Simon Commission

The Simon Commission which is also known as The Indian Statutory Commission was a committee of seven Members of Parliament led by Sir John Simon (later, 1st Viscount Simon). In 1928, the panel came to British India to investigate the constitutional change in Britain’s largest and most significant property.

One of its members was future Labour Party leader Clement Attlee, who grew dedicated to India’s self-government. It was titled the Simon Commission after its chairman, Sir John Simon.

Simon Commission

Simon Commission Background

In 1927, the commission arrived in British India to investigate or check the constitutional change that has indulged in the country’s largest and most important possession. One of its members was future Labour Party leader Clement Attlee, who grew dedicated to India’s self-government.  When the Montagu–Chelmsford reforms were introduced in 1919, the British Government said that a commission would be brought to India after 10 years to assess the effects and operations of the constitutional reforms and to advise additional reforms for India. 

The British government created the Simon Commission two years ahead of schedule in November 1928 to report on India’s constitutional development in order to implement promised constitutional reforms.

Glimpse of Simon Commission

1. The Government of India Act of 1919 established a diarchy structure to govern British India’s provinces.  The Act also stated that a commission would be appointed after ten years to assess the implementation and development of the Act’s policies. The Indian people and leaders want a reform of the diarchy type of government.
2. The Conservative Party-led government in the United Kingdom feared a defeat by Labour Party in the next elections, so they appointed a commission in 1928, despite the fact that As per the 1919 Act, it is to be appointed only in 1929.
3. The Commission was entirely made up of British members, with not a single Indian member present. This was considered an insult to Indians, who were correct in stating that their fate could not be decided by a small group of British people.
4. Lord Birkenhead, the Secretary of State for India, had rebuked Indians for their apparent failure to establish a realistic reform strategy via consensus among all sections of the Indian political scene. Lord Birkenhead was the person behind the establishment of the Commission.

At its December 1927 conference in Madras (now Chennai), the Indian National Congress agreed to boycott the Commission and challenged Lord Birkenhead, Secretary of State for India, to design a constitution acceptable to the Indian people. A Muslim League group led by Mohammed Ali Jinnah also agreed to boycott the Commission. In the face of Congress’s opposition, F.E Smith wanted to publicist the Commission’s meetings with “representative Moslems” in order to “terrify the immense Hindu population by the apprehension that the Commission is being seized by the Moslems and may present a report entirely destructive of the Hindu population.”

However, support for cooperation came from certain Muslim League members, as well as members of the Hindu Mahasabha and the Central Sikh League. The Council of India and the Viceroy, Lord Irwin, formed an All-India Committee for Cooperation with the Simon Commission.

C. Sankaran Nair (Chairman),  Nawab Ali Khan, Arthur Froom, Shivdev Singh Uberoi,  Hari Singh Gour, Abdullah Al-Mamun Suhrawardy, Kikabhai Premchand, Zulfiqar Ali Khan, and Prof. M. C. Rajah was the member of the committee.

Why was Simon Commission boycotted?

The destiny of India was chosen by an all-white commission. There were no Indians included. The commission did not propose any improvements for Indians. The terms of the commission’s establishment made no mention of swaraj, although India’s demand was the sole swaraj.

The exclusion of Indians from the Commission infuriated Indians. In Madras in 1927, the Congress Party and the Muslim League, led by M A Jinnah chose to boycott the Commission. A group of members led by Muhammad Shafi supported the government. On this topic, the Justice Party of the South has opted to support the government. When the Commission arrived in February 1928, there were nationwide protests, hartals, and black flag rallies.

The phrase ‘Simon Go Back’ was being chanted.  To put a stop to the march, the police used lathi charges. Even Senior leaders such as Pandit Nehru were not spared.

Almost immediately after its arrival in Bombay on 4 February 1928, its members were confronted with thongs of demonstrators, however, there were some admirers among the masses who regarded it as the next step toward self-government. A walkout began, and many people gathered to meet the Commission with black banners bearing the words ‘Simon Go Back.’ Maghfoor Ahmad Ajazi led the anti-Simon Commission protests in Patna. Protests were held in every major Indian city visited by the seven British MPs.

One anti-Simon Commission rally became well-known. The Commission arrived in Lahore on October 30, 1928, and was hailed by demonstrators flying black flags. The protest was spearheaded by Indian nationalist Lala Lajpat Rai, who had introduced a motion against the Commission in the Punjab Legislative Assembly in February 1928. Protesters barricaded the road so that the committee members could not leave the railway station.  Local police, commanded by Superintendent James Scott, began assaulting demonstrators in order to make room for the Commission. Lala Lajpat Rai was seriously injured and died on November 17, 1928, as a result of his head injuries.

Related Links

1. Purna Swaraj Resolution And Its Significance
2. Swaraj Party: Its Objectives and Works
3. Viceroys of British India and Important Events during Their Tenure
4. Simon Commission in details 

FAQs on Simon Commission

Q 1. What was the Simon Commission of 1927?

Answer-

The commission proposed to end the diarchy and increase the autonomy of the provinces, by establishing representative government in the provinces.

Q 2. When was Simon Commission came to India first?

Answer-

The Simon Commission arrived in India in 1928.

Q 3. Was the Simon Commission in 1927 or 1928?

Answer-

Simon Commission was in 1928.

Q 4. What was the Simon Commission Why?

Answer-

The Simon Commission was established to examine the operation of the Government of India Act, 1919, and to make recommendations for additional constitutional and governmental reforms under British colonial rule in India. Because no Indians were represented on the Simon Commission, Congress decided to boycott it. ‘All-white’ was the commission’s motto.

Q 5. Who voted for the Simon Commission?

Answer-

On November 8, 1927, the British government, led by Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin at the time, convened the Simon Commission. The Simon Commission, sometimes known as the Indian Statutory Commission, consisted of seven members.

Q 6. When was the Simon report published?

Answer-

The Simon Commission’s report was released in 1930. The Simon Commission arrived in British India in 1928 to investigate Indian constitutional problems and provide proposals for reform. The Simon Commission was established by the British government in 1927. The commission arrived in British India in 1928.

Q 7. Who coined the slogan Simon go back?

Answer-

The iconic slogan “Simon Go Back”, was coined by Yusuf Meherally.