Who among the following national leaders attended the second Round Table Conference on behalf of the Indian National Congress in 1931?  

The correct answer is Mahatma Gandhi.

Key Points

• Mahatma Gandhi attended the Second Round Table Conference held in London in 1931 as the sole official representative of the Indian National Congress.
• The Second Round Table Conference was convened from September 7, 1931, to December 1, 1931.
• Gandhi's participation was part of the Gandhi-Irwin Pact, signed earlier in March 1931, which temporarily halted the Civil Disobedience Movement.
• The main agenda of the conference was to discuss constitutional reforms in India, but it failed to achieve significant agreements due to conflicting interests among participants.
• The conference saw representation from British officials, princely state rulers, and communal groups, but the lack of consensus frustrated Gandhi's efforts to secure a unified demand for Indian self-rule.

Additional Information

• Round Table Conferences:
  • A series of three conferences held between 1930 and 1932 in London to discuss constitutional reforms in India.
  • The conferences were initiated by the British government under the Viceroyship of Lord Irwin.
  • The first conference (1930) was boycotted by the Indian National Congress, while the second (1931) saw Gandhi's participation.
• Gandhi-Irwin Pact (1931):
  • An agreement between Mahatma Gandhi and Lord Irwin, the then Viceroy of India, signed on March 5, 1931.
  • It resulted in the suspension of the Civil Disobedience Movement and agreed on the release of political prisoners.
  • In return, Gandhi agreed to attend the Second Round Table Conference as the representative of the Congress.
• Outcome of the Second Round Table Conference:
  • The conference ended without any substantial agreement due to fundamental differences among Indian representatives.
  • Communal representation and separate electorates were major points of contention, particularly advocated by Dr. B.R. Ambedkar for Dalits.
  • The lack of British commitment to self-rule for India deeply disheartened Gandhi.
• Civil Disobedience Movement:
  • Launched by the Indian National Congress in 1930 under Gandhi's leadership to protest against British rule.
  • The movement included nonviolent resistance, refusal to pay taxes, and boycotts of British goods.
  • It was temporarily suspended following the Gandhi-Irwin Pact but resumed after the Second Round Table Conference's failure.