Fazl-e-Umar — Page 157
Fazle Umar 157 in the field of politics and public life. Thereafter he never let any opportunity pass without making his valuable contribution towards safeguarding the rights, interests and position of the Muslims in the political and constitutional spheres. T H E G O v E R n M E n T OF I n d IA A C T 1 9 1 9 In pursuance of the report of the Secretary of State, the Government of India Act 1919 was passed by the British Parliament in order to hasten the participation of the natives in the government of India. The report served as the basis for the creation of the legislation. The Act incorporated a dual form of government known as diarchy for the major provinces. The rules were a complicated set of instructions. This system of diarchy worked with varying degrees of success in different prov- inces. In the Punjab it worked with marked success due mainly to the ability, political skill and acumen of Mian Sir Fazl-i-Husain, who was a senior Minister in the Punjab. T H E 1 9 2 7 S I M O n C OM M I S SIO n A n d T H E R IG H T S OF M U SL I M S The Government of India Act 1919 had provided that after the experience of the working of diarchy for ten years, a Royal Commission would be appointed to make recommendations with regard to the further constitutional advance of India. By 1926 political leadership in India had begun to agitate for the appointment of the Royal Commission, in response to which a Royal Commission was appointed under the chairmanship of Sir John (later Lord) Simon, in the autumn of 1927. The Commis- sion was composed of members of the two Houses of Parliament. The Indian National Congress took great offence at the exclusion of Indians from the membership of the Commission and declared that it would not cooperate with the Commission. Thus the question of co-operation with the Commission became a matter of keen controversy