Why was Simon Commission opposed by the Indians?

The reforms introduced by the Montague Chelmsford Act of 1919 were unsatisfactory. Hence there was discontent among the Indian people. On this background, the British

appointed a commission under the chairmanship of Sir John Simon. The Simon Commission was sent to India in 1927 by the British Government to suggest further reforms in the structure of the Indian Government. The Commission did not include any Indian member and the Government showed no intention of accepting the demand for Swaraj. The three main reasons behind the opposition of the Simon Commission by the Indians are as follows –

1) The British refused Indian representation on the Commission. Therefore, it sparked a wave of protests all over the country and the Congress as well as the Muslim League gave a call to boycott it under the leadership of Lala Lajpat Rai.

2) During this time, the average Indian wanted complete independence from British rule. The need for a self-governed India led to the opposition.

3) The drastic measures undertaken by the British against the opposition added more fuel to it. In Lahore, where the protest was led by Lala Lajpat Rai, the police lathi-charged the protestors and Lalaji was grievously injured and ultimately led to his death.

The passing of a well-loved leader further intensified the protest against the Commission and led to its complete rejection.