Before India gained independence, Hindu leaders like Nehru and Gandhi gave assurances to the Sikh community that they would have full rights in the new nation and that no laws would be made without consulting them.
At the Lahore Congress Session on December 31, 1929, the Congress Party declared that it would not accept any constitution that failed to satisfy Sikh concerns.
Later, in the Lahore Bulletin (January 9, 1930), Jawaharlal Nehru acknowledged that the brave Sikhs of Punjab deserved special consideration and even suggested the idea of a region in northern India where Sikhs could enjoy true freedom.
Gandhi also pledged that the Congress would never betray the Sikhs, calling God his witness. He added that if the Congress ever broke this promise, the Sikhs would have every right to draw their swords as instructed by Guru Gobind Singh.
