Formation of Congress Ministries

The decision to accept office and form provincial governments in 1937 was a crucial turning point in the Indian national movement. Following the sweeping success of the Indian National Congress in the provincial elections held under the Government of India Act 1935, the party faced an internal debate regarding whether to assume executive power. While left-wing leaders advocated wrecking the constitution from within, constitutionalists argued that running provincial administrations would provide tangible relief to the public, demonstrate governance capabilities, and advance the nationalist cause. After securing assurances regarding the non-interference of British Governors, the Congress formed ministries in eight out of eleven provinces by mid-1937, marking a shift from civil resistance to direct state administration.

Office Acceptance Debate and Strategic Compromise

Debates at Lucknow and Faizpur Sessions (1936)

• Ideological divisions emerged within the party during the Lucknow (April 1936) and Faizpur (December 1936) sessions over the issue of office acceptance.
• Socialist leaders like Jawaharlal Nehru and Subhash Chandra Bose opposed office acceptance, arguing that working under the 1935 Act meant collaborating with British imperialism.
• Right-wing leaders and constitutionalists, including Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Rajendra Prasad, C. Rajagopalachari, and Bhulabhai Desai, favored taking office to prevent anti-national elements from capturing power.
• The decision on office acceptance was postponed until after the provincial election results were declared.

Constitutional Deadlock and Linlithgow’s Assurance

• Following its victory in the early 1937 elections, the Congress Working Committee (CWC) demanded an assurance that Governors would not use their “special powers” or discretionary authority to interfere with ministers.
• British Governors initially refused to grant this guarantee, leading to an interim deadlock where temporary non-Congress minority governments were appointed.
• Viceroy Lord Linlithgow issued a statement on June 22, 1937, clarifying that Governors would act within the spirit of provincial autonomy and refrain from day-to-day intervention.
• In July 1937, the CWC authorized Congress leaders to accept office and form ministries.

Formation of Provincial Administrations

Provinces Under Congress Rule

• Congress formed majority governments in five provinces: Madras, United Provinces, Bihar, Central Provinces, and Orissa.
• It formed coalition governments in three other provinces: Bombay, Assam (under Gopinath Bordoloi in September 1938), and the North-West Frontier Province (NWFP under Dr. Khan Sahib).
• Non-Congress governments functioned in Punjab (Unionist Party under Sikandar Hayat Khan), Bengal (Krishak Praja Party-Muslim League coalition under A.K. Fazlul Huq), and Sind (Sind United Party under Allah Bakhsh Soomro).

Executive Leadership Across Provinces

Key Reforms Implemented by Congress Ministries (1937–1939)

Civil Liberties and Political Reforms

• Emergency powers and ordinances passed during the Civil Disobedience Movement were repealed.
• Bans on political organizations, nationalist publications, and civil society groups were lifted.
• Confiscated property, land, and assets belonging to satyagrahis were restored to original owners.
• Political prisoners, revolutionaries, and detenus held without trial were released across multiple provinces.
• Police powers were curtailed, and the system of reporting political speeches by police intelligence was suspended.

Agrarian and Rural Relief Legislation

• The United Provinces Tenancy Act (1939) granted hereditary rights to tenants and limited arbitrary evictions by zamindars.
• The Bihar Tenancy Amendment Act reduced rents, abolished illegal cesses (abwabs), and curtailed the landlord’s right to distrain crops.
• Debt Conciliation Boards were set up in Madras, Bombay, and CP to scale down private agricultural debts and regulate moneylending interest rates.
• Land revenue assessments were reduced, and uneconomic holdings were exempted from additional cesses in select districts.

Labor, Social, and Educational Initiatives

• The Bombay Industrial Disputes Act of 1938 created compulsory arbitration procedures before strikes could be declared.
• Prohibition of liquor consumption was introduced on an experimental basis in select urban and rural pockets, such as Salem district in Madras.
• Measures for temple entry were enacted, including the Madras Temple Entry Authorization and Indemnity Act (1939).
• Primary education initiatives were introduced based on Wardha Scheme of Basic Education (Nai Talim), formulated under Gandhi’s guidance in 1937.

Challenges, Resignation, and Aftermath

Political Friction and Muslim League Opposition

• The failure of Congress and the Muslim League to reach a coalition agreement in the United Provinces after the 1937 elections heightened communal tensions.
• The All-India Muslim League appointed the Pirpur Committee (1938) and the Shareef Report (1939) to allege anti-Muslim bias and cultural suppression by Congress administrations.
• Left-wing groups inside Congress, along with the Kisan Sabhas, expressed dissatisfaction with the moderate pace of agrarian reforms, particularly in Bihar and UP where Congress compromised with landlords.

Outbreak of World War II and Mass Resignation

• Viceroy Lord Linlithgow declared India a belligerent state in World War II on September 3, 1939, without consulting Indian legislators or provincial ministers.
• The CWC demanded a clear declaration of British war aims, an immediate commitment to Indian independence, and the setup of a Constituent Assembly.
• When the colonial government refused these terms, the CWC instructed all Congress provincial ministries to resign.
• All eight Congress governments surrendered office between October and November 1939, bringing an end to their 28-month tenure.
• Following the resignations, Governors assumed direct administrative control under Section 93 of the Government of India Act 1935.

Essential Facts for Exam Revision

• The Central Parliamentary Board, consisting of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Rajendra Prasad, and Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, supervised the work of the Congress ministries.
• Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel served as the Chairman of the Congress Parliamentary Sub-Committee that coordinated legislative policy across all provinces.
• The Wardha Scheme of Basic Education (Nai Talim) was prepared by the Zakir Hussain Committee appointed during the conference held at Wardha in October 1937.
• C. Rajagopalachari introduced the sales tax for the first time in India in the Madras Presidency to compensate for revenue lost due to prohibition.
• The All India Village Industries Association (AIVIA) and the All India Spinners’ Association (AISA) received official state patronage and financial aid under Congress ministries.
• Muhammad Ali Jinnah called upon Indian Muslims to observe December 22, 1939, as the “Day of Deliverance” to mark the exit of Congress ministries.
• The Kripalani Committee was established in UP to recommend educational reforms and integrate vocational training with primary schools.
• A National Planning Committee was set up by Congress President Subhash Chandra Bose in October 1938 under the chairmanship of Jawaharlal Nehru to formulate long-term economic development strategies.