Gandhi-Irwin Pact
Daily Highlights (2 min series) - English
6th March 2025
Gandhi-Irwin Pact, signed on March 5, 1931, recently came in news when a historian argued that he could not have done much more.
- Critics argue that Gandhi prioritized the Delhi Pact over Bhagat Singh’s life, while others claim he made efforts but lacked real influence over the British.
- About Gandhi-Irwin Pact: On January 25, 1931, Gandhi and all members of the Congress Working Committee (CWC) were released unconditionally.
o The CWC authorized Gandhi to initiate discussions with Viceroy Lord Irwin.
o The discussions led to the Delhi Pact (Gandhi-Irwin Pact), signed on February 14, 1931, placing Congress on an equal footing with the British Indian Government.
- Provisions of the Pact: Immediate release of all political prisoners not convicted of violence.
o Remission of all fines not yet collected.
o Return of all confiscated lands not yet sold to third parties.
o Lenient treatment of government servants who had resigned.
o Right to make salt in coastal villages for personal consumption (not for sale).
o Right to peaceful and non-aggressive picketing.
o Withdrawal of emergency ordinances.
British Rejection of Key Demands: Public inquiry into police excesses, and commutation of Bhagat Singh and his comrades’ death sentence to life imprisonment
Detailed Solutions & Explanations
