Nehru Report and

Jinnah’s Fourteen Points

 In 1927 Simon Commission came to British
India to investigate the working of the
Montague-Chelmsford Reforms, and to
recommend further changes.
 Conservative govt. did not include any Indian
in the Commission.
 Various parties decided to boycott the
commission including Congress and Muslim
League(Jinnah Faction).

 Muhammad Ali Johar, Khilafat Conference

and the Jami’at-i-Ulema-i-Hind also boycotted
the Simon Commission
 Muslim League Shafi wanted to co-operate
with Commission but Jinnah League decided
to boycott.
 John Simon and his Commission was greeted
everywhere with Congres-organized
demonstration and black flags.
 Congress challenged the Lord Birkenhead,
Secretary of state of India to produce a
constitution acceptable to the various elements
in India.

 All Parties Conference was called on and

negotiations began on Constitutional matters
 The Conference appointed a committee of
jurists with Moti Lal Nehru as chairman to
study the problem and draft the Constitution.
 Sir Ali Imam and Mr.Shoaib Qureshi were
taken from Muslims as members of the
Committee.
 Committee announced its report known as
“Nehru Report" in 1928.

 Muslim members of the committee

boycotted the proceeding as Muslims were
not accommodated in the report.
 The Nehru report called for a general electorate ,
with no separate electorates to ensure that minority
groups could elect their own representatives.
 Representation of Muslims in the central assembly
be reduced from one third to one fourth.
 Rejected the federal form of Government in favor of
a Unitary one.
 Division of power between center and Provinces but
the Residuary powers will be vested in Center.
 Nehru report was totally un-acceptable to
almost every Muslim group in the Sub-
Continent.
 Jinnah proposed amendments in the report
but were rejected by the Hindus.
 Amendments could bridge the gulf between
Hindus and Muslims but were rejected by
Hindus so report was also rejected by
Muslims.
 Report was called a document of Slavery by
Muslims.
 An All Parties Muslim Conference was held in
Delhi on 31 December, 1928 to 1st Jan.,1929 to
discuss the matter.
 All India Muslim Conference was set up under
the leadership of Agha Khan and demanded
for separate electorates for Muslims.
 Muslim League reunited and in March 1929 it
reiterated Muslim demands in Jinnah’s famous
Fourteen Points, which were following:-
1. A federal, rather than a unitary form of
Government.
2. Electoral safeguards for minorities in every
Province.
3. Equal status for every Province.
4. Separate electorates for religious and other
groups.
5. One third of the seats in the central
assembly to be reserved for Muslims.
6. No bill should be passed affecting a
particular religion agree to it.
7. The Muslim majorities in Punjab, Bengal and
NWFP should not be negated by boundary
changes.
8. Sind should be a separate Province.
9. NWFP and Baluchistan should be included in
all reforms.
10. All religion should have freedom of
worship,faith,Education,assembly and
association.
11. There should be a proper number of
Muslims in government services.
12. There should be constitutional safeguards
for Muslim
culture,language,religion,Education and
welfare institutions.
13. At least one third of the ministers in the
provinces and at the Center should be
Muslims.
14. The agreement of all the federating states
would be necessary for amending the
Constitution.