Irwin Declaration 1929
Also called: Deepavali Declaration · Topic: The National Movement: Gandhian Era · NCERT: Beyond NCERT
Meaning
The Irwin Declaration was a promise made by Viceroy Lord Irwin on 31 October 1929. He said that India's constitutional growth would one day lead to dominion status, which meant self-rule inside the British Empire, like Canada or Australia. He also promised a Round Table Conference in London, a meeting of British and Indian leaders, after the Simon Commission gave its report. The offer gave no date and no clear plan. Congress saw it as too vague, and it failed. This failure pushed Congress towards full independence.
Example
Irwin's offer came in October 1929 and changed nothing. Two months later, in December 1929, the Lahore Congress under Jawaharlal Nehru declared Purna Swaraj, or complete independence, as its goal. On 26 January 1930, people across India took the Independence Day pledge.
Don't confuse with
- Gandhi–Irwin Pact (5 March 1931): this was an agreement between Gandhi and Irwin that ended the first phase of Civil Disobedience. The 1929 Declaration was a one-sided promise of dominion status.
Related concepts
- Swaraj Party
- C.R. Das
- Motilal Nehru
- No-changers
- Constructive programme
- Jawaharlal Nehru
- Subhas Chandra Bose
- Bardoli satyagraha 1928
- Vallabhbhai Patel
- Simon Commission