The Simon Commission Report Recommendations

"The Indian Statutory Commission" also came to be known as Simon Commission was a committee of seven members of Parliament led by Sir John Simon.

The recommendations of the Simon Commission were formally known as the ‘Indian Statutory Commission’ and included 4 conservatives, 2 Labourites, and 1 liberal member from the British Parliament. Near the end of 1928, the commission arrived in British India to explore constitutional reform in the country's largest and most significant territory.

Clement Attlee, was the future leader of the Labour Party, was a member who became committed to India's self-government. The Simon Commission was named after its chairman, Sir John Simon.

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The Simon Commission Report Recommendations: Background

The Government of India Act 1919 stated that a royal commission would be established in ten years to report on the act's implementation. To learn more about the Simon Commission's history, read the following:

• Diarchy was launched in India by the Government of India Act 1919. The Act also ensured that a commission would be appointed after 10 years to judge the work and growth made on the measures taken through the Act.

• The Indian people and leaders wanted a change of the diarchy form of government.

• The Conservative Party-led government in the United Kingdom worried about the defeat at the hands of the Labour Party in the upcoming elections, so it appointed a commission in 1928. Even though the 1919 Act required it to be appointed in 1929.

• There was not a single Indian member on the Commission, which was exclusively made up part of the British members’ committee. This was viewed as a criticism to Indians, who were right in stating that their future will not be chosen by a small group of British people.

• Lord Birkenhead the Secretary of State for India, had criticized Indians for their apparent failure to establish a meaningful reform plan based on acceptance among all parts of the Indian political system.

• Lord Birkenhead was in charge of establishing the Commission.

• The Commission included Clement Atlee as a member. Later, during India's independence and partition in 1947, he became Britain's Prime Minister.

• The Simon Commission was established at a time when the Indian National Movement was at a crossroads and lacked direction. In Madras in 1927, they boycotted the commission. The Muslim League of Jinnah followed suit.

• The commission was backed by several groups including the Southern Justice Party.

• Finally, in 1928, the Simon Commission arrived in India amid huge protests and turmoil. People used slogans such as "Go Simon Go" and "Go Back Simon".

• Lala Lajpat Rai, who now lives in Pakistan, organized a forceful protest against the commission in Lahore. He wasn't even spared; he was savagely thrashed.

Why Did the British Government Appoint the Simon Commission?

The British government created a commission to analyze the workings of the Government of India Act of 1919 and make recommendations for additional administrative reforms. The inquiry was known as the Simon Commission after its chairman, Sir John Simon. The Indian people were taken aback by its appointment. The commission was made up entirely of Englishmen, without a single Indian among them. The government showed no signs of agreeing to Swaraj's demand. The work of the Simon commission led to fears of the Indian people. The recommendations of the Simon commission appointment provoked protests all over the country.

Simon Commission Report Recommendations: Important Changes

• Provincial Dyarchy was abolished and ministers became liable to the provincial legislatures in all departments, which includes the department of law and order.

• The Governor had special powers for the security of minorities and the protection of states. He also had complete power to interfere in the case of the breakdown of the constitution.

• The Governor-General was liable to select and appoint his Cabinet members.

• Not only British India, but also the Princely States, was included in the federal government at the center.

• Burma was not separated from British India and was given a constitution of its own.

• The representation of the Council of State was not decided by direct election, but rather by indirect election through the Provincial Council, which was similar to the modern-day election system of Proportional Representation.

Impact of the Recommendations of the Simon Commission

There was a huge impact because of recommendations of the Simon Commission on Indians :

• In 1930, the report of the Simon Commission was published. Before publishing, the government stated that Indian opinion will be taken into account in the future and that the logical result of constitutional changes would be India's dominion status.

• It suggested the abolition of diarchy and the establishment of representative governments in the provinces.

• It also suggested the retention of separate communal constituencies until the communal tensions had fallen.

• The Simon Commission directed the Government of India Act 1935 which was served as the basis for various parts of the current Indian Constitution.

• In 1937, the first provincial elections were held, and Congress governments were formed in almost all of the provinces.

• The arrival of the Commission reinforced leaders and the masses, giving the Indian independence movement a boost.

Why Were the Simon Commission Report Recommendations Boycotted?

The Simon Commission report recommendations were boycotted by Indians because of the following reasons :

• Indians were insulted at their exclusion from the Commission.

• The Congress Party chose to boycott the Commission at their gathering at Madras in 1927.

• The Muslim League headed by M A Jinnah also boycotted it. A special section of members headed by Muhammad Shafi supported the British government.

• The Justice Party in the South chose to side with the government on this matter.

• When the Commission arrived in February 1928, there were big protests, hartals, and black flag displays all over the country.

• The message of "Simon Go Back" was repeatedly chanted by the people who were part of the protest.

• To put down the protests, the police used lathi charges. Senior leaders such as Pandit Nehru were not safe.

• Lala Lajpat Rai, who was heading the anti-Simon Commission demonstration in Lahore, was violently lathi-charged. He died later that year as a result of the injuries he had sustained at the time.

• On behalf of the Bahishkrita Hitakarini Sabha, Dr. B R Ambedkar submitted a report on the education of the depressed classes in the Bombay Presidency.

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The Simon Commission was established under Sir John Simon's chairmanship to investigate the functioning of India's constitutional system and provide recommendations for changes. Its actual name was the "Indian Statutory Commission," and it was made up of four Conservatives, two Labourites, and one Liberal from the British Parliament. There was not a single Indian included in the discussion for Simon’s commission. As a result, they were greeted with the message "Go back Simon" when they arrived. To quiet the upcoming, Viceroy Lord Irwin offered India ‘dominion status' in October AD 1929, as well as a Round Table Conference to establish a future constitution.