Q. Consider the following assertion:
The genesis of political alliances based on community lay in the very nature of the Montague-Chelmsford Reforms, 1919.
Which of the following statements support/supports the above assertion?
1. Reforms retained and extended the principle of separate electorates.
2. Separate electorates were supposed to counter Indian nationalism, which was growing stronger.
3. Deprived classes rallied around the favours inherent in separate electorates.
Select the answer using the code given below
Exp) Option d is the correct answer.
The Government of India Act 1919 introduced limited constitutional reforms in British India but also deepened communal representation in politics. By expanding the system of separate electorates and encouraging representation on religious and social lines, the reforms strengthened community-based political mobilisation.
Statement 1 is correct:The Montagu–Chelmsford Reforms continued the system of separate electorates that had first been introduced for Muslims under the Indian Councils Act 1909. The 1919 reforms further extended communal representation to additional groups such as Sikhs, Indian Christians, Anglo-Indians, and Europeans in certain provinces. This institutionalised politics along community lines.
Statement 2 is correct:The British policy of separate electorates formed part of the broader strategy of “divide and rule.” By encouraging political representation based on religion and community, the colonial administration sought to weaken the emergence of a united nationalist movement. The British believed that dividing political interests along communal lines would reduce the possibility of a consolidated anti-colonial struggle led by the Congress.
Statement 3 is correct:Over time, several socially and politically marginalised groups began viewing separate electorates and reserved political representation as instruments for securing political safeguards and access to power. Different communities increasingly organised themselves politically to demand constitutional concessions and representation within the colonial framework. Thus, communal and group-based political alliances gained further momentum.
Source: https://egyankosh.ac.in/bitstream/123456789/89553/3/Unit-10.pdf – UNIT 10: CONSTITUTIONAL REFORMS – MONTAGU-CHELMSFORD REFORMS – Changes in the Central Government – Page 139;
A brief History of India by Rajiv Ahir (Spectrum) – Emergence of Gandhi – Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms and Government of India Act, 1919 – Page 325
