Take Home Exam History Essay Research Paper Coursework

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The Simon Commission arrived in India in 1927 with a mandate to work out a Constitution for India. But the group was met with protests wherever it went. Why? Why was the writing of a Constitution so important to the INC?
The Simon Commission was introduced to help correct the state of affairs. Apparently, the British governor always sided with British councilors during political or operational disagreements between the councilors and ministers (Indian ministers). So, the Simon Commission was introduced to help bridge this gap. However, this commission did not have any Indian representation in it. The entire commission had Britons and the people knew that their interests would be sidelined. They sought for representation in the commission and when this was not forthcoming, they decided to boycott the commission’s objectives. Aside from the above, the communist movement and influence was growing in India as well. Chandra writes that “Communist influence also spread to workers in the railways, jute mills, municipalities, paper mills, etc., in Bengal and Bombay and in the Burma Oil Company in Madras” (206).
The writing of a constitution was important to the INC because it was the first step towards self-government. With a constitution in place, the INC would be able to keep the British government in check. The Britons had managed to hide behind the rule of law, “a rule-bound bureaucracy and a relatively independent judiciary while simultaneously enacting and enforcing extremely repressive laws” (Chandra, 15). So, the INC sought to have the constitution written to help it speed up its goal of a self-governed India and to hold the Britons accountable.
Compare India’s experience in World War One and in World War Two
India sought for self-government and this was no secret and during the First World War, the Britons used this desire against the Indians. Indians had refused to register and help the Britons during the First World War. So, the British thought it best to lure the Indians into joining the war. However, after the war, the Indians came to the realization that the British were not willing to fulfil any of their promises. Chandra writes that the “Indian Muslims were incensed when they discovered that their loyalty had been purchased during the War by assurances of generous treatment of Turkey after the War - a promise British statesman had no intention of fulfilling.” So, during the First World War, India was involved in the war and fought to ensure that the allied forces won. However, as they later came to learn, the Britons were not willing to let them become autonomous.
In the Second World War, India sent more than 2 million soldiers to help fight fascism. As Chandra notes, the attack of the Soviet Union prompted the Indian army to join the war on the side of the allies. However, while many people did die, this time around, the war had paved the way for India’s independence. Britain had incurred huge economic and human resource losses. So, it could not manage to keep its empire running. As the INC continued to apply pressure to the British government, it made one key change in its approach; it &ldq...