Purna Swaraj

the national debate. A Congress leader and famous poet

Hasrat Mohani was the rst activist to demand complete
independence (Poorna Swaraj) from the British in 1921
from an All-India Congress Forum. Veteran Congress
leaders such as Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Aurobindo and
Bipin Chandra Pal had also advocated explicit Indian independence from the Empire.
Following the 1919 Amritsar Massacre, there was considerable public outrage against British rule. Europeans,
civilians and ocials, were targets and victims of violence across India. In 1920, Gandhi and the Congress
committed themselves to Swaraj, described as political
and spiritual independence. At the time, Gandhi described this as the basic demand of all Indians; he specifically said that the question of whether India would remain within the Empire or leave it completely, would be
answered by the behaviour and response of the British.
Between 1920 and 1922, Mohandas Gandhi led the NonCooperation movement: nationwide civil disobedience
to oppose the Rowlatt Acts and the exclusion of Indians
from the government, and the denial of political and civil
freedoms.

The ag adopted in 1931 and used by the Provisional Government of Free India during the subsequent years of Second World
War.

The Purna Swaraj declaration, or Declaration of the

Independence of India was promulgated by the Indian
National Congress on 26 January 1930, resolving the
Congress and Indian nationalists to ght for Purna
Swaraj, or complete self-rule independent of the British
Empire (literally in Sanskrit, purna, complete, swa,
self, raj, rule, thus complete self-rule).
The ag of India had been hoisted by Congress President
Jawaharlal Nehru on 31 December 1929, ] in Lahore,
modern-day Pakistan, where currently the Minar-ePakistan stands - having also been the exact spot where
the Pakistan Declaration was later announced. The
Congress asked the people of India to observe 26 January
as Independence Day. The ag of India was hoisted publicly across India by Congress volunteers, nationalists and
the public.

2 Simon commission
Nehru report

and

the

In 1928, the British government further outraged people

across India by appointing an all-European Simon Commission to deliberate on constitutional and political reforms for India. No Indians were included in the commission, nor were any Indian political parties consulted
or asked to involve themselves in the process. Upon arrival in India, Chairman Sir John Simon and other commission members were met with angry public demonstrations, which followed them everywhere. The death of a
prominent Indian leader, Lala Lajpat Rai, from severe
beatings by British police ocials further outraged the
Indian public.

Background

Before 1930, few Indian Political parties had openly embraced the goal of political independence from the United
Kingdom. The All India Home Rule League had been
advocating Home Rule for India: dominion status within
the British Empire, as granted to Australia, Canada, the
Irish Free State, Newfoundland, New Zealand, and South
Africa. The All India Muslim League favoured dominion status as well, and opposed calls for outright Indian
independence. The Indian Liberal Party, by far the most
pro-British, explicitly opposed Indias independence and
even dominion status if it weakened Indias links with the
British Empire. The Indian National Congress, the largest
Indian political party of the time, was at the head of

The Congress appointed an all-Indian commission to propose constitutional reforms for India. Members of other
Indian political parties joined the commission led by
Congress President Motilal Nehru. The Nehru Report
demanded that India be granted self-government under
the dominion status within the Empire. While most other
Indian political parties supported the Nehru commissions
work, it was opposed by the Indian Liberal Party and the
All India Muslim League. The British ignored the com1

4 THE DECLARATION

mission, its report and refused to introduce political re- sis of dominion status and Irwin said he could not assure
form.
that, resulting in the end of the meeting.[3]

Dominion or republic?

4 The declaration

But the Nehru Report was also controversial within the

Congress. Younger nationalist leaders like Subhas Chandra Bose and Jawaharlal Nehru (Motilal Nehrus son) demanded that the Congress resolve to make a complete
and explicit break from all ties with the British ... Jawaharlal Nehru had inuenced by the idea of Bhagat Singh
i.e. total independence then he had introduced a resolution demanding in 1927, which was rejected because
of Gandhis opposition.[1] Now Bose and Nehru opposed
dominion status, which would retain the Monarch of the
United Kingdom as the constitutional head of state of India (although in the separate capacity as King of India),
and preserve political powers for the British Parliament
in Indian constitutional aairs. They were supported in
their stand by a large number of rank-and-le Congress- Minar-e-Pakistan in Lahore, where the Declaration of the Indemen.
pendence of India and Pakistan Resolution were passed
In December 1928, Congress held in Calcutta, Mohandas
Gandhi proposed a resolution that called for the British As a result of the denial of reforms and political rights,
to grant dominion status to India within two years. If the and the persistent ignorance of Indian political parties,
British failed to meet the deadline, the Congress would the Indian National Congress grew increasingly cohecall upon all Indians to ght for complete independence. sive unied in the desire to oust the British from InBose and Nehru objected to the time given to the British dia completely.[3] A very large number of Congress volthey pressed Gandhi to demand immediate actions from unteers and delegates, members of other political parthe British. Gandhi brokered a further compromise by re- ties and an especially large public gathering attended the
ducing the time given from two years to one. Jawaharlal session convened in Lahore. Despite the bitterly cold
Nehru voted for the new resolution, while Subhash Bose weather, Pattabhi Sitaramayya records that:
told his supporters that he would not oppose the resolution, and abstained from voting himself. The All India
The heat of passion and excitement, the reCongress Committee voted 118 to 45 in its favour (the
sentment at the failure of negotiation, the ush45 votes came from supporters of a complete break from
ing of faces on hearing the war drums oh, it
the British). However, when Bose introduced an amendwas all in marked contrast to the weather.[4]
ment during the open session of Congress that sought a
complete break with the British, Gandhi admonished the
Jawaharlal Nehru was elected President and veteran leadmove:
ers like Chakravarthi Rajagopalachari and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel returned to the Congress Working ComYou may take the name of independence
mittee. Nehru drafted the Indian declaration of indepenon your lips but all your muttering will be an
dence, which stated:
empty formula if there is no honour behind it.
If you are not prepared to stand by your words,
The British government in India has not
where will independence be?[2]
only deprived the Indian people of their freedom but has based itself on the exploitation
The amendment was rejected, by 1350 to 973, and the
of the masses, and has ruined India economresolution was fully adopted.
ically, politically, culturally and spiritually....
Therefore...India must sever the British conOn 31 October 1929, the Viceroy of India, Lord Irwin annection and attain Purna Swaraj or complete
nounced that the government would meet with Indian repindependence.[5]
resentatives in London for a Round Table Conference. To
facilitate Indian participation, Irwin met with Mohandas
Gandhi, Muhammad Ali Jinnah and out-going Congress At midnight on New Years Eve, President Jawaharlal
President Motilal Nehru to discuss the meeting. Gandhi Nehru hoisted the tricolour ag of India upon the banks of
asked Irwin if the conference would proceed on the ba- the Ravi in Lahore, which later became part of Pakistan.

3
A pledge of independence was read out, which included
a readiness to withhold taxes. The massive gathering of
public attending the ceremony were asked if they agreed
with it, and the vast majority of people were witnessed to
raise their hands in approval. One hundred seventy two
Indian members of central and provincial legislatures resigned in support of the resolution and in accordance with
Indian public sentiment.
The Declaration of Independence was ocially promulgated on 26 January 1930. Gandhi and other Indian
leaders would immediately begin the planning of a massive national revolt that would encourage the common
people to participate and also help involve revolutionaries
into a struggle committed to non-violence.[3] The Salt
Satyagraha was initiated by Mohandas Gandhi and the
Congress as the rst struggle for complete independence.

Legacy

The Congress regularly observed 26 January as the Independence Day of India commemorating those who campaigned for Indian independence. In 1947, the British
agreed to transfer power and political independence to
India, and 15 August became the ocial Independence
Day. However, the new Constitution of India, as drafted
and approved by the Constituent Assembly of India, was
mandated to take eect on 26 January 1950, to commemorate the 1930 declaration. On that day in 1950, India
became a republic.

References

[1] Rajmohan Gandhi, Patel:

B0006EYQ0A

A Life, p.

171, ASIN:

[2] D. G. Tendulkar, Mahatma, Bombay, 1951, p. 441

[3] R. Gandhi, Patel: A Life, p. 185
[4] Pattabhi Sitaramayya, The History of the Congress,
Allahabad, 1935, p. 600
[5] Declaration of independence

7 TEXT AND IMAGE SOURCES, CONTRIBUTORS, AND LICENSES

Text and image sources, contributors, and licenses

7.1

Text

Purna Swaraj Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Purna%20Swaraj?oldid=644514599 Contributors: Cncs wikipedia, Timrollpickering,

DocWatson42, Karnan, MistToys, VishalB, Circeus, Varungarde, Bastin, Magister Mathematicae, Rjwilmsi, Koavf, Ligulem, Bgwhite,
Nirvana2013, Priyanath, Sardanaphalus, SmackBot, Ramas Arrow, Scotsboyuk, Ohconfucius, AThing, Molerat, Kumar Appaiah, Cydebot,
Dudeman5685, Alkari, Beru91, Tuncrypt, Mausy5043, Pjoef, Jdaloner, Jayantanth, Knowz, Addbot, Abhishek.iitd, Lightbot, Luckas-bot,
Nihar S, Willard84, Full-date unlinking bot, Cliniic, Karthikndr, ClueBot NG, Titodutta, Rsika and Anonymous: 31

7.2

Images

File:1931_Flag_of_India.svg Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5a/1931_Flag_of_India.svg License: Public

domain Contributors: http://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/in-hist.html Original artist: Nicholas (Nichalp)
File:Commons-logo.svg Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg License: ? Contributors: ? Original
artist: ?
File:Emblem_of_India.svg Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/55/Emblem_of_India.svg License: Public domain Contributors: www.supremecourtofindia.nic.in Original artist: Dened by the Indian government as national emblem
File:Folder_Hexagonal_Icon.svg Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/48/Folder_Hexagonal_Icon.svg License: Cc-bysa-3.0 Contributors: ? Original artist: ?
File:July_9_2005_-_Minar-e-Pakistan_panoramic.jpg Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5d/July_9_2005_
-_Minar-e-Pakistan_panoramic.jpg License: CC-BY-SA-3.0 Contributors: ? Original artist: ?
File:Marche_sel.jpg Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7c/Marche_sel.jpg License: Public domain Contributors: Scanned by Yann (<a href='//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User_talk:Yann' title='User talk:Yann'>talk</a>). Original artist: Yann
(<a href='//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User_talk:Yann' title='User talk:Yann'>talk</a>)
File:Wikiquote-logo.svg Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fa/Wikiquote-logo.svg License: Public domain
Contributors: ? Original artist: ?
File:Wikisource-logo.svg Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg License: CC BY-SA 3.0
Contributors: Rei-artur Original artist: Nicholas Moreau

7.3

Content license

Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0