Compromises

In the course of the deliberations of the All Parties Conference, the Muslim League dissociated itself and stuck to its demand for reservation of seats for Muslims, especially in the central legislature and in Muslim majority provinces. Thus, Motilal Nehru and other leaders drafting the report found themselves in a dilemma: if the demands of the Muslim communal opinion were accepted, the Hindu communalists would withdraw their support, if the latter were satisfied, the Muslim leaders would get estranged.

The concessions made in the Nehru Report to Hindu communalists included the following:

● Joint electorates proposed everywhere but reservation for Muslims only where in minority;

● Sindh to be detached from Bombay only after dominion status was granted and subject to weightage given to Hindu minority in Sindh;

● Political structure proposed broadly unitary, as residual powers rested with the centre.