The concept of Home rule

Home rule as a concept is government of a subordinate entitiy like a colony, dependent country, or region by its own citizens through a local authority. It is thus governance in a decentralized manner on account of certain powers vested in it by the central authority. It can also be traditionally referred to self-government, devolution or independence of its constituent nations. For example initially in Ireland, and later Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland , the demand for home rule was voiced in british Isles. In other countries which are organised as federations of states, the term usually refers to the process and mechanisms of self-government as exercised by municipalities, counties, or other units of local government at the level below that of a federal state.

Home rule and Federalism

Home rule is not, however, comparable with federalism. Whereas states in a federal system of government have a guaranteed constitutional existence, a devolved home rule system of government is created by ordinary legislation and can be reformed, or even abolished, by repeal or amendment of that ordinary legislation. The legislature can also establish or eliminate municipal corporations, which have home rule within town or city limits through the city council. The state government could also abolish counties/townships, or their governments, according to the state constitution and state law.

Ireland and Home rule

The term "Home Rule", first used in the 1860s, meant an Irish legislature with responsibility for domestic affairs. It was variously interpreted, from the 1870s was seen to be part of a federal system for the United Kingdom: a domestic Parliament for Ireland while the Imperial Parliament at Westminster would continue to have responsibility for Imperial affairs. From the late nineteenth century, Irish leaders of the Home Rule League, the predecessor of the Irish Parliamentary Party, under Isaac Butt, William Shaw, and Charles Stewart Parnell demanded a form of home rule, with the creation of an Irish parliament within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. This demand led to the eventual introduction of four Home Rule Bills, of which two were passed, the Third Home Rule Act won by John Redmond and most notably the Government of Ireland Act 1920 (which created the home rule parliaments of Northern Ireland and Southern Ireland – the latter state did not in reality function and was replaced by the Irish Free State).

Home rule and India

The home rule movement was launched under the leadership of Bal Gangadhar Tilak and Annie Besaint in 1916, to voice a demand for self-government, and to obtain the status of a Dominion within the British Empire as enjoyed by Australia, Canada, South Africa, New Zealand and Newfoundland at the time. Its growth and activity were stalled by Congress under the leadership of Gandhi and his satyagraha art of revolution: non-violent, but mass-based civil disobedience, aiming at complete independence.
 

Significance of Home Rule Movemnet

• It infused a new lease of life in anti british struggle ,the atmosphere of political passivism prevailing in India since almost a decade ,was converted into political activism.
• This movement revived the tradition of mass struggle ,the mass agitation against british raj continued to to gain strength hereafter and the series came to halt only after the liberation of India from British raj.
• The massive mass support attracted by HRM pushed the moderate leaders into the background forever, the extremist regained their lost mass base.
• The greatest significance of HRM was that it forced the british government to change their policy towards India ,in August 1917 Lord Montegue the secretary of state for India made an announcement popularly known as " August declaration", this declaration emphasised that the ultimate objective of the british government was to give dominion status to India.
   

By: Parveen bansal