Poona Pact - Background On August 16, 1932, Ramsay MacDonald, the British Prime Minister, announced the Communal Award, which provided for separate electorates for the Depressed Classes, Europeans, Sikhs, Anglo-Indians, and Indian-based Christians. The 1932 Award was based on the concept of separate electorates, which the British government had already implemented through the Morley-Minto Reforms (1909) and the Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms (1919). Each community was assigned a number of seats ... The Poona Pact was a settlement that increased the representation of the depressed classes, now known as Scheduled Castes, in the Indian legislature. It involved Gandhi's opposition to separate electorates and Ambedkar's demand for them, and resulted in a compromise of 147 reserved seats and joint electorates. The Poona Pact of 1932 is one of the most critical documents in India’s fight for social justice and political empowerment for the Dalit (formerly known as “Untouchables”) community. This agreement between Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, a prominent leader of the Dalits, and Mahatma Gandhi, the father of the nation, shaped the discourse on caste-based political representation in pre-independence India. This article provides an in-depth look at the Poona Pact , its implications, historical context ... Poona Pact 1932 was the compromise between Gandhi and Ambedkar that ended separate electorates for the Depressed Classes, introducing joint electorates with 148 reserved seats instead. This agreement reshaped Dalit political representation and left a lasting legacy in India’s journey toward social justice.
