NEHRU REPORT

NEED FOR A DRAFT SUGGESTING CONSTITUTIONAL REFORMS

Historical Background

   The need for presenting and formulating a draft for suggestions regarding the constitution arose from the failure of the Simon commission. Lord Birkenhead, Secretary of State for Indian Affairs, as a result invited all the political parties of India to come forward with a draft of the forthcoming act on which both the Muslims and the Hindus could agree. The All India Congress accepted this challenge in the annual meeting at Madras in 1927. An All Parties Conference was called in Jan1928 in Delhi, which was attended by more than hundred delegates from different political parties. The conference failed as the leaders could not agree especially on the minority issue. A second session was held in March, the same year, but it also proved to be futile. In the third session on May 19, 1928, a committee was formed to work out the details of the constitution. It had two Muslim members Syed Imam Ali and Shoaib Qureshi other than 9 other members. It was headed by Pandit Nehru, who was the leader of swarajya party and under the influence of Hindu Muhasbha, an extremist communist organization. This committee presented the Nehru Report in August 1928.

RECOMMENDATIONS OF NEHRU REPORT

1. India should be given the status of a dominion.

2. The form of government should be parliamentary with the Prime Minister as the Head of the State and six ministers appointed by the Governor General.

3. There should be a bi-cameral legislature.

4. There should be no separate electorate for any community.

5. Muslims could be given representation in provinces with atleast ten percent Muslim population, but with strict proportion to the size of the community.

6. System of weightage was as bad as the separate electorate.

7. Sind should be separated from Bombay only if the committee certifies that it is financially self-sufficient.

8. M.W.F.P should be given the status of a province.

9. A new province of the Karanese-speaking people, called Karnatika should be made in South India.

10. Hindi should be made the official language.

11. Muslims should enjoy one fourth representation in the central legislature.

12 There should be Federal form of government with the residuary powers vested in the centre.

REACTION OF THE MUSLIMS AND MUSLIM LEADERS TO THE NEHRU REPORT

   The Muslims all over India were severely disappointed by the Nehru report which clearly emphasized the animosity of the Congress towards Muslims. Quaid-e-Azam declared: “the Nehru Committee has adopted a narrow minded policy to ruin the political future of the Muslims. I regret to declare that the report is extremely ambiguous and does not deserve to be implemented.”

   Maulana Muhammad Ali was also a supporter of the congress and like Quiad-e-Azam had begun his career from the congress refused to accept the report. He left Mr. Gandhi by saying: “We refuse to join Mr. Gandhi, because his movement is not a movement for the complete independence of dependent of the Hindu Muhasbha”.

The Nehru report allowed only 25% seats for the Muslims in the central legislature as against Muslim demand for 33%. Moreover, they were in favor of joint electorate and “Dominion Status” for India.

PROPOSED AMMENDMENTS BY QUAID-E-AZAM AND THE MUSLIM LEAGUE

Quaid-e-Azam was invited by the All Parties National Congress on 22nd Dec, 1928. he denied to attend until the Muslim League discussed the Nehru Report and gave him the mandate for the convention. Mr. Jinnah placed his amendments for the acceptance of Nehru report by the Muslims.

1. Muslim representation the central legislature should be one third.

2. There should be seats reserved for Muslims in the Province of Punjab and Bengal and it should be subjected to three years re-examination.

3. the form of the government should be federal with the residuary powers vested in the provinces. Federal system with full provincial autonomy.

These demands were acceptable and simple yet outvoted by the Hindus. the Nehru Committee accepted to 27% representation of the Muslims but there was still the question of the remaining 6%. Dr. Amedekar has said: “The amendments show that the gulf between the Muslims and the Hindus was a narrow one. Yet there was no desire to bridge the same.”

An All Parties Muslims Conference was held on Dec 31st, 1928-Jan 1st, 1929 in Delhi. The conference had the following demands:

1. Separate Muslim electorate.

2. one third seats in the central legislature.

3. due share in the central and provincial ministries.

4. Federal form of government should be introduced.

5. Muslim majority should be revived in the Muslim majority provinces.

The resolution closed with the warning that no constitution shall be accepted unless it conforms to the demands embodied by this resolution.

DISAAPOINTMENT OF JINNAH AND REPRESENTATION OF FOURTEEN POINTS

Mr.Jinnah was utterly disappointed with the Nehru Report and said, " this is the parting of the ways.". He who was always hailed as the " Ambassador of the Hindu_Muslim Unity " had come to know that Congress could never leave their anti-Muslim policies and attitude. In answer to Nehru Repot he presented his own suggestions known in history as "Fourteen Points of Jinnah".