Nehru Report

Dr. Vrushti Patel

 Background
• The Nehru Report of 15 August 1928 (approved on 28 August)
was a memorandum to appeal for a new dominion status and a
federal set-up of government for the constitution of India
• In November 1927, the British government appointed the Simon
Commission to review the working of the Government of India
Act 1919 and propose constitutional reforms for India.
• The Commission did not have a single Indian member which
irked leaders of the nationalist movement.
• While the British acknowledged the discontent, it did not change
the composition of the Commission and instead asked Indians to
prove that they could draw up a constitution themselves.
 Background
• A similar challenge was made in 1925 by Lord Birkenhead,
then Secretary of State for India, in the House of Lords.
• As a result, Leaders of the nationalist movement responded
to the challenge by drafting the Nehru Report 1928.
• In December 1927, at its Madras session, the Indian National
Congress set up an All Parties Conference to draft a
Constitution for India.
• On May 19, 1928 at its meeting at Bombay, the All Parties
Conference appointed a committee with Motilal Nehru as its
chairman.
 Recommendations of
Nehru Report
i. India should be given Dominion Status with the Parliamentary
form of Government with bi-cameral legislature that consists of
senate and House of Representatives
ii. It recommended Responsible government at the Centre and in
provinces—
• The senate were to comprise of two hundred members elected for
seven years, while the House of Representatives should consist of
five hundred members elected for five years. Governor-General
will act on the advice of executive council. It was to be collectively
responsible to the parliament
• Provincial councils to have a 5-year tenure, headed by a governor
acting on the advice of the provincial executive council
 Recommendations of
Nehru Report
• There should be Federal form of Government in India with
Residuary powers to be vested in Centre.
• There were to be no separate electorate for minorities because
it awakens communal sentiments therefore it should be
scrapped and joint electorate should be introduced
• It recommended Nineteen fundamental rights including equal
rights for women, right to form unions, and universal adult
suffrage
• Full protection to cultural and religious interests of Muslims.
• Complete dissociation of State from religion
 Muslim League reaction
to the Nehru Report
• The process of preparing the Constitutional framework
began enthusiastically. However, communal differences
crept in and Nehru report got involved in controversies
over the issue of communal representation
Muslim League reaction
• The league’s leaders rejected the Nehru proposals
• In reaction Mohammad Ali Jinnah drafted his Fourteen
Points in 1929, which became the core demands the
Muslim community put forward as the price of their
participating in an independent united India.
 Muslim League reaction
to the Nehru Report
The Main objection of Muslim league were:
• The 1916 Congress-Muslim League agreement Lucknow
Pact provided separate electorates and weightage, to the
Muslim community whereas they were rejected by the
Nehru Report.
• The League realized that while they would be a majority in
the provinces of the North-East and North-West of India,
and hence would control their provincial legislatures, they
would always be a minority at the Centre. Thus they
demanded, contrary to the Nehru Report, that residuary
powers go to the provinces.
 Muslim League reaction
to the Nehru Report

Younger section of Congress Reaction

• The younger section of the Congress led by Jawaharlal Nehru and
Subhash Bose were angered.
• The younger section regarded the idea of dominion status in the
report as a step backward, and the developments at the All Parties
Conference strengthened their criticism of the dominion status
idea
• Further, Nehru and Subhash Bose rejected the Congress’ modified
goal and jointly set up the Independence for India League
 Results
• The report was an inspiration from the
American bill of rights, which laid to the
foundation of Fundamental Rights provision in
the Indian Constitution.
• Unfortunately, the Nehru Report was not
adopted by the All Party Convention in
Calcutta in December 1928. Some communal
leaders from the Muslim League, the Hindu
Mahasabha, and the Sikh League objected.