UPSC Prelims 2001 Q12: Modern History – Gandhian Mass Movements (1915 - 1942)
Who among the following was the President of the All - India States’ Peoples’ Conference in
1939?
- (a) Jaya Prakash Narayan
- (b) Jawaharlal Nehru
- (c) Sheikh Abdullah
- (d) Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel
Answer: (b) Jawaharlal Nehru
Explanation
President of the All-India States' Peoples' Conference in 1939
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| All-India States' Peoples' Conference | Founded 1927; worked for popular rule in the princely states |
| 1939 Ludhiana session | Jawaharlal Nehru elected president |
| Haripura Congress (1938) | Congress declared that its goal of complete independence included the princely states |
| Sheikh Abdullah | Led the National Conference in Kashmir; AISPC president in 1946-47 |
In 1939 Jawaharlal Nehru presided over the Ludhiana session of the All-India States' Peoples' Conference. This showed the Congress drawing closer to the movements for responsible government in the princely states.
Answer: (b) Jawaharlal Nehru.
Why each option is right or wrong
- (a) Incorrect. Jaya Prakash Narayan was a Congress Socialist, not the AISPC president in 1939.
- (b) CORRECT. Nehru was president of the AISPC in 1939.
- (c) Incorrect. Sheikh Abdullah became president later, in the mid-1940s.
- (d) Incorrect. Patel dealt with the states later, as Minister of States in 1947.
Key point
States' people's movements: AISPC 1927; Haripura 1938 changed Congress policy; Nehru president 1939; Patel integrated the states in 1947-49.
Remember
AISPC 1939 (Ludhiana) = Jawaharlal Nehru.
Common mistakes
- Choosing Patel because of his role in integrating the states.
- Choosing Sheikh Abdullah without checking the year.
- Not linking the 1938 Haripura change to Nehru's 1939 presidency.
Exam tip
Patel integrated the states in 1947; Nehru led their people's conference in 1939.
Sources
- Bipan Chandra et al. — India's Struggle for Independence, chapter 'The Freedom Struggle in Princely India'
- Spectrum — A Brief History of Modern India, chapter on people's struggles in princely states