Question map
Which one of the following statements about the Gandhi-Irwin Pact of 1931 is correct ?
Explanation
The Gandhi-Irwin Pact, signed on March 5, 1931, was a landmark agreement between Mahatma Gandhi and Viceroy Lord Irwin. Under the terms of the pact, the Indian National Congress agreed to suspend the Civil Disobedience Movement and participate in the Second Round Table Conference in London [3]. In return, the British government agreed to several concessions, including the immediate release of all political prisoners who had not been convicted of violence [3]. The government also permitted the peaceful picketing of liquor and foreign cloth shops, contrary to the suggestion that such prisoners would not be released [3]. While the pact was criticized by some for not securing independence or commuting the death sentences of Bhagat Singh and his comrades, it marked a significant diplomatic recognition of the Congress as an equal negotiating partner [3]. Gandhi subsequently attended the Second Round Table Conference as the sole representative of the Congress [1].
Sources
- [2] Modern India ,Bipin Chandra, History class XII (NCERT 1982 ed.)[Old NCERT] > Chapter 15: Struggle for Swaraj > The Second Civil Disobedience Movement > p. 289
- [3] Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 19: Civil Disobedience Movement and Round Table Conferences > Gandhi-Irwin Pact > p. 379
- [1] History , class XII (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 4: Advent of Gandhi and Mass Mobilisation > 4.7 The Round Table Conferences > p. 53