The Poona Pact (1932)
The 1932 agreement between Gandhi and Ambedkar, signed in a Poona jail, on how the Depressed Classes would be represented in legislatures.
What the paper can ask
- Signed 24 September 1932 at Yerwada Central Jail, Poona, between Gandhi's side and Ambedkar.
- It allotted 148 seats to the Depressed Classes in provincial legislatures, filled through a two-step election, for ten years unless the communities agreed otherwise.
- Madan Mohan Malaviya signed for the Hindus and Ambedkar for the Depressed Classes; historians still debate whether Ambedkar was coerced.
Why exams ask
Setters ask what award Gandhi fasted against, who signed, where, and what replaced separate electorates.
The full story
In August 1932 the British government announced a scheme of representation that gave the Depressed Classes (Dalits) separate electorates. Gandhi, then in Yerwada Jail in Poona, began a fast unto death against it, arguing it would split Hindu society; Ambedkar argued upper-caste reformers could not speak for Dalits.
Test yourself
1.The Poona Pact of 1932 followed Gandhi's fast against which British award?
Correct. Gandhi fasted against Ramsay MacDonald's Communal Award granting separate electorates to the Depressed Classes. The pact was signed on 24 September 1932.
Not quite. Gandhi fasted against Ramsay MacDonald's Communal Award granting separate electorates to the Depressed Classes. The pact was signed on 24 September 1932. It goes into your error book.
2.The Communal Award of August 1932 was announced by
Correct. British Prime Minister Ramsay MacDonald's award gave separate electorates to the Depressed Classes among others; Gandhi's fast in Yerawada led to the Poona Pact of 24 September 1932.
Not quite. British Prime Minister Ramsay MacDonald's award gave separate electorates to the Depressed Classes among others; Gandhi's fast in Yerawada led to the Poona Pact of 24 September 1932. It goes into your error book.
3.Under the Poona Pact of 1932, the Depressed Classes received
Correct. The pact signed by Ambedkar and Madan Mohan Malaviya for Gandhi replaced separate electorates with 148 reserved seats (against 71 in the Award) elected by a joint electorate.
Not quite. The pact signed by Ambedkar and Madan Mohan Malaviya for Gandhi replaced separate electorates with 148 reserved seats (against 71 in the Award) elected by a joint electorate. It goes into your error book.