The Archive

Speeches, writings and documents from a century of argument over India’s future, all checked against the printed sources.

Use them as models for your own speeches and as evidence of what each side argued. Page numbers in brackets are those of the printed source, for citation. Your role page lists the texts chosen for your faction.

Type
Side

Before the Congress, to 1884

ReadingChaupa Singh Rahit-nama (Sikh code of conduct) · The Sikh Religious Code: Lives of Discipline and Devotion1750 · 462 words, about 2 min ReadingShah Abdul Aziz · Islam in Danger1803 · 807 words, about 4 min ReadingRammohan Roy · The Future of India1828 · 300 words, about 1 min ReadingThomas Babington Macaulay · The Minute on Education2 February 1835 · 1,597 words, about 7 min ReadingQueen Victoria · Proclamation of 18581 November 1858 · 962 words, about 4 min ReadingDadabhai Naoroji · The Pros and Cons of British Rule1871 · 2,303 words, about 10 min ReadingJotirao Phule · The Tyranny of a Brahman-Dominated History1873 · 2,613 words, about 11 min ReadingBankim Chandra Chatterji · Hail to the Mother1882 · 4,260 words, about 19 min

1885–1904

ReadingSayyid Ahmad Khan · Congress as a Danger and a Folly28 December 1887 · 4,658 words, about 20 min ReadingRomesh Chunder Dutt · The Causes of India’s Poverty1901 · 3,149 words, about 14 min

1905–1919

SpeechLord Curzon · Convocation Address, University of Calcutta11 February 1905 · Calcutta · 4,054 words, about 18 min SpeechG. K. Gokhale · Presidential Address to the Indian National Congress, BenaresDecember 1905 · Benares · 3,447 of 11,949 words, about 15 min · Shortened SpeechAga Khan (deputation address) and Lord Minto (reply) · Address of the All-India Muslim Deputation to the Viceroy, Simla, with Lord Minto's Reply1 October 1906 · Simla · 4,606 words, about 20 min SpeechDadabhai Naoroji · Presidential Address to the Indian National Congress, CalcuttaDecember 1906 · Calcutta · 3,431 of 9,456 words, about 15 min · Shortened SpeechBal Gangadhar Tilak · Tenets of the New Party2 January 1907 · Calcutta · 3,247 words, about 14 min ReadingBal Gangadhar Tilak · The Gita Versus the Penal Code2 January 1907 · 3,160 words, about 14 min ReadingAurobindo Ghose · Passive Resistance and India’s Hindu MissionApril 1907 · 2,534 of 5,868 words, about 11 min · Shortened SpeechRabindranath Tagore · Presidential Address to the Bengal Provincial Conference, PabnaFebruary 1908 · Pabna · 3,291 of 8,787 words, about 14 min · Translated · Shortened SpeechBal Gangadhar Tilak · Statement after the Verdict22 July 1908 · Bombay · 60 words, about 1 min ReadingM. K. Gandhi · Hind Swaraj1909 · 2,234 words, about 10 min ReadingRabindranath Tagore · “The Problem of India”4 January 1909 · 1,527 words, about 7 min ReadingIndian National Congress and All-India Muslim League · The Lucknow Pact, 1916December 1916 · 1,321 words, about 6 min ReadingSarojini Naidu · For the Evolution of National LifeDecember 1916 · 1,822 words, about 8 min WritingEdwin Montagu · The Montagu Declaration20 August 1917 · London · 538 words, about 2 min WritingSarojini Naidu · "A Pen Portrait" of Mohomed Ali JinnahNovember 1917 · Hyderabad, Deccan · 3,347 words, about 15 min WritingEdwin Montagu and Lord Chelmsford · Report on Indian Constitutional Reforms: Communal Electorates1918 · 1,956 words, about 9 min · Excerpt

1920–1929

SpeechLala Lajpat Rai · Presidential Address to the Special Session of the Indian National Congress, Calcutta4 September 1920 · Calcutta · 3,523 of 13,966 words, about 15 min · Abridged · Shortened ReadingRabindranath Tagore and M. K. Gandhi · Tagore’s Critique of Gandhi, and Gandhi’s Response29 August 1921 · 4,605 words, about 20 min SpeechHasrat Mohani · Presidential Address to the All-India Muslim League, Ahmedabad30 December 1921 · Ahmedabad · 3,562 words, about 15 min · Abridged · Translated ReadingM. K. Gandhi · The Crime of Chauri Chaura16 February 1922 · 1,027 words, about 4 min SpeechMohandas K. Gandhi · Statement at the Great Trial18 March 1922 · Court of the District and Sessions Judge, Ahmedabad · 2,949 words, about 13 min WritingV. D. Savarkar · Essentials of Hindutva, Section VI1923 · Ratnagiri · 3,669 words, about 16 min · Excerpt ReadingV. D. Savarkar · The Glories of the Hindu Nation1923 · 2,703 words, about 12 min ReadingMohamed Ali and M. K. Gandhi · Hindu-Muslim Unity, Then Adversary of GandhiDecember 1923 · 3,453 words, about 15 min ReadingLala Lajpat Rai · The Hindu-Muslim Problem, 19241924 · 4,470 words, about 19 min ReadingM. K. Gandhi · Hindu-Muslim Tension, Its Cause and Cure29 May 1924 · 877 words, about 4 min ReadingM. K. Gandhi · Untouchability and SwarajJune 1924 · 1,616 words, about 7 min SpeechSarojini Naidu · Presidential Address to the Indian National Congress, CawnporeDecember 1925 · Cawnpore · 3,336 of 9,298 words, about 15 min · Shortened ReadingE. V. Ramasami (Periyar) · Periyar Responds to Gandhi on Caste8 August 1926 · 1,271 words, about 6 min WritingSir Leslie Scott · Letter to the Law Quarterly Review on the Indian States29 May 1928 · London · 1,012 words, about 4 min WritingMuhammad Ali Jinnah · The Fourteen Points: Statement on the Nehru Report and Draft Resolution28 March 1929 · Delhi · 1,604 words, about 7 min SpeechJawaharlal Nehru · Presidential Address to the Indian National Congress, Lahore29 December 1929 · Lahore · 3,501 of 7,048 words, about 15 min · Shortened

1930–1939

WritingB. R. Ambedkar and R. Srinivasan · A Scheme of Political Safeguards for the Protection of the Depressed Classes1930 · London · 4,048 words, about 18 min WritingBhagwati Charan Vohra · "The Philosophy of the Bomb"January 1930 · Lahore · 4,192 words, about 18 min ReadingM. K. Gandhi · Letter to Lord Irwin (Salt Satyagraha)2 March 1930 · 1,958 words, about 9 min WritingBhagat Singh · "Why I Am an Atheist"October 1930 · Lahore Central Jail · 3,151 of 5,947 words, about 14 min · Shortened SpeechMaharaja Hari Singh of Jammu and Kashmir · Speech at the Opening of the First Round Table Conference, London12 November 1930 · London · 394 words, about 2 min SpeechMaharaja Ganga Singh of Bikaner · Speech at the First Round Table Conference, London17 November 1930 · London · 3,482 words, about 15 min SpeechMohamed Ali · Speech at the First Round Table Conference, London19 November 1930 · London · 2,516 of 5,948 words, about 11 min · Shortened SpeechB. R. Ambedkar · Speech at the Plenary Session of the First Round Table Conference, London20 November 1930 · London · 3,357 words, about 15 min SpeechMuhammad Iqbal · Presidential Address to the All-India Muslim League, Allahabad29 December 1930 · Allahabad · 3,568 of 9,239 words, about 16 min · Shortened ReadingMuhammad Iqbal · A Separate Muslim State, and Letters to Jinnah29 December 1930 · 3,311 words, about 14 min SpeechWinston S. Churchill · Speech on the Round Table Conference, House of Commons26 January 1931 · London · 2,406 of 5,371 words, about 10 min · Shortened SpeechVallabhbhai Patel · Presidential Address to the Indian National Congress, KarachiMarch 1931 · Karachi · 4,276 words, about 19 min WritingMaharaja Hari Singh of Jammu and Kashmir · Proclamation "To My Beloved People"9 July 1931 · Jammu and Kashmir · 1,273 words, about 6 min WritingB. R. Ambedkar · Statement on Gandhi's Fast against the Communal Award19 September 1932 · Bombay · 2,862 words, about 12 min WritingJawaharlal Nehru · "Whither India?"October 1933 · Allahabad · 3,307 of 7,129 words, about 14 min · Shortened WritingJawaharlal Nehru · "A Reply to Sir Mohammad Iqbal"11 December 1933 · Allahabad · 2,594 words, about 11 min SpeechRajendra Prasad · Presidential Address to the Indian National Congress, Bombay26 October 1934 · Bombay · 3,412 of 9,579 words, about 15 min · Shortened SpeechMuhammad Ali Jinnah · Speech on the Report of the Joint Parliamentary Committee, Legislative Assembly7 February 1935 · New Delhi · 2,717 of 5,973 words, about 12 min · Shortened ReadingB. R. Ambedkar · The Gandhi-Ambedkar Debate on Caste1936 · 2,785 words, about 12 min SpeechJawaharlal Nehru · Presidential Address to the Indian National Congress, LucknowApril 1936 · Lucknow · 3,395 of 12,238 words, about 15 min · Shortened ReadingM. K. Gandhi · Gandhi’s Responses to Ambedkar11 July 1936 · 1,355 words, about 6 min SpeechJawaharlal Nehru · Presidential Address to the Indian National Congress, FaizpurDecember 1936 · Faizpur · 2,655 of 7,102 words, about 12 min · Shortened SpeechV. D. Savarkar · Presidential Address to the Hindu Mahasabha, Ahmedabad30 December 1937 · Ahmedabad (Karnavati) · 3,192 of 8,747 words, about 14 min · Shortened WritingJawaharlal Nehru · "The Unity of India"January 1938 · 2,684 of 5,494 words, about 12 min · Shortened SpeechSubhas Chandra Bose · Presidential Address to the Indian National Congress, Haripura19 February 1938 · Haripura · 3,306 of 10,361 words, about 14 min · Shortened WritingMir Osman Ali Khan, Nizam of Hyderabad · Firman Announcing the Constitutional Reforms17 July 1939 · Hyderabad · 1,505 words, about 7 min · Abridged WritingLord Linlithgow · Statement on War Aims and Dominion Status17 October 1939 · New Delhi · 3,907 words, about 17 min

1940–1945

ReadingB. R. Ambedkar · Must There Be a Pakistan?1940 · 4,354 words, about 19 min ReadingM. N. Roy and R. Palme Dutt · Communist Responses to Gandhi1940 · 2,362 of 5,917 words, about 10 min · Shortened WritingMuhammad Ali Jinnah · The Constitutional Maladies of India: Article for Time and Tide19 January 1940 · 2,591 words, about 11 min ReadingAbul Kalam Azad · The Muslims of India and the Future of IndiaMarch 1940 · 1,396 words, about 6 min SpeechMuhammad Ali Jinnah · Presidential Address to the All-India Muslim League, Lahore22 March 1940 · Lahore · 2,330 of 6,258 words, about 10 min · Shortened ReadingMuhammad Ali Jinnah · “The Thrust Toward a New Muslim Nation”22 March 1940 · 4,734 words, about 21 min WritingMohandas K. Gandhi · "A Baffling Situation"6 April 1940 · Sevagram · 1,197 words, about 5 min WritingJawaharlal Nehru · "The Indian States and the Crisis"23 April 1940 · Andheri, Bombay · 869 words, about 4 min WritingSayyid Abul A'la Mawdudi · "Nationalism in India"1941 · Lahore · 3,271 words, about 14 min · Excerpt · Translated SpeechRabindranath Tagore · Crisis in Civilization14 April 1941 · Santiniketan · 2,026 words, about 9 min · Translated WritingMaharaja Ganga Singh of Bikaner · Proclamation to His Subjects on Leaving for Active Service23 October 1941 · Lallgarh, Bikaner · 2,257 words, about 10 min · Abridged WritingP. C. Joshi · "Imperialist War into People's War"1942 · Bombay · 4,943 words, about 21 min ReadingSources of Indian Traditions editors (with Gandhi quotations) · From the Gandhi-Irwin Pact to Quit India1942 · 843 words, about 4 min SpeechSir Stafford Cripps · Broadcast on the British Government's Proposals30 March 1942 · Delhi · 2,451 words, about 11 min WritingB. R. Ambedkar · Statement on the Cripps ProposalsApril 1942 · 3,183 words, about 14 min WritingCongress Working Committee · Resolution on the Cripps Proposals2 April 1942 · Delhi · 1,218 words, about 5 min WritingMaulana Abul Kalam Azad · Letter to Sir Stafford Cripps10 April 1942 · New Delhi · 2,263 words, about 10 min WritingMohandas K. Gandhi · "To Muslim Correspondents"12 July 1942 · Sevagram · 872 words, about 4 min SpeechB. R. Ambedkar · "If Democracy Dies It Will Be Our Doom": Address to the All-India Depressed Classes Conference, Nagpur18 July 1942 · Nagpur · 2,227 of 5,025 words, about 10 min · Shortened WritingMohandas K. Gandhi · "Village Swaraj"26 July 1942 · Sevagram · 624 words, about 3 min ReadingG. D. Adhikari · National Unity Now!August 1942 · 3,534 words, about 15 min WritingMohandas K. Gandhi · "For the Princes"2 August 1942 · Sevagram · 733 words, about 3 min SpeechJawaharlal Nehru · Speech Moving the Quit India Resolution (newspaper version)7 August 1942 · Bombay · 1,540 words, about 7 min · Summary SpeechMohandas K. Gandhi · Speech at the A.I.C.C. after the Quit India Resolution (English speech)8 August 1942 · Bombay · 2,213 words, about 10 min SpeechMohandas K. Gandhi · Speech at the A.I.C.C. after the Quit India Resolution (Hindi speech)8 August 1942 · Bombay · 2,452 of 5,597 words, about 11 min · Translated · Shortened SpeechV. D. Savarkar · Presidential Address to the Hindu Mahasabha, Cawnpore29 December 1942 · Cawnpore · 3,271 of 15,693 words, about 14 min · Shortened SpeechSyama Prasad Mookerjee · Statement on His Resignation from the Bengal Cabinet12 February 1943 · Bengal Legislative Assembly, Calcutta · 1,899 words, about 8 min SpeechLiaquat Ali Khan · Speech on the Federation Resolution, Central Legislative Assembly18 February 1943 · New Delhi · 1,989 words, about 9 min WritingPurshotamdas Thakurdas, J. R. D. Tata, G. D. Birla and others · The Bombay Plan: IntroductionJanuary 1944 · Bombay · 1,559 words, about 7 min · Excerpt WritingSardar Baldev Singh · Statement on Jinnah and the Punjab Ministry1 May 1944 · Punjab · 1,070 words, about 5 min SpeechJogendra Nath Mandal · Speech on the Ban on the Lora Conference, Bengal Legislative Assembly5 June 1944 · Calcutta · 1,013 words, about 4 min WritingV. D. Savarkar · "From 'Quit India' to 'Split India'"14 July 1944 · Bombay · 1,352 words, about 6 min WritingAll Parties Sikh Conference · Sikh Resolutions against the Rajagopalachari Formula20 August 1944 · Amritsar · 3,522 words, about 15 min ReadingC. Rajagopalachari, M. K. Gandhi and M. A. Jinnah · The Rajagopalachari Formula and Gandhi-Jinnah CorrespondenceSeptember 1944 · 2,823 words, about 12 min WritingMinoo Masani · Socialism Reconsidered: Preface to the Second Edition1 October 1944 · Bombay · 3,700 words, about 16 min · Excerpt WritingP. C. Joshi · Congress and CommunistsDecember 1944 · Bombay · 3,308 of 10,476 words, about 14 min · Shortened WritingMaster Tara Singh and other Sikh leaders · Sikh Leaders' Memorandum to the Sapru Conciliation Committee1945 · Lahore · 3,773 words, about 16 min · Excerpt WritingRajendra Prasad · "The Communist Party's Support to Pakistan"1945 · Bankipur jail, Patna · 2,963 words, about 13 min · Excerpt WritingRajendra Prasad · "Two Nations—Basis of Pakistan"1945 · Bankipur jail, Patna · 3,080 words, about 13 min · Excerpt WritingSyama Prasad Mookerjee · Hindu Mahasabha Working Committee Resolution and Press Conference21 January 1945 · New Delhi · 1,629 words, about 7 min WritingMuhammad Ali Jinnah · Interview with the News Chronicle24 January 1945 · Bombay · 1,336 words, about 6 min WritingJ. C. Kumarappa · "Industrialisation"February 1945 · Wardha · 4,087 words, about 18 min · Excerpt WritingV. D. Savarkar · "The Liaquat–Bhulabhai Pact Is Detrimental to Hindu Interests"10 March 1945 · Bombay · 1,157 words, about 5 min SpeechB. R. Ambedkar · Communal Deadlock and a Way to Solve It6 May 1945 · Bombay · 3,534 of 9,372 words, about 15 min · Shortened WritingB. R. Ambedkar · "Gandhism: The Doom of the Untouchables"June 1945 · New Delhi · 3,504 of 9,950 words, about 15 min · Excerpt · Shortened SpeechArchibald Wavell, 1st Viscount Wavell · Broadcast Announcing the Simla Conference14 June 1945 · New Delhi · 1,295 words, about 6 min SpeechLeopold S. Amery · Statement on the Wavell Plan, House of Commons14 June 1945 · London · 2,620 of 5,253 words, about 11 min · Shortened SpeechSir Stafford Cripps · "On India": Speech at Edinburgh on the Wavell Proposals14 June 1945 · Edinburgh · 1,661 words, about 7 min

After 1945

ReadingGurbachan Singh and Lal Singh Gyani · Demanding a Sikh State1946 · 3,254 words, about 14 min ReadingJawaharlal Nehru · “Be Not Afraid”1946 · 2,566 words, about 11 min ReadingCabinet Mission · Cabinet Mission Memorandum on Paramountcy, 194612 May 1946 · 917 words, about 4 min ReadingCabinet Mission · The Cabinet Mission Plan: The Last British Offer16 May 1946 · 2,399 words, about 10 min ReadingCongress Working Committee · Congress’s Response to the Cabinet Mission Plan24 May 1946 · 706 words, about 3 min ReadingChoudhary Rahmat Ali · “The Fatherland of the Pak Nation”1947 · 1,004 words, about 4 min ReadingSarat Chandra Bose · Proposing a Bengal Free State1947 · 2,863 words, about 12 min ReadingE. M. S. Namboodiripad · The All-India Kisan Sabha1954 · 3,661 words, about 16 min ReadingJayaprakash Narayan · A Plea for a Communitarian Polity and Economy1959 · 3,046 words, about 13 min ReadingBegum Shaista Ikramullah · Cherished Encounters with Jinnah1963 · 2,514 of 5,032 words, about 11 min · Shortened ReadingP. Sundarayya · Excerpts from Telangana People’s Struggle1972 · 4,268 words, about 19 min ReadingM. Abdullah Rasul · The Tebhaga Struggle of BengalMarch 1986 · 2,662 of 5,225 words, about 12 min · Shortened