The Morley–Minto Reforms, officially known as the India Act of 1909, sowed the seeds of separation and suspicion between the Hindu and Muslim communities. Separate electorates for Muslims and some seats for them in the joint electorates were given. Additionally, discriminatory provisions for eligibility to vote were a glaring bias. Thrice the amount of tax paid and seven extra years after one’s degree were the eligibility criteria for a Hindu to vote vis-à-vis a Muslim.
