Gandhi-Irwin Pact

Mahatma Gandhi had unwilling views on the discriminatory salt laws that were existing in the country. Before the Second round table meeting in 1931, this INC leader initiated a Salt Satyagraha. As a result of this, Gandhi Ji was arrested. Sooner, this movement gained huge popularity and the masses of people gathered in unity against the unfair practices of the Britishers. 

As a result, the world was shown the bad side of the Britishers and the world began empathising with the Indians. Lord Irwin wasn’t happy with the fact that the movement was becoming a success in the country, he wanted to end these movements. However, Lord Irwin was in a position to add INC as the representative due to the failure of the first round table conference, with the absence of Congress. So, he released Gandhi and called him for factual meetings and thus, the final agreement which they came to at the end, was referred to as the Gandhi-Irwin Pact.

What was the Gandhi-Irwin Pact?  

Gandhi-Irwin Pact was a political treaty signed between Mahatma Gandhi Ji (on behalf of INC) and Lord Irwin (on behalf of the British authority), before the Second Round table meeting, which took place on 5 March 1931 in London. The treaty was mainly focused on making the Indian National Congress accompany the Second Round table conference and deter the thriving nationalist movements in the country. 

The signing of the Gandhi-Irwin Pact marked the end of one of the most popular movements in India, the civil disobedience movement. Unlawful salt laws made by the Britishers were not in favour of the Indian people. So, to oust such a policy of the authority, Gandhi started a Salt Satyagraha where he was arrested. Due to the huge popularity of the movement, Irwin had to release Gandhi Ji and that’s when the treaty of the Gandhi-Irwin Pact came into being. 

Background 

Before the arrival of Britishers in India, the people of India used to bring out salt from the seawater. However, it was after the arrival of the Britishers, that the alien authorities started charging high prices for salt and made the extraction of salt from the seawater illegal. In this concern, Mahatma Gandhi started the Salt Satyagraha, to boycott the unfair laws and the monopoly on salt created by the British authorities. 

Under the Salt March, he planned to extract salt from the seawater without any consent from the Britishers. Initially, the Dandi March took roots from the Sabarmati Ashram in Gujarat with Gandhi and a few of his followers. The movement took 25 days from the start to the destination and finally Mahatma Gandhi broke the unfair law made by the Britishers on 6 April 1930. Followed by the Salt March, he also gave rise to a nonviolent raid on the illicit practices of the Britishers. Soon this progressed in popularity and thus amidst that, Gandhi was imprisoned. 

Feared by the popularity of the Salt Satyagraha movement, Lord Irwin soon thought of discharging Mahatma Gandhi. One more reason behind this was the fact that this movement not only gained popularity in India but also in nations around the world. As a result, the world was shown the bad side of the Britishers and the world began empathising with the Indians. 

Thus, an agreement, known as the Gandhi-Irwin Pact was signed between Mahatma Gandhi Ji (on behalf of INC) and Lord Irwin (on behalf of the British authority). It was mainly focused on making the Indian National Congress accompany the Second Round table conference, because, without Congress and Mahatma Gandhi, the meeting would have been a failure. Further, a treaty was needed to deter the thriving nationalist movements in the country. 

Provisions of the Pact 

Gandhi-Irwin Pact as a result of about eight meetings between Gandhi Ji and Lord Irwin that began after the mid of February 1931. There were certain provisions under this agreement: 

1)The Indian National Congress should keep a halt to the Civil disobedience that had gained huge popularity. 

2) The people who have been arrested under the Civil disobedience movement should be released, except those people who have been found guilty of violence.

3)Removal of the unfair salt laws and allowing the Indians to produce salt domestically in their country. 

4)Indian National Congress should take part in the Second Round Table meeting, which was to be held in 1932.

5)Withdrawal of all the legislations and ordinances introduced by the Britishers against the activities of Congress. 

Unaccepted Demands 

Apart from the provisions that are mentioned above, there were some other demands as well that were denied by Lord Irwin. Even if he wanted to bow down and negotiate, he still wanted to keep the British heads high in the air.

1)Mahatma Gandhi demanded the turn of the death sentences of prominent freedom fighters, Sukhdev, Rajguru and Bhagat Singh, into life sentences. It was rejected by Lord Irwin. 

2)Public inquiry should be made on the excesses that the police committed on the people amidst the movements. 

Conclusion

The main intention behind the launch of the mass movement of Satyagraha was to initiate the psychological processes of the Indians that would scramble their beliefs to become part of an autonomous country. Lack of initiation from the Indians was the reason that Mahatma Gandhi introduced this movement. In context of all, it was necessary to introduce the Gandhi-Irwin Pact at that time. The Gandhi-Irwin Pact had its significance. On one hand, it established the superiority and prominence of the INC as a national party of the country.  On the other hand, it paved the way for the GOI Act 1935, which softened the system of restrictions in the authority.