Communal Awards & Poona Pact

On 16th August, 1932, McDonald announced the proposal of on minority representation, known as the Communal Award which recommended communal electorate. It is also known as ‘McDonald Award’. Almost everywhere in India mass meeting took place, political leaders different persuasions, like Madam Mohan Malviya, B.R Ambedkar and M.C Raja became active. In the end the succeeded in hammering out an agreement, known as the ‘Poona Pact’.

Communal Award (16 August 1932)

On 16th August, 1932, it was announced by the British Prime Minister, Ramsay MacDonald to grant separate electorates in British India for the Forward Caste, Lower Caste, Muslims, Buddhists, Sikhs, Indian Christians, Anglo-Indians, Europeans and Untouchables (now known as the Dalits) etc..

Poona Pact(24 September 1932 AD)

In this pact, there were agreement between Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar and Mahatma Gandhi at Yerwada Central Jail in Pune. And the pact get accent by the Government as an amendment to the Communal Award.

Provisions of the Pact:

• The Pact abandoned separate electorates for the depressed classes. But the seats reserved for the depressed classes were increased from 71 to 147 in provincial legislatures and 18 per cent of the total in the central legislature.

• Election to seats shall be by joint electorates subject, however, to the following procedure: All members of the Depressed Classes registered in the general electoral roll of a constituency will form an electoral college which will elect a panel of four candidates belonging to the Depressed Classes for each of such reserved seats by the method of the single vote and four persons getting the highest number of votes in such primary elections shall be the candidates for election by the general electorate.

• The system of primary election to a panel of candidates for election as before mentioned shall come to an end after the first ten years, unless terminated sooner by mutual agreement.

• The system of representation of Depressed Classes by reserved seats shall continue until determined otherwise by mutual agreement between the communities concerned.

• The Franchise of the Depressed Classes shall be as indicated, in the Lothian Committee (Indian Franchise Committee) Report.

• There shall be no disabilities attached to any one on the ground of his being a member of the Depressed Classes in regard to any election to local bodies or appointment to the public services. Every endeavour shall be made to secure a fair representation of the Depressed Classes in these respects.

• In every province out of the educational grant an adequate sum shall be ear-marked for providing educational facilities to the members of Depressed Classes.