4 February 1928, Bengal

The Indian Statutory Commission, a group of seven British Members, of Parliament of United Kingdom under the chairmanship of Sir John Simon assisted by Clement Attlee arrived in British-occupied India in 1928 to study constitutional reform in Britain's most important colonial dependency. It was commonly referred to as the Simon Commission after its chairman, Sir John Allsebrook Simon. It was set up in response to the nationalist movement and to look into the functioning of the constitutional system in India and suggest changes. But the Commission has only British members, no Indian members. Also the clauses of this Commission did not contain any hope of ‘Swaraj’ for the Indians. This was followed by a strike in Bengal on February 3^rd, 1928. So when the Simon Commission arrived in India in 1928, it was greeted with the slogan ‘Go back, Simon’. To pacify Indians, The Viceroy Lord, announced in October 1929 ‘dominion status’ for India in an unspecified future and a Round Table Conference was held to discuss a future constitution.