Poona Pact D186ef27

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Poona Pact Polity Notes for UPSC Exams
The Poona Pact was made on September 24, 1932, between Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar and
Mahatma Gandhi. At Yerwada Central Jail in Pune, Pt Madan Mohan Malviya and Dr. B. R.
Ambedkar, together with some Dalit leaders, signed an agreement to end Mahatma Gandhi's fast
unto death. The Poona Pact of 1932 attempted to give the lower classes political representation.
What is Poona Pact?

On August 15, 1932, the British government formalized distinct electorates after protracted talks
at the second Round Table Conference. Gandhi officially opposed separate SC electorates
almost immediately, although he had no objections to equivalent facilities for Muslims or Sikhs.
Poona Pact is a very important part of the History syllabus for the UPSC Exam General Studies.
In order to understand the topic in detail, Testbook prepares the best quality notes for civil service
aspirants. Study major topics of Modern History from the perspective of UPSC Exams.
Background of the Poona Pact: -

• On September 19, 1932, in Bombay dignitaries gathered on the front porch of the Indian
Merchants Chamber Hall.
• Ramsay Macdonald, the British Prime Minister, had announced the Communal Award,
which offered Depressed Classes separate electorates for central and provincial
legislatures, a little more than a month before.
• This award was seen as a threat to Hindu community by Gandhiji. He argued that it would
separate untouchables from Hindus. The prize was warmly received by Ambedkar and
other leaders of the oppressed classes.
• Gandhi declared a fast unto death on September 20, 1932, while in prison, until separate
electorates were removed from the Award.
• The British had promised to make adjustments to the Award if the revisions were the
product of a mutual agreement between the communities involved.
• The Indian political establishment realised that facilitating an agreement between Gandhi
and Ambedkar was the best way to persuade Gandhi to end his fast. Ambedkar was first
unconcerned with Gandhi's fast. However, he then changed his mind and agreed to
bargain.
• Finally, Gandhi and Ambedkar reached an accord in 1932 known as the Poona Pact,
which abolished separate electorates.
Characteristics of Poona Pact: -

• The Poona Pact is a brief text written in a legalistic style.
• It had nine points, seven of which outlined how and how much the Depressed Classes
would be represented in the federal and provincial governments.
• The treaty did not include separate electorates for the depressed classes; instead, the
Pact proposed a system of combined electorates with reserved seats.
• It set aside 148 seats for Depressed Classes from the general electorate, 78 more than
the Award had envisaged.
Also, Check the details on the Cabinet Mission Plan here.
What was the Separate Electorate, and how did it work?

A separate Electorate means only members of these communities would be eligible to vote to
elect a representative to legislative assembly under the system and caste Hindus would be barred
from voting in these elections.
Why did Mahatma Gandhi go on a fast?

The British introduced 'The Communal Award' in 1932, which was seen as one of the divide-and-
rule tools in India. Mahatma Gandhi recognised their action as a direct attack on Indian
nationalism. As a result, Mahatma Gandhi went on a hunger strike, protesting the establishment
of separate electorates for Dalits.
What are the provisions of the Poona Pact?

• In the provincial legislature, seats for Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST)
are reserved.
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• The STs and SCs would create an electoral college that would choose four candidates to
represent the general electorate.
• The standards of combined electorates and reserved seats were used to represent these
classes.
• In the legislature, about 19% of seats were to be dedicated for these groups.
• The representation of these classes through reservation should continue as per clauses
1 and 4 until determined otherwise by mutual agreement between the communities.
• Unless it ends on mutual terms, the system of election to the panel of candidates in both
the Central and Provincial Legislatures shall come to an end in ten years.
• The franchise for these classes in the Central and Provincial Legislatures should be
indicated in the Lothian Committee report. There should be a fair representation of these
classes in every province.
• The Pact also demanded that Depressed Classes be treated equally in public services
and that efforts be made to ensure that the group is fairly represented.
Check the Modern History NCERT Notes here.
What is the Significance of the Poona Pact?

• In India's constitutional and political history, the Pact was a watershed point.
• In a deal with Gandhi, Ambedkar agreed that candidates from the lower classes would be
elected by a common electorate.
• The Poona Pact allocated twice as many reserved seats (147) to the lower classes in the
assembly as the Communal Award had allowed.
• The Poona Pact was an unequivocal admission by upper-class Hindus that the poorest
members of Hindu society were the most discriminated against.
• It was also agreed that something substantial needed to be done to give them a political
voice and a leg up on a backwardness that they couldn't overcome on their own.
• The concessions made in the Poona Pact were forerunners to India's long later
implementation of the world's largest affirmative action programme. Later, a host of
policies were implemented to help Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.
• The Pact, to a significant extent, strengthened and augmented the idea that India's
Depressed Classes were a political minority whose interests must not be overlooked while
drafting the country's constitutional destiny.
• It brought to light the conflicts between the oppressed classes and Hindus, which would
continue to plague the Indian independence movement and negotiations with the British.
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What is the Outcome of the Poona Pact?

• The Poona Pact did not sit well with the leaders of the lower classes, including Ambedkar.
• Separate electorates were seen as a crucial tool for political representation, despite the
fact that the number of seats reserved was double what the Award had granted.
• Furthermore, as Ambedkar himself maintained, the Award provided the Depressed
Classes with a dual vote, allowing them to cast one vote for the separate electorates and
another for the general electorate.
• The second vote, according to Ambedkar, was a "political weapon beyond reckoning" for
defending the interests of the oppressed classes.
• Ambedkar benefited from the Poona Pact in a number of ways. It firmly established his
leadership over India's downtrodden classes. He held the entire country, not just the
Congress Party, morally accountable for the uplift of the poor.
• The Poona Pact of 1931 defined Dalit political representation in India, and its ramifications
can still be felt in today's parliamentary elections.
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Poona Pact Polity Notes for UPSC Exams

What is Poona Pact?

Background of the Poona Pact: -

Characteristics of Poona Pact: -

Also, Check the details on the Cabinet Mission Plan here.

What was the Separate Electorate, and how did it work?

Why did Mahatma Gandhi go on a fast?

What are the provisions of the Poona Pact?

What is the Significance of the Poona Pact?

What is the Outcome of the Poona Pact?

Attempt the Multiple Choice Questions on Modern History here!

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