Page 31 - Leap of Faith Vol - 2

Long Road to Democracy Chapter 1

Consequent upon the publication of the Indian Statutory The deliberation resulted in a White Paper in March,
Commission (Simon Commission) Report in May, 1930 a 1933. It was examined by a Joint Committee of both the
Round Table Conference was held in London between Houses of Parliament chaired by Lord Linlithgow (later
November 12, 1930 and January 19, 1931 in which 16 Viceroy of India). The Bill prepared by this committee
delegates from the Indian princely states and 57 known as Government of India Bill, 1935 came to be
delegates from British India including Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, known as Government of India Act, 1935 on being passed
Sir Tej Bahadur Sapru, Srinivasa Sastri, C.Y. Chintamani with minor alterations on August 2, 1935.
and Mohammed Shafi participated to deliberate on a The Sixth Schedule of the Government of India Act, 1935
scheme of an All-India Federation. Mahatma Gandhi was devoted to franchise. A perusal shows that franchise
attended the Second Round Table (September 7 to was based on property, taxation, educational qualification,
December 1, 1931) as the sole representative of the military services, pensioned widow or pensioned mother,
Congress. The Third Round Table Conference was status of a dead soldier of British Indian Army, and even
attended by fewer number of representatives than guardianship of a minor who might otherwise qualify as a
before from November 17 to December 24, 1932. voter (through property rights etc). Franchise could be

Voters outside the Town Hall in Delhi during polling in the Central Legislative Assembly Elections in December 1934

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