Assignment

5/13/2020 Minto-Marley Reforms

Minto-Morley Reforms

MorIey-Minto Reforms (1909) is 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 favor of rapid progress towards self-government for lndia. 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 functions of the central and councils.

In a letter dated 6 June 1906 Lord Morley, the new Secretary of State for India, conveyed to lord
Minto, the Viceroy of India, his desire to ‘adapt English political institutions to the nations who
inhabit India’. Under these socio-political conditions Lord Minto appointed a committee with Sir
Arundale as its head to report on the necessity of reforms. The bill was drafted in the light of
these developments. The British cabinet approved of it and in February 1909 parliament made
the bill into an Act.

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.

In collaboration with Lord Morley, secretary of state for India, Minto appointed a committee to
go into details and prepare a dispatch regarding constitutional reforms. This dispatch was ready
in 1907 and was sent to London on March 19. It served as the basis of the reforms which were
enacted into law by the Indian Councils Act of 1909.

Main Features of the Act of 1909

 The number of the members of the Legislative Council at the Center was increased
from 16 to 60.
 The number of the members of the Provincial Legislatives was ‘3lso increased. It was
hexed as 50 in the provinces of Bengal, Madras and Bombay, and for the rest of the
provinces it was 30.
 The member of the Legislative Councils, both at the Center and n the provinces, were
to be of four categories i.e. ex-office members (Governor General and the members
of their Executive Councils), nominated official members (those nominated by the
Governor General and were government officials), nominated non-official members
(nominated by the Governor General but were not government officials) and elected
members (elected by different categories of Indian people).
 Right of separate electorate was given to the Muslims.
 At the Center, official members were to form the majority but in provinces non-
official members would be in majority.
 The members of the Legislative Councils were permitted to discuss the budgets,
suggest the amendments and even to vote on them; excluding those items that were
included as non-vote items. They were also entitled to ask supplementary questions
during the legislative proceedings.
 The Secretary of State for India was empowered to increase the number of the
Executive Councils of Madras and Bombay from two to four.
 Two Indians were nominated to the. Council of the Secretary of State for Indian
Affairs.
 The Governor General was empowered to nominate one Indian member to his
Executive Council.
Evaluation:

• The reforms of 1909 afforded no answer and could afford no answer to the Indian political
problem. Lord Morley made it clear that colonial self-government (as demanded by the
Congress) was not suitable for India, and he was against introduction of parliamentary' or
responsible government in India. He said, "If it could be said that led directly or indirectly to the
establishment ofa parliamentary system in India. I for one. would have nothing at au to do with
it"

• The 'constitutional' reforms were, in fact, aimed at dividing the nationalist ranks by confusing
the Moderates and at checking the growth of unity among Indians through the obnoxious
instrument of separate electorates.

• The Government aimed at rallying the Moderates and the Muslims against the rising tide of
nationalism. The officials and the Muslim leaders often talked of the entire community when
they talked of the separate electorates, but in reality it meant the appeasement of a small section
of the Muslim elite only. Muslims had expressed serious concern that a "first past the post"
electoral system, like that of Britain, would leave them permanently subject to Hindu majority
rule. The Act of 1909 stipulated, as demanded by the Muslim leadership

1. that Indian Muslims be allotted reserved seats in the Municipal and District Boards, in the
Provincial Councils and in the Imperial Legislature;

2. that the number of reserved seats be in excess of their relative population (25 percent of the
Indian population); and,

3. that only Muslims should vote for candidates for the Muslim seats ('separate electorates').
Congress considered separate electorate to be undemocratic and hindering the development of a
shared Hindu-Muslim Indian national feeling.

• Besides, system of election was too indirect and it gave the impression of infiltration of
legislators flu-ought a number of sieves. And, while parliamentary forms were introduced, no
responsibility was conceded, which sometimes led to thoughtless and irresponsible criticism of
the Government. Only some members like Gokhale put to constructive use the opportunity to
debate in the councils by demanding universal primary education, attacking repressive policies
and drawing attention to the plight of indentured labour and Indian workers in South Africa.

• The reforms of 1909 gave to the people of the country a shadow rather than substance. The
people had demanded self-government but what they were given was benevolent despotism.