Mahatma Gandhi undertook fast unto death in 1932, mainly because
- Round Table Conference failed to satisfy Indian political aspirations
- Congress and Muslim League had differences of opinion
- Ramsay Macdonald announced the Communal Award
- None of the statements (a), (b) and (c) given above is correct in this context
Explanation
Option (c) is correct
- On 16 August 1932, British Prime Minister Ramsay MacDonald introduced the Communal Award. The Award declared the Depressed Classes as a minority and thus extended a separate electorate to them. On 18 August 1932, Gandhiji wrote a letter to Ramsay Macdonald declaring his intentions to fast unto death against the Communal Award.
- Ambedkar’s response to Gandhi’s decision to fast was different, and he said, ‘I do not care for these political stunts. To convince Ambedkar to accept his view, Gandhi resorted to a fast unto death on September 20, 1932, while he was in Yerwada Jail.
- As pressure mounted on Ambedkar, he agreed to consider Gandhi’s proposal, provided that the scheme guaranteed better than the Communal Award. On September 24, Hindu and depressed class leaders signed the Poona Pact in the presence of Gandhiji. Gandhi’s trusted emissary, C Rajagopalachari, exchanged his fountain pen with Ambedkar at the end of the talks. Gandhiji broke fast on September 26 in the presence of Rabindranath Tagore.
