Poona Pact History
The British Prime Minister, Ramsay MacDonald, on August 16, 1932, announced the Communal Award which provided for separate electorates for the Muslims, Indian-based Christians, the ‘Depressed Classes’, the Anglo-Indians, Europeans, and Sikhs.
In the Morley-Minto Reforms (1909) and the Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms (1919), the British government had already put in place the notion of separate electorates.
Each community in the legislatures was allocated a number of seats, under a separate electorates system and the representative will be elected only by the members from these communities to legislative assemblies.
Gandhi opposed the Poona pact as he says it would weaken the national interest and he went on an indefinite fast and B.R Ambedkar favoured the Poona pact as he says it would uplift the depressed class.
Both Gandhiji and Ambedkar after the series of negotiations agreed to a solution called Poona Pact.
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Significance of Poona Pact
The following are the outcome of the Pact:
- Ambedkar agreed that the candidates from the depressed class would be elected by the joint electorate.
- Around 147 seats were reserved for the candidates of the depressed class, which is twice as allotted under the Communal Award.
- Grant for education and representation in the public services for the depressed class.
- 18% of seats in the central legislature will be reserved for the depressed class.
- For the upliftment of the depressed class entire country was made morally responsible by the pact.
- For the first time in Indian history, the depressed classes were made a formidable political force by the pact.
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Ambedkar Approach on Poona Pact
- According to B.R Ambedkar caste system was beyond reforms so he was in favour of annihilation of the caste system.
- Caste is a political issue and it can be solved by the political solution.
- Ambedkar insisted that if the so-called depressed classes were not equal participants in political democracy, then political democracy was meaningless.
- Ambedkar approach was right based.
Gandhi Approach on Poona Pact
- Gandhi was not in favour of the abolition of the Varnashrama order or caste system.
- He was in favour of bringing behavioural change regarding the ills of the caste system in society.
- According to Gandhi caste issue is a social issue and it can be solved by changing the mind and heart of the people.
- To sensitize upper-caste Gandhi called depressed classes Harijan and to give the political identity Ambedkar called depressed classes as Dalits.
FAQ on Pact
Q.) What was the Poona pact date?
Ans.) The date on which the Poona pact was signed is September 1932.
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