Poorna Swarajya Resolution

The Poorna Swarajya Resolution, meaning Complete Independence Resolution, was a defining moment in India’s struggle for freedom from British rule. Adopted at the Lahore Session of the Indian National Congress on 31 December 1929, it marked a clear departure from the earlier demand for dominion status and proclaimed complete independence (swarajya) as the ultimate goal of the Indian freedom movement. This resolution laid the ideological and strategic foundation for subsequent phases of India’s national movement, including the Civil Disobedience Movement of 1930.

Background and Context

By the late 1920s, the Indian political scenario had reached a critical turning point. The British Government’s Simon Commission (1927), which contained no Indian members, had been boycotted by nationalists, and its reception intensified political unrest. Simultaneously, there was growing disillusionment within the Indian National Congress regarding the British commitment to granting constitutional reforms or meaningful self-government.
The Nehru Report (1928), drafted by Motilal Nehru under the All Parties Conference, had proposed Dominion Status for India within the British Commonwealth. However, younger leaders like Jawaharlal Nehru and Subhas Chandra Bose opposed this limited demand, arguing that India should aim for complete independence rather than partial autonomy under British suzerainty.
When the British Government failed to accept the Nehru Report’s recommendations and instead appointed the Simon Commission, Indian opinion hardened. The Congress leadership, under pressure from its younger and more radical members, resolved to adopt the goal of full independence.

The Lahore Session of 1929

The Lahore Session of the Indian National Congress, held in December 1929 under the presidency of Jawaharlal Nehru, became one of the most significant sessions in the history of the national movement. Nehru, representing the younger generation of leaders, symbolised the shift towards a more uncompromising stance on freedom.
At this session:

• The Poorna Swarajya Resolution was introduced and unanimously adopted.
• The Congress declared that India would no longer accept dominion status as its goal.
• It proclaimed complete independence as India’s rightful and final objective.

The resolution stated that since the British Government had shown no intention of granting real self-government, the Indian people had the right to be free and sovereign. It also emphasised that the continuation of British rule in India was unjust, exploitative, and contrary to the welfare of the Indian people.

Main Provisions of the Resolution

The Poorna Swarajya Resolution outlined a clear and assertive vision for India’s future:

• India was to attain complete independence from British rule in every political and economic sense.
• It declared that British rule had ruined India’s economy, destroyed her industries, and caused widespread poverty and famines.
• It affirmed the right of Indians to self-determination, asserting that only a government established by the consent of the Indian people would be legitimate.
• The Congress called upon Indians to refuse cooperation with the British Government until complete independence was achieved.
• The resolution authorised the launch of a civil disobedience movement, to be carried out peacefully but firmly, in order to assert India’s claim to freedom.

The adoption of the resolution marked a decisive ideological shift—from seeking constitutional concessions to demanding absolute sovereignty.

Declaration of Independence and Public Mobilisation

To give effect to the resolution, the Congress decided to observe 26 January 1930 as Independence Day throughout the country. On this day, the Declaration of Independence drafted by the Congress Working Committee was publicly proclaimed.
The declaration stated:

“We believe that it is the inalienable right of the Indian people to have freedom and to enjoy the fruits of their toil and have the necessities of life so that they may have full opportunities of growth.”

Across India, meetings were held, national flags were hoisted, and people took a pledge to work for Poorna Swarajya through non-violent means. This public declaration infused new energy and unity into the national movement, mobilising masses across regions and classes.

Role of Jawaharlal Nehru

Jawaharlal Nehru’s presidency at the Lahore session was symbolic of generational change within the Congress. Nehru, representing youth and radical nationalism, championed the idea that India should reject imperial dominance in all forms. His leadership at Lahore marked the emergence of a new, dynamic phase of the freedom struggle—characterised by boldness, mass participation, and an uncompromising commitment to full independence.
Nehru’s vision also linked India’s struggle with global movements for self-determination and anti-imperialism, giving the freedom struggle a broader ideological framework.

Connection with the Civil Disobedience Movement

The Poorna Swarajya Resolution directly paved the way for the Civil Disobedience Movement (1930–34) led by Mahatma Gandhi. Following the declaration of independence, Gandhi was authorised by the Congress Working Committee to design a non-violent campaign to challenge British authority.
Gandhi’s famous Salt March (Dandi March) in March 1930 symbolised this new phase of struggle. The movement called upon Indians to break unjust colonial laws, refuse to pay taxes, and boycott British goods and institutions. The moral and political force of the Poorna Swarajya demand provided legitimacy and inspiration to this mass movement.

Impact and Significance

The adoption of the Poorna Swarajya Resolution had far-reaching consequences for India’s national movement:

• It marked a formal break from constitutional methods and the earlier moderate approach towards British reforms.
• It transformed the demand for self-rule (Swaraj) into a call for complete independence, a goal that united the entire nation.
• It provided a clear ideological direction and inspired mass participation across social, regional, and religious lines.
• The observance of 26 January 1930 as Independence Day created a sense of unity and national pride that endured throughout the struggle.
• It established the moral foundation for subsequent movements such as the Quit India Movement (1942) and the final transfer of power in 1947.