Why were three Round Table Conferences held between 1930 and 1932? [7] (Past Paper, November 2001: Q4/b)

[Failure of Simon Commission] Simon Commission arrived in India in 1927 for discussing further constitutional reforms with Indian political leaders. The commission was openly rejected as there was no Indian member in it and obviously it could not address the Indian concerns. The Indians thought it as part of delaying tactics towards self-rule. When Simon published his report in 1930, he suggested that a Round Table Conference should be organized in London to discuss the constitutional reforms with Indian political leaders.

[Failure of Nehru Committee] Nehru Committee was set up by the All-Parties Conference in 1928 to formulate constitutional proposals that would be acceptable to all political stakeholders. But the committee completely ignored the Muslim views. The two big parties could not develop consensus on constitutional reforms that could jointly be forwarded to the British for implementation in India. For the two parties to resolve their differences and reach a compromise, the British arranged a series of three Round Table Conferences in London. 

[Threat of violence] Mr. Gandhi launched another non-cooperation movement in 1930 which created the danger of widespread violence and disorder. This situation was disturbing for the British. They wanted to pacify the Indians by introducing new reforms in India. In order to make some progress in the direction of constitutional reforms, the British invited Indian political leaders and the princes in London to negotiate their issues in a Round Table Conference.

The first conference failed due to Congress boycott and therefore a second one was scheduled. Since consensus could not be developed on constitutional reforms in the second conference also, therefore third one was organized which also ended in fiasco.