Communal Award
This article may be confusing or unclear to readers. In particular, was this a law or a statement of some sort? Explain more fully what the separate electorate was and how it was changed. (April 2022) |
The Communal Award was created by the
The separate electorate was now available to the
The reason behind introduction of Communal Award was that Ramsay MacDonald considered himself as 'a friend of the Indians' and thus wanted to resolve the issues in India. The Communal Award was announced after the failure of the Second of the Round Table Conferences (India). The Award attracted severe criticism from Mahatma Gandhi.
The Award was controversial as it was believed by some to have been brought in by the British to create social divide among the Hindus. Gandhi feared that it would disintegrate Hindu society. However, the Communal Award was supported by many among the minority communities, most notably B. R. Ambedkar. According to Ambedkar, Gandhi was ready to award separate electorates to Muslims and Sikhs. But Gandhi was reluctant to give separate electorates to scheduled castes. He was afraid of division inside Congress and Hindu society due to separate scheduled caste representations. But Ambedkar insisted for separate electorate for scheduled caste.
During the parliamentary debates on the Government of India bill the Untouchables gained a notable champion in a Conservative MP, A.V.Goodman. He stressed their poverty should be ameliorated by greater representation in the provincial assemblies. But while Muslim League remained ambivalent to the Communal Award its ratification by the Central Assembly remained a priority.
References
- ISBN 978-0-521-86362-9.
- ISBN 978-0-521-86362-9.
- ^ [1] 'Government-of-india-act-1919-montagu-chelmsford-reforms-main-features-of-the-act'
- .
- ^ The Bombay Chronicle, 18 August 1932, in Dhananjay Keer, Dr.Ambedkar: Life and Mission (Popular Prakashan, 1971), p.204.
- ISBN 978-81-7871-091-4.
Further reading
- ISBN 978-81-250-0884-2.