Question

Why was the Simon Commission boycotted everywhere? Give one reason.

Answer 1

Hint: Simon Commission is also recognized as the Indian Statutory Commission. The Simon Commission was a committee that was planned by the Britishers to keep an eye on the constitutional and administration system of India. In 1919, during the Montagu-Chelmsford Reform, the British Government had given a hint to the Indians that they would send a commission of few people to India to make good changes in the political system and to bring new reforms.

Complete answer:
The Simon Commission was a group of seven people that were sent to India by the British Government. This Commission had arrived in India in the starting of 1928 with John Simon as the leader of this commission and that is why it was named after him. The purpose of forming this Commission was to look after the Indian Constitution system and to make the necessary changes that were needed. The Simon Commission was opposed by many Indians including Jawahar Lal Nehru, Mahatma Gandhi, Jinnah, and many more. The main reason for opposing this Commission was that though it was made for the betterment of India and its people yet no Indians were part of this commission. This made Indians feel betrayed and they thought that the British Government was trying to snatch their basic rights from them. They thought it was a challenge to lower their self-respect. The Commission started changing rules and made new laws without even discussing it with the Indians, this made Indians more angry and full of aggression. The protest against the Simon Commission was running everywhere and everyone kept saying ‘Simon Go Back'.

Note: Lala Lajpat Rai was highly against this Commission and so he started protesting in Lahore. But he was brutally beaten by the British Army and was sent to jail, where he died fighting for the rights of Indians. When this Commission was opposed by everyone, Bheem Rao Ambedkar was the one who was in favor of this Commission. The Government of India Act which was launched in the year 1935, was the consequence of the Simon Commission.