Nehru Report

In response to the appointment of Simon Commission and the challenge given by Lord Birkenhead, Secretary of State for India, the All Parties Conference was called at Delhi on 12th February 1928. It was presided by MA Ansari. In May the All Parties Conference appointed a committee with Motilal Nehru as its chairman. The purpose was to consider and determine the principles of the constitution for India. The committee consisted of Sir Tej Bahadur Sapru, Sir Ali Imam, MS Aney, Mangal Singh, Shoaib Qureshi, GR Pradhan, NM Joshi, MR Jayakar and Subhash Chandra Bose. The main recommendations of the report included that India must be given dominion status which meant independence within the British Commonwealth. India would be a federation having a bicameral legislature at the center to which the ministry would be responsible. The Governor General would be only the constitutional head with the same powers as the British crown. There was no provision for separate electorate.

Citizenship was also defined and fundamental rights were enunciated. The Annual Session of the INC held in Calcutta in December 1928 approved the Nehru report and also served an ultimatum to the British government to accept the Nehru Report failing which the party would launch another mass movement with goal of Poorna Swarajya. The open session of the Muslim League meeting at Delhi on 28th March 1929 rejected the Nehru Report and accepted Jinnah’s fourteen points.