1 jan 1909 ano - Indian Councils Act

Descrição:

Approvazione dell'Indian Councils Act (Riforme Morley-Minto), che introduce collegi elettorali separati per i musulmani.

The Indian Councils Act 1909 (9 Edw. 7 Ch. 4), commonly known as the Morley–Minto or Minto–Morley Reforms, was an act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that brought about a limited increase in the involvement of Indians in the governance of British India. The act introduced elections to legislative councils and admitted Indians to councils of the Secretary of State for India, the viceroy, and to the executive councils of Bombay and Madras states. Muslims were granted separate electorates. Indian nationalists considered the reforms too cautious and Hindus resented the introduction of separate Muslim electorates.

The act itself, also called the Morley–Minto Reforms, conferred some political reforms which encouraged the constitutionalists in the Indian National Congress. More Indians could be elected to the legislatures on the basis of the Indian Councils Act.[4] Various provincial councils had the size of their memberships expanded.[6] The "official majorities" – where a majority on each provincial council was appointed from civil service officials – previously imposed on all provincial councils were lifted; the official majority on the viceroy's council, however, was retained due to the possible need for the viceroy to legislate for any province.[7] The executive remained under strong British control, and the government's consultative mode remained unchanged, with "a non-parliamentary system where the legislature acted as a kind of permanent opposition in the face of an irremovable executive".[8]

The reforms established Indian dominance in the provincial but not central legislative bodies. Elections, mainly indirect, were affirmed for all levels of society.[9] Special seats were also created to represent provincial landowners, tea plantations, various regional merchants, etc. Electoral rolls were drawn up requiring substantial property qualifications or otherwise honours or degrees from universities or public service.[10] The elected Indians were also enabled to debate budgetary and complementary matters and table resolutions.[4][9] The British executive, however, retained an absolute veto over all legislation.[11] Councillors also were granted very limited interrogatory powers to request information from the government.[12]

Despite the reforms, the members still reeled over electoral apportionment. The provinces were delegated electoral allocations, and administrative changes hindered harmful moves against the British rule. A major hindrance to coalitions was the separate electorates.

A momentous introduction in the reforms was the separate electorates, with seats reserved for Muslims in which only Muslims would be polled. The implication that Muslims and their interests could be protected only by Muslims would influence Indian politics in the ensuing decades.[9] The Muslim League had been founded in 1906 by an elite aiming to promote Muslim interests,[9] prevent Hindu dominance over Muslims through a parliamentary system[5] and advance the Muslim perspective in the deliberations regarding constitutional reforms after October 1907.[13] Minto heard in October 1906 a Muslim deputation, which comprised 35 Muslims from all Indian provinces except the Northwest Frontier.

TILAK welcomed The Indian Councils Act, popularly known as Minto-Morley Reforms, which had been passed by British Parliament in May 1909, terming it as "a marked increase of confidence between the Rulers and the Ruled". It was his conviction that acts of violence actually diminished, rather than hastening, the pace of political reforms. He was eager for reconciliation with Congress and had abandoned his demand for direct action and settled for agitations "strictly by constitutional means" – a line that had long been advocated by his rival Gokhale. Tilak reunited with his fellow nationalists and rejoined the Indian National Congress during the Lucknow pact 1916.

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