- This session was conducted in the shadow of three major events:
- Gandhi had just been released from prison following his Salt Satyagraha.
- Gandhi-Irwin pact had been just concluded which had paused the Civil Disobedience Movement
- British Government had just executed Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev were hanged for the murder of Assistant Superintendent of Police, Saunders.
- While disapproving of and dissociating itself from political violence, Congress admired the ‘bravery’ and ‘sacrifice’ of the three martyrs i.e., Bhagat Singh, Raj guru and Sukhdev.
- Delhi Pact or Gandhi-Irwin Pact was endorsed.
- The goal of Purna Swaraj was reiterated.
- Two resolutions were adopted on (i) Fundamental Rights and (ii) National Economic Program.
- Resolution on Fundamental Rights guaranteed.
- Free Speech and Free Press
- Right to form association.
- Right to assemble
- Universal adult franchise
- Equal legal rights irrespective of caste, creed & sex
- Neutrality of state in religious matters
- Protection of culture, language, and script of minorities & linguistic groups
- Resolution on National Economic Program
- For farmers & peasants: Substantial reduction in land revenue and rent, in case of uneconomic holdings exemptions from rent for such period, as may be necessary, imposition of a progressive income tax on agricultural income above a fixed income, control of usuary.
- For Children: Free primary education, the prohibition against employment of children of school-going age in factories,
- For Workers: Living wage for industrial workers, limited hours of work, healthy conditions of work, protection against economic consequences of old age, sickness and unemployment.
- For Trade Unions: Right of labour to form unions to protect their interests with suitable machinery for settlement of disputes by arbitration.
- For Women: Protection of women workers and especially adequate provisions for leave during the maternity period.
- For a socialist economy: State control over key industries and mineral resources, regulation of exchange ratio to help Indian industries and bring relief to masses, protection of indigenous cloth by exclusion of foreign cloth and foreign yarn, and provision of inheritance tax.
- Reduced government expenditure: Military expenditure to be reduced by half, and expenditure and salaries of civil departments to be reduced.
- Gandhian Influence: Prohibition of intoxicating drinks & drugs, no duty on salt.
- Resolution on Fundamental Rights guaranteed.
- This was the first time the Congress spelt out what swaraj would mean for the masses—“to end the exploitation of masses, political freedom must include economic freedom of starving millions.”
- Second Round Table Conference convened in London, in 1931 yielded no results either and led to MacDonald’s announcement of two Muslim-majority provinces and a declaration of a Communal Award if Indians failed to agree. Gandhi returned to India and resumed the Civil Disobedience Movement.
- During the second phase of CDM, business support for civil disobedience waned. The business community got split into various factions (i) Supporting civil disobedience (Ahmedabad mill owners) (ii) Despite the efforts, Gandhi had to withdraw from the movement in April 1934.
- Gandhi set up an All-India Untouchability League in 1932 and started a weekly Harijan in 1933.
