Lahore Congress of 1929

The Lahore Session of the Indian National Congress in December 1929 marked a monumental shift in India’s freedom struggle. Under the presidency of Jawaharlal Nehru, the Congress officially abandoned its demand for Dominion Status and adopted Purna Swaraj (Complete Independence) as its ultimate goal.

Historical Background and Preceding Events

The road to the Lahore Congress was shaped by the political upheaval following the arrival of the Simon Commission in 1928. In response to the all-White commission, Indian leaders produced the Nehru Report in August 1928, which demanded Dominion Status within the British Commonwealth.

• The Calcutta Session of the Congress in December 1928, presided over by Motilal Nehru, witnessed a sharp divide between the older leadership and the younger generation.
• Younger leaders like Jawaharlal Nehru and Subhas Chandra Bose demanded immediate complete independence.
• A compromise resolution gave the British government a one-year ultimatum to accept the Nehru Report’s Dominion Status proposal by December 31, 1929.
• Failure to meet the deadline would mean a formal Congress declaration of complete independence and the launch of a Civil Disobedience Movement.

The Delhi Manifesto and Irwin’s Declaration

On October 31, 1929, Viceroy Lord Irwin issued a vague statement promising a future Round Table Conference to discuss constitutional progress toward Dominion Status. In response, prominent Indian leaders issued the Delhi Manifesto on November 2, 1929, setting conditions for attending the conference:

• The Round Table Conference must formulate a scheme for immediate implementation of Dominion Status.
• The Congress must hold majority representation at the conference.
• A general amnesty should be granted to political prisoners.

Viceroy Lord Irwin met with Mahatma Gandhi, Motilal Nehru, Tej Bahadur Sapru, and Muhammad Ali Jinnah on December 23, 1929. He refused to give any assurance that the Round Table Conference would draft a Dominion Status constitution. This refusal made a confrontation inevitable.

Key Resolutions and Historic Decisions at Lahore

The historic annual session convened on the banks of the River Ravi in Lahore in late December 1929.

Election of Jawaharlal Nehru

Mahatma Gandhi backed Jawaharlal Nehru for the presidency of the session to appeal to the youth and bridge the gap between radical nationalists and old-guard Congressmen. Out of 18 Provincial Congress Committees, 15 had voted for Gandhi, but he stepped down in favor of Nehru. At age 40, Nehru became one of the youngest Congress presidents.

Major Decisions Taken at the Session

• The Nehru Report was declared to have lapsed due to the expiry of the one-year ultimatum.
• The resolution for Purna Swaraj (Complete Independence) was officially passed on the midnight of December 31, 1929.
• The Congress decided to boycott the upcoming Round Table Conference in London.
• Members of the Central and Provincial Legislative Assemblies were instructed to resign from their seats.
• The All India Congress Committee (AICC) was authorized to launch a nationwide Civil Disobedience Movement, including non-payment of taxes, under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi.
• On the midnight of December 31, 1929, Jawaharlal Nehru unfurled the newly adopted tri-color flag of freedom on the banks of the River Ravi amidst cheers of Inquilab Zindabad.

The First Independence Day (Purna Swaraj Declaration)

The Working Committee met in January 1930 and decided that January 26, 1930, would be celebrated as “Purna Swarajya Day” across the country.

Declaration of Independence Manifesto

A manifesto drafted by Mahatma Gandhi was read out and approved in public meetings across India on January 26, 1930. The declaration stated:

• It is the inalienable right of the Indian people to have freedom and enjoy the fruits of their toil.
• The British Government deprived Indians of freedom and exploited them economically, politically, culturally, and spiritually.
• India must sever the British connection and attain Purna Swaraj.
• Citizens pledged to carry out the instructions of the Congress to organize non-violent non-cooperation and civil disobedience.

January 26 was celebrated annually as Independence Day until 1947. To honor the historical importance of this date, January 26 was later chosen as the day the Constitution of India came into force in 1950, establishing India as a Republic.

Key Historical Facts

Jawaharlal Nehru presided over the historic Lahore Congress session held on the banks of the River Ravi in December 1929. The resolution for Purna Swaraj replaced the earlier goal of Dominion Status advocated in the Nehru Report of 1928. Yusuf Meherally created the slogan Inquilab Zindabad earlier, but it gained widespread popular adoption during the anti-Simon protests and the Lahore Congress. The tri-color flag unfurled at the Lahore session contained red, green, and white strips with a spinning wheel (charkha) in the center, designed by Pingali Venkayya and modified by the Congress. Following the mandate of the Lahore session, 172 Congress members resigned from the Central Legislative Assembly and Provincial Councils in early 1930. The pledge of January 26, 1930, provided the immediate political legitimacy for Mahatma Gandhi to start the Dandi Salt March on March 12, 1930, marking the start of the Civil Disobedience Movement.