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- The Round Table Conferences were a series of conferences organized by the British Government and representatives of Indian political parties to discuss constitutional reforms in India.
First Round Table Conference (November 1930 – January 1931)
- The First Round Table Conference was officially inaugurated by King George-V on November 12, 1930, in the Royal Gallery House of Lords in London.
- The First Round Table Conference was chaired by the British Prime Minister, Ramsay MacDonald.
- Indian National Congress did not participate due to their participation in the Civil Disobedience Movement.
- The main issues discussed in the conference were-
- Federal structure,
- Provincial constitution,
- Province of Sindh and North West Frontier,
- Defense services,
- Minorities,
- Burma,
- Franchise,
- The formation of an All-India Federation was discussed and supported by all the groups.
- Dr. B.R. Ambedkar demanded a separate electorate for the Untouchables.
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Participants
- A total of 74 representatives from India attended the conference:-
- 58 political leaders from British India and
- 16 delegates from the princely states.
- The Indian National Congress did not participate in the conference. Many Congress leaders, such as Mahatma Gandhi, were in jail during this period because of their roles in the Civil Disobedience Movement.
| Organization | Leader |
|---|---|
| Hindu Mahasabha | MR Jayakar, MS Moonje |
| Sikh | Sardar Sampurna Singh, Sardar Ujjal Singh |
| Parsis | Phiroze Sethna, Cowasji Jehangir, Homi Mody |
| Christians | K.T. Paul |
| Anglo-Indians | Henry Gidney (founder of the All India Anglo-Indian Association) |
| Liberal | TB Sapru, CY Chintamani, Srinivas Shastri, Chimanlal Harilal Setalvad |
| Labour | N. M. Joshi, B. Shiva Rao |
| Muslim League | Aga Khan III, Mohammed Shafi, Jinnah, Muhammed Ali, Fazlul Haq |
| Depressed Classes | BR Ambedkar, Rettamalai Srinivasan (a Scheduled Caste activist from Madras Presidency) |
| Princes | Akbar Hydari (Diwan of Hyderabad), Mirza Ismail (Diwan of Mysore), Maharaja of Bikaner |
| Women | Begum Jahanara Shahnawaz, Radhabai Subbarayan |