Today’s History: Gandhi-Irwin Pact was signed on this day in 1931; Could Mahatma Gandhi have saved Bhagat Singh if he wanted?

March 5, 1931 was a very special day in the history of modern India. There was a historic agreement between Mahatma Gandhi and the then Viceroy Lord Irwin. It was for the first time that the British had made agreement with the Indians on an equal footing. Historians also believe that Gandhiji could have put pressure on the Viceroy to stop the execution of Bhagat Singh if he wanted, but he did not do so.

The background of this agreement dates back to 1930. The British government had banned the manufacture and sale of salt by Indians. Against this, Mahatma Gandhi took out a march from Sabarmati Ashram in Ahmedabad to Dandi, which is also known as Dandi March. This was the first step towards the Civil Disobedience Movement. Gandhiji himself broke this salt law by reaching the beach. For this he was thrown in jail. The salt movement made headlines all over the world and due to this the difficulties of Lord Irwin had increased. Then he made an agreement with Mahatma Gandhi on 5 March 1931 after five rounds of meeting, which is called Gandhi-Irwin Pact.

In this, it was agreed to release all political prisoners except those accused of violence. At that time the whole country was talking about Bhagat Singh, 23, who was sentenced to death in October 1930. Gandhiji was under pressure from the Congress as well as the country to stop the hanging of Bhagat Singh, but it was not even mentioned in the Gandhi-Irwin Pact. Gandhi wrote only in his letter that it is better if Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev and Rajguru are not hanged. In fact, he did not consider Bhagat Singh’s struggle to be a part of the national movement. For this reason Bhagat Singh and two of his associates were hanged on 23 March 1931. At the same time, Subhash Chandra Bose held a large public meeting in Delhi against the hanging on 20 March 1931, even while in Congress.

In the Gandhi-Irwin Pact, along with the release of political prisoners, Indians got the right to make salt on the seashore. Freedom was also given to picket in front of liquor and foreign clothes shops. Those who resigned during the movement were reinstated. The seized property was also returned. Somehow, this agreement opened the way for Mahatma Gandhi and the Congress to participate in the Round Table Conference. But there is nothing in this agreement regarding the hanging of Bhagat Singh, still remains the subject of criticism and discussion by historians.

March 5 is also remembered for these events that happened in the country and the world:

2010: ISRO successfully test-fired a sounding rocket with a load carrying capacity of three tonnes from the Sri Harikota Space Center in Andhra Pradesh.

1998: At least 32 people were killed and more than 300 were injured in a bomb blast in Sri Lanka’s capital Colombo. Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam was suspected to be involved in the attack.

1993: Canadian sprinter Ben Johnson has been banned for life for taking banned drugs.

1970: The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty was implemented. It was signed by 45 countries on 24 November 1969. So far, about 190 countries have signed it.

1966: A British Overseas Airways Corporation Boeing 707 plane crashed in Mount Fuji, Japan, killing 124 people on board.

1953: Rumors spread about the death of the leader of the Soviet Union, Joseph Stalin. He came to power in the Soviet Union in 1928. His death was confirmed a day later.

1783: Geological Survey of India was established.

1699: Maharaja Jai ​​Singh II sat on the throne of Amber.

1046: Nasir Khusrau started the journey of the Middle East. After this journey of six years, he composed Safarnama. It is one of the finest works of Persian language.