Simon Commission sparked nationwide protests in India. Explore its causes, national response, Nehru Report and impact on the freedom struggle.
Simon Commission
The Simon Commission occupies an important place in the history of India’s national movement. Its arrival in India in 1928 triggered one of the most widespread political protests of the period and brought different sections of Indian society together against British colonial policies. The commission was officially known as the Indian Statutory Commission, but it became popularly known as the Simon Commission after its chairman, Sir John Simon.
The main reason for the strong opposition was simple yet deeply significant: the commission was appointed to examine India’s constitutional future, but it did not include a single Indian member. For Indian nationalists, this was a clear example of British disregard for Indian political aspirations. The slogan “Simon Go Back” soon became the voice of a nationwide movement.
The Simon Commission and the national response that followed marked an important stage in the development of the Indian freedom struggle. It encouraged political unity, led to the preparation of the Nehru Report, and strengthened the demand for greater self-government.
Table of Contents
Background to the Simon Commission
The Government of India Act of 1919 introduced the system of dyarchy in the provinces and promised that its working would be reviewed after ten years. According to this plan, the British government was expected to appoint a commission to examine the constitutional progress made in India and recommend future reforms.
However, the Conservative government in Britain appointed the commission in 1927, earlier than expected. The commission was headed by Sir John Simon and consisted of seven members of the British Parliament. Every member of the commission was British.
This decision immediately caused anger in India. Indian political leaders believed that a body created to decide the future constitutional structure of India should include Indian representatives. The exclusion of Indians was seen as an insult to the country and its growing political consciousness.
Composition and Purpose of the Commission
The Simon Commission consisted entirely of British members and was appointed to review the working of the Government of India Act, 1919. Its major responsibility was to study the system of administration, particularly the working of dyarchy in the provinces.
The commission was expected to recommend constitutional reforms and suggest changes that could be introduced in the future. However, before it could begin its work in India, the composition of the commission itself became the centre of political controversy.
The British government may have expected the commission to collect information and prepare recommendations for constitutional reform, but Indian leaders viewed it as an attempt to decide India’s future without Indian participation.
Why Did Indians Oppose the Simon Commission?
The most important reason for opposition was the absence of Indian members. By the 1920s, the Indian national movement had developed significantly. Political awareness had increased, and Indians expected to play a direct role in determining the future of their country.
The Simon Commission represented the opposite approach. A group of British politicians had been given the authority to investigate and recommend constitutional changes for India without including Indian representatives.
Indian leaders also believed that the appointment of the commission before the completion of the ten-year period showed political calculations by the British government. There was widespread suspicion that the British authorities wanted to maintain control over the process of constitutional reform.
Thus, the opposition was not merely against the members of the commission. It represented a larger rejection of the colonial system under which major decisions concerning India were taken by the British government.
The Beginning of the Nationwide Boycott
When the Simon Commission arrived in Bombay on 3 February 1928, it was greeted by widespread demonstrations and protests. The Indian National Congress had decided to boycott the commission, and many other political groups also joined the opposition.
Protesters carried black flags and raised the famous slogan:
“Simon Go Back!”
The slogan quickly became a symbol of Indian resistance. Demonstrations were organised in several major cities, including Bombay, Calcutta, Madras, Lahore, and other important centres of political activity.
The protests showed that the issue had united a wide range of political groups. Even leaders who differed on several political questions found common ground in opposing the exclusion of Indians from the constitutional commission.
Role of the Indian National Congress
The Indian National Congress played a central role in organising the boycott. At its Madras session in 1927, the Congress decided to boycott the commission.
Congress leaders argued that India could not accept a constitutional inquiry conducted entirely by foreigners. The decision reflected the growing confidence of Indian nationalists, who increasingly demanded the right to frame their own political future.
The boycott also provided an opportunity for the Congress to revive mass political activity after the withdrawal of the Non-Cooperation Movement. Public meetings, demonstrations, and processions helped bring the national movement back into active political discussion.
Lala Lajpat Rai and the Lahore Protest
One of the most significant events associated with the Simon Commission took place in Lahore. Lala Lajpat Rai, popularly known as the “Punjab Kesari,” led a protest against the commission.
During the demonstration, the police carried out a lathi charge to disperse the protesters. Lala Lajpat Rai suffered serious injuries during the incident. Although he continued to participate in political activities for some time, he later died in November 1928.
His death created widespread anger throughout India. Many nationalists regarded his death as a symbol of British repression.
The Lahore incident also had a major influence on revolutionary politics. It intensified anger among young revolutionaries and became associated with later revolutionary actions against British officials.
Different Political Responses
Although the opposition to the Simon Commission was widespread, it was not absolutely universal. Most major nationalist organisations opposed it, but some groups and individuals chose to cooperate with the commission.
The Indian National Congress strongly supported the boycott. Several other political organisations also opposed the all-British composition of the commission.
The Muslim League, however, was divided. While some leaders supported the boycott, others adopted a different approach. This reflected the wider political differences that existed within Indian politics during the period.
Despite these divisions, the overall national response was one of strong opposition. The commission became a symbol of British failure to recognise Indian political aspirations.
The Challenge to Indians: Prepare Their Own Constitution
The British government responded to Indian criticism by arguing that Indians themselves could not agree on a common constitutional framework.
This challenge encouraged Indian political leaders to prepare their own proposals for constitutional reform. As a result, an All Parties Conference was organised.
A committee was formed under the chairmanship of Motilal Nehru to prepare a constitutional framework for India. The report prepared by this committee came to be known as the Nehru Report of 1928.
The Nehru Report was significant because it represented one of the earliest major attempts by Indian political leaders to draft a constitutional structure for self-government.
The Nehru Report and Its Importance
The Nehru Report recommended Dominion Status for India. It proposed a parliamentary form of government and supported a federal structure.
It also discussed important issues such as fundamental rights, responsible government, and the relationship between the central and provincial governments.
The report demonstrated that Indian leaders were capable of preparing detailed constitutional proposals. In this sense, it was a direct political response to the argument that Indians could not agree on constitutional reforms.
However, the report also created new debates within the national movement. Some younger leaders, including Jawaharlal Nehru and Subhas Chandra Bose, believed that Dominion Status was not sufficient and supported the demand for complete independence.
These debates contributed to the growing demand for Purna Swaraj, which later became the official goal of the Indian National Congress at the Lahore Session of 1929.
Recommendations of the Simon Commission
The Simon Commission eventually submitted its report in 1930. It recommended the abolition of dyarchy in the provinces and supported the introduction of greater provincial autonomy.
However, its recommendations did not satisfy the growing nationalist demand for complete self-government. The report did not provide the kind of responsible government at the centre that Indian nationalists increasingly demanded.
Nevertheless, some of the commission’s recommendations later influenced constitutional developments under the Government of India Act of 1935.
Impact of the National Response
The nationwide protest against the Simon Commission had several important consequences.
First, it demonstrated the strength of Indian public opinion. The widespread boycott showed that constitutional questions could generate mass political mobilisation.
Second, the movement created cooperation among several political groups, even though complete unity was not achieved.
Third, the challenge posed by the British government encouraged Indian leaders to prepare the Nehru Report and present their own constitutional vision.
Fourth, the protests increased political participation among students, workers, and the urban middle class. The movement also brought younger political leaders into greater prominence.
Finally, the events surrounding the Simon Commission contributed to the gradual shift from the demand for constitutional reforms within the British Empire towards the demand for complete independence.
Summary
The Simon Commission became one of the most unpopular symbols of British colonial rule in India because it attempted to examine India’s constitutional future without including Indians in the process. The nationwide response demonstrated the growing political maturity and confidence of the Indian national movement.
The slogan “Simon Go Back” represented more than opposition to a particular commission. It reflected the larger demand that Indians should have the right to decide their own political future.
The boycott, the protests led by national leaders, the sacrifice of Lala Lajpat Rai, and the preparation of the Nehru Report made this period an important turning point in India’s freedom struggle. The Simon Commission controversy helped strengthen the national movement and prepared the ground for the later demand for Purna Swaraj.
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