Sunday, July 24, 2011

All India States’ People’s Conference

The British government permitted hundreds of Indian princely states to exist where the rulers were totally subservient to them. Since the British government was to defend them against internal protest, they freely indulged in misgovernment. The people of the princely states were also influenced by the national movement. In 1927 the All India States Peoples Conference was formed to co-ordinate political activities in the princely states. Popular struggles were organized in many states including Kashmir, Rafjcot, Hyderabad and Travancore. Praja mandals were organized in several states with the development of democratic and national consciousness. The INC supported the movements in the princely states after 1937. It urged the princes to grant civil liberties to their people and to introduce democratic representative government. In 1938 the Congress defined its goal of independence so as to include the independence of princely states. Jawaharlal Nehru became the President of the All India States’ People’s Conference in 1939. The States People’s movement contributed towards the integration of princely states into Indian Union.

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