Poorna Swaraj

Calcutta Session (December 1928)

• President: Motilal Nehru.
• Notable developments:
  • Gandhi returned to active politics and attended.
  • The Nehru Report was approved.
  • Formation of the All India Youth Congress, signalling the rise of youth leadership.
• Debate within Congress:
  • Radicals (J. Nehru, Bose): Rejected Dominion Status, demanded Poorna Swaraj.
  • Moderates (Gandhi, Motilal): Favoured giving the government two years to grant Dominion Status.

👉 After heated debate, a compromise was struck: the deadline was reduced to one year.
Resolution: If by 31 December 1929 Dominion Status was not granted, Congress would declare complete independence and launch a civil disobedience movement.

Irwin Declaration (Deepavali Declaration, 31 October 1929)

Meanwhile, the British tried to soften the ground:

• Labour Party came to power in England under Ramsay MacDonald.
• Lord Irwin declared that the 1917 Montagu Declaration’s aim was indeed Dominion Status for India.
• Promised a Round Table Conference to discuss the Simon Commission Report with Indians.

But the declaration disappointed Indians because:

• No timeframe was mentioned.
• It sounded like an indefinite promise.

Delhi Manifesto (November 2, 1929)

In response, Indian leaders issued the Delhi Manifesto, demanding:

1. The Round Table Conference should not debate whether Dominion Status would be given, but how to implement it.
2. Congress majority representation in the Conference.
3. General amnesty for political prisoners.

Lord Irwin rejected these demands in December 1929 → confrontation became inevitable.

The Lahore Congress Session (Dec 1929 – Jan 1930)

• 44th Session of INC, held at Lahore.
• President: Jawaharlal Nehru (chosen despite limited support; Gandhi pushed his candidature).

👉 Symbolically, this was historic: the father (Motilal) had presided in 1928, and now the son (Jawaharlal) presided in 1929, carrying forward the mantle of leadership.

Key Decisions of the Lahore Session

1. Poorna Swaraj Resolution:
   • Congress officially declared Complete Independence as its objective.
   • The Nehru Report was declared invalid since the government ignored it.
2. Civil Disobedience Programme:
   • Working Committee authorised to launch mass non-cooperation, including tax refusal.
3. Boycott of Round Table Conference.
4. Resignation of Legislators: All Congress members of legislatures were asked to resign.
5. Independence Day: 26 January 1930 was declared India’s first Independence Day to be celebrated annually.

Dramatic Symbolism

• Midnight, 31 December 1929: Jawaharlal Nehru unfurled the new tricolour flag on the banks of the Ravi. Crowds across India echoed the moment.
• 26 January 1930: Public celebrations of Independence Day were held everywhere, with the Independence Pledge adopted.

The Independence Pledge

Drafted by Jawaharlal Nehru, the pledge declared:

• It is the inalienable right of Indians to enjoy freedom.
• If a government denies these rights, the people have the right to alter or abolish it.

👉 It was a declaration of legitimacy: British rule was no longer morally binding.

The Poorna Swaraj Flag

• Rectangular, ratio 2:3.
• Three horizontal bands: saffron, white, green.
• In the centre: a Charkha (spinning wheel), symbol of self-reliance and swadeshi.

👉 This flag was the forerunner of today’s national flag (later replaced by the Ashoka Chakra).

Significance of the Lahore Session

1. Shift in Goal: From Dominion Status to Complete Independence.
2. Mass Mobilization: Independence Day celebrations turned the idea of Swaraj into a mass festival.
3. Youth Leadership: Jawaharlal’s presidency symbolized the passing of the torch to a younger, more radical generation.
4. Beginning of Civil Disobedience: The groundwork was laid for Gandhi’s Salt Satyagraha (1930).
5. Unity of Vision: Though differences persisted, the nation now had a clear, uncompromising objective: Poorna Swaraj.

✅ In essence:
The failure of the Nehru Report and the ambiguity of British promises pushed Congress from compromise to confrontation. At Lahore in December 1929, the Indian National Congress openly broke with the British framework and declared Complete Independence as its goal. With the tricolour unfurled and the pledge taken, the freedom struggle entered its most decisive mass phase — the Civil Disobedience Movement.