What was Gandhi Irwin Pact? - Explained in Details

Gandhi-Irwin Pact

The Gandhi-Irwin Pact was signed on 5 March 1931. This agreement between Mahatma Gandhi and Lord Irwin is also known as 'Delhi Pact'. Gandhiji gave great importance to this agreement, while Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru and Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose strongly criticized it. The Congressmen were also completely dissatisfied with this agreement, because Gandhiji could not save the young revolutionaries of India, Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev from execution.

Lord Irwin, in collaboration with the Secretary of India, decided to organize the 'First Round Table Conference' on 12 September 1930 in England. The Congress decided to keep itself away from this conference. Irwin tried to create an atmosphere of peace and harmony in the country by releasing Gandhiji on January 26, 1931 AD. Due to the efforts of Tej Bahadur Supri and Jaikar, talks started between Gandhiji and Irwin in Delhi from 17 February. An agreement was finally signed on 5 March 1931 AD. The agreement was called the "Gandhi-Irwin Pact".

The terms of this agreement were as follows-

•     The confiscated property of the Congress and its workers should be returned.
•     The government should withdraw the case of all ordinances and incomplete practices.
•     All the political prisoners should be freed apart from the accused involved in violent acts.
•     The shops of opium, liquor and foreign cloth should be allowed to sit peacefully.
•     People settled on the sea shore should be allowed to make and collect salt.

Mahatma Gandhi accepted the following conditions on behalf of the Congress-

•     The 'Civil Disobedience Movement' will be postponed.
•     Representatives of Congress will also participate in the 'Second Round Table Conference'.
•     Demand for a fair judicial inquiry against the excesses of the police will be withdrawn.
•     The demand for the abolition of salt law and the demand for boycott will be withdrawn.

Gandhi ji criticized

Gandhiji gave great importance to this agreement, but Jawaharlal Nehru and Subhash Chandra Bose softly criticized it saying that Gandhiji had compromised the goal of complete independence without keeping it in mind. KM Munshi called this agreement an era-originating event in India's constitutional history. The young Congressmen were dissatisfied with this agreement, because Gandhiji could not save the three revolutionaries, Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev, from hanging. All three were hanged on March 23, 1931 AD.

Gandhiji had to face severe criticism of the leftist youth in the Congress. Congress accepted this agreement with great difficulty. In the 'Karachi session' of the Congress, the youth showed Gandhi Gandhi 'black flags'. This session was presided over by Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. Along with the acceptance of the Gandhi-Irwin Pact, the proposal titled 'Fundamental Rights and Duties' was also accepted in this session. At this time Gandhiji said that "Gandhi can die, but not Gandhism".