muslims and later extended.

Mahatma Gandhi saw the separate electorate for Depressed Classes as a move to divide Hindu society further and weaken the nationalist movement. His fast put pressure on leaders to find a resolution, leading to the Poona Pact.

The Poona Pact is a significant event in the history of India's freedom struggle and the fight for the rights of marginalized communities.