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Question
Throw light on the Round Table Conferences. How did they disappoint the Congress leaders?
Solution
The First Round Table Conference was held in London in November 1930 in the midst of the Civil Disobedience Movement. Ramsay MacDonald, the British Prime Minister, proposed a federal government with provincial autonomy. There was a deadlock over the question of separate electorates for the minorities. The Congress did not attend this conference as all its leaders were in jail. So, the conference closed without any result. It was clear that without Congress's participation the discussions were of no value. Gandhiji was released from the jail unconditionally.
The Viceroy Lord Irwin held talks with Gandhiji on 5 March 1931. The British agreed to the demand of immediate release of all political prisoners not involved in violence, the return of confiscated land, and lenient treatment of the government employees who had resigned. It also permitted the people of coastal villages to make salt and non-violent picketing. The Congress agreed to suspend the Civil Disobedience Movement and attend the Second Round Table Conference. Gandhiji attended this conference which began on 7 September 1931 but refused to accept separate electorates for the minorities. As a result, the second conference also failed.
On returning to India on 28th December 1931, Gandhiji revived the Civil Disobedience Movement. This time the government was prepared to meet the resistance. So, it enforced martial law and arrested Gandhiji on 4th January 1932. Soon all the Congress leaders were also arrested. Protests and picketing by people were suppressed with force. The national st press was completely banned. In the meantime, the Third Round Table Conference was he id from 17 November to 24 December 1932. The Congress did not participate in the conference as it had revived the Civil Disobedience Movement.
IMPORTANT EVENTS AND YEARS:-
| Year | Events |
| 1915 | Gandhiji arrived in India from South Africa |
| 1918 | Kheda Satyagraha |
| 1919 | Rowlatt Act, Government of India Act, Jalianwala Bagh Massacre |
| 1920 | Non-Cooperation Movement |
| 1921 | Ahmedabad Congress Session |
| 1922 | Chauri Chaura incident/Suspension of Non-Cooperation movement |
| 1923 | Birth of Swaraj Party |
| 1924 | Formation of Hindustan Republican Army |
| 1925 | Death of C. R. Das/Swaraj Party dissolved |
| 1927 | Formation of Simon Commission |
| 1928 | The arrival of Simon Commission to India/The Nehru Report |
| 1929 | Lahore Congress |
| 1930 | Salt Satyagraha/Civil Disobedience Movement/Dandi March/First Round Table Conference |
| 1931 | Gandhi Irwin Pact/Second Round Table Conference |
| 1932 | Poona Pact/The Communal Award/Third Round Table Conference |
| 1935 | Government of India Act |
| 1937 | Provincial Elections |
| 1939 | Second World War started |
| 1940 | Jinnah’s demand for the separate nation-Pakistan/August offer |
| 1945 | End of Second World War |
| 1946 | The arrival of Cabinet Mission/Interim Government under Nehru |
| 1947 | Mount Batten Plan/Indian Independence Act/India became independent |
| 1948 | Gandhiji assassination |
| 1950 | Indian constitution came to force/India became a republic |
