Purna Swaraj

The Declaration of Purna Swaraj was a resolution which was passed in 1930 because of the dissatisfaction among the Indian masses regarding the British offer of Dominion status to India.

Dadabhai Naoroji in his presidential address at the 1886 National Congress in Calcutta advocated for Swaraj as the sole aim of the nationalist movement, but along the lines of Canada and Australia, which was colonial self-government under the British crown.

In 1907, Sri Aurobindo, as editor of the newspaper Bande Mataram, began writing that the new generation of nationalists would not accept anything less than Purna Swaraj, full independence, as it exists in the United Kingdom.

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.

Younger nationalist leaders like Subhas Chandra Bose and Jawaharlal Nehru demanded that Congress resolve to make a complete and explicit break from all ties with the British.

In December 1929, Congress session was held in Lahore and Mahatma Gandhi proposed a resolution that called for the British to grant dominion status to India within two years.

However, when Bose introduced an amendment during the open session of Congress that sought a complete break with the British, Gandhi admonished the move: You may take the name of independence on your lips but all your muttering will be an empty formula if there is no honour behind it.

On 31 October 1929, the Viceroy of India, Lord Irwin announced that the government would meet with Indian representatives in London for a Round Table Conference.

To facilitate Indian participation, Irwin met with Mahatma Gandhi, Muhammad Ali Jinnah and out-going Congress President Motilal Nehru to discuss the meeting.

[8]Jawaharlal Nehru was elected president and veteran leaders like Chakravarthi Rajagopalachari and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel returned to the Congress Working Committee.

[9]At midnight on New Year's Eve, President Jawaharlal Nehru hoisted the tricolour flag of India upon the banks of the Ravi in Lahore, which later became part of Pakistan.

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.

It indicted British rule and succinctly articulated the resulting economic, political and cultural injustice inflicted on Indians.