ABSTRACT
For the moment the government of India was content to urge the passing of the Public Safety and the Trade Disputes Bills, justifying these unpopular measures by allegations of serious communist conspiracy, and fortifying their arguments by instituting proceedings against three British and twenty-six Indian industrial agitators. In striking contrast to the ideals of Congress stood the views of the Simon Commission which were issued in May 1930. An unhappy feature of the operation of the reforms was the inevitable impetus given to sectarian strife. It was obvious to Hindus and Muslims alike that the change in the form of government meant the possibility of securing effective domination by legal means. The Labour government in the United Kingdom was in control during the early stages of the Conference, and unquestionably it was largely affected by the doctrine that democracy was essentially justifiable and could not properly be withheld from the Indian people.
