GandhiIrwin

The Gandhi–Irwin Pact, also known as the Gandhi–Irwin Agreement, was signed on March 5, 1931, between Mahatma Gandhi and Lord Irwin, then Viceroy of India. It marked a temporary rapprochement between the Indian National Congress and the British government during the Civil Disobedience Movement that had begun in 1930.

The pact set out terms intended to ease political tensions and facilitate constitutional discussions. The government agreed to release political prisoners and withdraw several repressive ordinances, while guaranteeing civil liberties and the right to peaceful political activity within the framework of the law. In return, Gandhi agreed to suspend the Civil Disobedience Movement and to participate in the London Round Table Conference to discuss constitutional reforms and the future governance of India.

The agreement allowed the Congress to re-engage with British authorities and to send representatives to the Round Table Conference later in 1931. It did not, however, produce a decisive settlement on independence or full self-government, and subsequent negotiations and events continued to expose deep disagreements over constitutional reform and the scope of Indian autonomy.

Impact and assessment of the pact remain debated. Supporters view it as a pragmatic step toward dialogue and reform, while critics argued that it compromised nationalist goals. The Gandhi–Irwin Pact is often cited as a key episode in the broader arc of the Indian independence movement, illustrating the tension between negotiation with imperial authorities and the pursuit of full sovereignty.