|
Morley-Minto Reforms (1909) an important landmark in the history of constitutional development towards self government for India and ultimate freedom from British rule. In response to Indian demand for constitutional reforms, British Parliament passed in 1892 the Indian Councils Act which strengthened the Legislative Council of the Governor General as well as of the Provincial governors by increasing the number of additional non-official members. But the Indian public opinion was in favour of rapid progress towards self-government for India. The Secretary of State for India, John Morley, was vehemently against the idea of self-government for India. But Lord Minto, governor general of India, proposed to accommodate competent Indians by expanding the size and functions of the central and provincial councils. The Muslim leadership became worried when it was clear that the government was contemplating to introduce representative government in India. They apprehended that under any electoral system, the Muslim interests were likely to remain unrepresented because of their social and political backwardness compared to the Hindus. A large delegation of Muslim elites headed by Aga Khan met Lord Minto in October 1906 in Simla, and submitted a memorandum pleading that the Muslims made 'a nation within a nation' in India and that their special interests must be maintained in case of any constitutional reforms in the future. They especially demanded for election of Muslims to the central and provincial councils through separate Muslim electorates, and in numbers not in proportion to their population, but in accordance with their political importance. Lord Minto assured the delegation of his support to a constitutional arrangement of separate representation for the Muslim community.
The reform ideas of Morley and Minto were embodied in
the India Act of 1909 which generally goes by the names of its authors.
The leading features of the Act are the introduction of separate electorate
for the Muslims, inclusion of an Indian on the central and provincial
councils and also on the council of the Secretary of State for India.
The reform did not at all intend to create any representative government.
Its only object was to make a start towards representative government.
The far reaching significance of the reform was the grant of separate
electorate to the Muslim community. This provision of the reform, which
directly led to the growth of separatist Muslim politics. [Sirajul Islam]
|
