Boycott of the Simon Commission

The appointment and subsequent boycott of the Simon Commission in 1927–1928 represented a crucial turning point in Indian national politics. It unified diverse political factions against British colonial rule and catalyzed the movement toward complete independence.

Background and Purpose of the Commission

The Government of India Act 1919, also known as the Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms, introduced dyarchy in the provinces and mandated a review of its working ten years after implementation.

• The review was originally due in 1929 under Section 84A of the Act of 1919.
• The ruling British Conservative Party, led by Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin, anticipated an electoral defeat to the Labour Party in the upcoming UK general elections.
• To avoid leaving the appointment of the commission to a Labour government, the Conservative administration set up the Indian Statutory Commission on November 8, 1927, two years ahead of schedule.
• Secretary of State for India, Lord Birkenhead, was responsible for the timing and composition of the body.

All-White Composition

The commission consisted of seven British Members of Parliament, with no Indian members included.

• Sir John Simon (Liberal Party) was appointed Chairman of the Commission.
• Clement Attlee (Labour Party) served as a member and later oversaw Indian independence as British Prime Minister in 1947.
• Vernon Hartshorn (Labour Party) served on the panel.
• Edward Cadogan (Conservative Party) was a member.
• George Lane-Fox (Conservative Party) was included in the group.
• Donald Howard, 3rd Baron Strathcona and Mount Royal (Conservative Party), served as a commissioner.
• Harry Levy-Lawson, 1st Viscount Burnham (Conservative Party), completed the composition.

Lord Birkenhead justified the exclusion of Indians by claiming that deep communal divisions prevented Indian political leaders from agreeing on a joint scheme of constitutional reforms.

Political Stance and Boycott Resolution

The total exclusion of Indians from a body meant to decide their constitutional future produced widespread indignation across the Indian political spectrum.

• The Indian National Congress decided to boycott the commission “at every stage and in every form” during its annual session at Madras in December 1927, presided over by Dr. M.A. Ansari.
• Jawaharlal Nehru successfully piloted a resolution for complete independence (Purna Swaraj) as the goal of the Congress at the same Madras session.
• The All India Muslim League split into two factions over the issue. The faction led by Muhammad Ali Jinnah joined the boycott, while the faction led by Sir Muhammad Shafi supported cooperation.

Party Positions on the Simon Commission

Different political organizations adopted distinct stances regarding engagement with the commission.

Protests and Anti-Simon Demonstrations

The commission arrived in Bombay on February 3, 1928. Its arrival was met with a nationwide hartal (strike), black flag demonstrations, and widespread public protests.

• Demonstrators raised the popular slogan “Simon Go Back,” composed by Yusuf Meherally, a young socialist activist and leader of the Bombay Youth League.
• The Central Legislative Assembly rejected the commission’s presence by refusing to appoint a committee to collaborate with it.
• Massive street demonstrations took place across major urban centers, including Calcutta, Madras, Delhi, Lucknow, and Lahore.

The Lahore Incident and Death of Lala Lajpat Rai

Protests against the commission led to severe police brutality, most visibly during the commission’s visit to Lahore on October 30, 1928.

• Lala Lajpat Rai led a non-violent anti-Simon rally near the Lahore railway station.
• Police Superintendent James A. Scott ordered a lathi charge on the peaceful crowd.
• Lala Lajpat Rai received severe chest injuries during the police action and succumbed to his injuries on November 17, 1928.
• Before dying, Lala Lajpat Rai declared that the blows struck on him would serve as final nails in the coffin of the British Empire in India.
• To avenge his death, members of the Hindustan Socialist Republican Association (HSRA)—including Bhagat Singh, Rajguru, Sukhdev, and Chandrashekhar Azad—targeted James A. Scott.
• On December 17, 1928, they mistakenly shot and killed Assistant Superintendent of Police John P. Saunders outside the police headquarters in Lahore.

Constitutional Impact and Long-term Consequences

The boycott movement transformed Indian political strategy and set off a chain of events that redefined the nationalist struggle.

All Parties Conference and Nehru Report

Accepting Lord Birkenhead’s challenge to draft an agreed constitution, Indian political parties convened the All Parties Conference in Delhi in February 1928.

• The conference appointed an eight-member committee headed by Motilal Nehru to prepare a constitutional draft.
• The committee submitted the Nehru Report in August 1928, recommending Dominion Status, a federal structure, universal adult franchise, and a bill of rights.
• It rejected separate electorates, proposing joint electorates with reserved seats for minorities in minority-majority provinces.
• Dissatisfaction with the report led Muhammad Ali Jinnah to announce his “Fourteen Points” in March 1929, insisting on separate electorates and provincial autonomy.

Political Escalation

The rejection of the Simon Commission and the expiration of the deadline set by the Congress for accepting the Nehru Report pushed the national movement toward radical mass action.

• At the Lahore Session in December 1929, chaired by Jawaharlal Nehru, the Congress officially declared Purna Swaraj (Complete Independence) as its ultimate goal.
• January 26, 1930, was celebrated as the first Independence Day across the country.
• Mahatma Gandhi launched the Civil Disobedience Movement in March 1930 with the historic Dandi Salt March.

Key Historical Facts

The Simon Commission conducted two visits to India: from February 3 to March 31, 1928, and from October 11, 1928, to April 13, 1929. The Commission published its two-volume report in May 1930. It recommended the abolition of dyarchy in the provinces, the establishment of provincial autonomy, the continuation of separate electorates, and the separation of Burma from India. The findings of the Simon Commission Report formed the core baseline material for the three Round Table Conferences held in London between 1930 and 1932. The structural framework proposed by the Simon Commission, along with the White Paper of 1933, heavily influenced the final drafting of the Government of India Act 1935. Dr. B.R. Ambedkar appeared before the Simon Commission on behalf of the Depressed Classes Institute (Bahishkrit Hitakarini Sabha) to demand special constitutional safeguards and political representation for suppressed communities.