Page 28 - Leap of Faith Vol - 2

Leap of Faith Journey of Indian Elections

dismal enfranchisement of women (except in Burma, national size was 2.8 percent of population (as per Census
which was part of the Indian Empire until 1937). The of India, 1921), it actually varied between 3.9 percent in
franchise size was extremely limited; whereas the Bombay Presidency to meager 1.1 in Bihar & Orissa. In
eight provinces the number of uncontested seats was as
high as - 191 (out of 638) in 1920, 139 (out of 638) in 1923
and 129 (out of 639) in 1926. In 1923 elections, a rule of
an election deposit of INR 250 was introduced. The
deposit was forfeited if a candidate secured less than one-
eighth of the votes polled.

On November 26, 1927 a seven-member Commission was
appointed to study the growth of responsible government
in India and recommend further course of action. The
Commission, chaired by Sir John Simon, planned joint
study tours with Indian members of Council of States,
Legislative Assembly and provincial legislative councils. It
toured India twice during 1928-29 whereupon it
submitted its report in 1930. This all-White Commission,
however, was boycotted by all political parties in India. It
was shown black flags wherever it went. It may be recalled
that the popular nationalist leader, Lala Lajpat Rai (1865-
1928), succumbed to injuries suffered in a police assault
on anti-Simon Commission demonstration in Lahore in
November, 1928.

The Indian response crystallised in form of two reports.
First, was by the eight-member Indian Central Committee
chaired by Sir C. Sankaran Nair, which joined the
Statutory Committee in its investigations, but submitted
an independent report. The Indian Central Committee
found adult suffrage impractical in near future. However,
it recommended extension of electorate in stages, so that
one-third of the adult population was enfranchised by
1941; two-thirds by 1951; and whole in 1961. The other
was by a committee chaired by Pandit Motilal Nehru,
appointed by the All Parties Conference.
A specimen ballot paper used in Bombay Presidency in 1920s

10