Image: Gandhi during the 1930 Salt campaign, Wikimedia Commons, public domain.
The Gandhi-Irwin Pact of March 1931 was an important political agreement between Mahatma Gandhi and Viceroy Lord Irwin during the Indian independence movement.
How negotiations began
After the Civil Disobedience Movement spread across India and Gandhi was arrested, political circumstances changed. Gandhi was released from prison in January 1931 and discussions with the Viceroy followed.
The agreement
The Gandhi Heritage Portal records that Gandhi and Lord Irwin signed the provisional settlement on 5 March 1931.
The agreement involved the suspension of civil disobedience and concessions concerning political prisoners and salt, while Gandhi agreed to participate in the Second Round Table Conference.
What remained unresolved?
Important issues remained contested, including the status of political prisoners and demands for broader constitutional change. Gandhi also raised the question of Bhagat Singh and other prisoners during the negotiations.
Journey to London
Gandhi travelled to London in September 1931 as the sole Congress representative at the Second Round Table Conference.
Historical importance
The pact demonstrated that mass civil resistance and formal negotiations could exist alongside one another. It also provided a temporary pause in the campaign without ending the larger constitutional conflict.
See the detailed Gandhi Heritage Portal Gandhi-Irwin Pact records and NewsNationOnline’s Civil Disobedience Movement article.
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