# 1939 in India

Events in the year 1939 in India.

## Incumbents

* Emperor of India – George VI
* Viceroy of India – Victor Hope, 2nd Marquess of Linlithgow

## Events

* National income - ₹31,845 million
* World War II breaks out and political dead lock in India
* 2 January – The Muslim League at Patna disapproves the Federation scheme which has already been disapproved by Congress.
* 29 January – Subhas Chandra Bose is reelected president of Congress at Bombay (a victory for opponents of Federation).
* 22 February – Thirteen right-wing members of the working committee, including Pandit Nehru, resign from Congress.
* 3 March – In Bombay, Mohandas Gandhi begins to fast in protest of the autocratic rule in India.
* 12 March – Congress at Tripuri passes a resolution of adherence to the party of Gandhi.
* 29 April – S. C. Bose resigns as president of Congress and is succeeded by Rajendra Prasad.
* 1 May – New Congress working committee announced.
* 3 May – S. C. Bose announces the formation of a new left bloc under his leadership.
* 8–14 September – Congress debates its attitude to the war; Gandhi calls upon the British to implement their declarations of faith in democracy.
* 18 September – The Muslim League declares that the Federal scheme, now suspended, should be altogether abandoned.
* 17 October – The Viceroy states the Allied objectives in the war and announces that at the end of the war the Government would consult the several communities, parties and interests in India.
* 27–31 October – Congress working committee resolved that the Viceroy's statement was wholly unsatisfactory and asked for a statement of war aims; the ministries of Bombay, Madras and Bihar resign.
* 3 November – Resignation of the ministry of the United Provinces.
* 5 November – Resignation of the ministry of Orissa; the Viceroy announces that the parties having met have failed to agree.
* 9 November – Resignation of the ministry of Central Provinces.
* 23 November – At Allahabad the Congress working committee reaffirms its demand for "recognition of India's independence".
* 2 December - Jinnah's call for observing 22nd as Day of Deliverance in favour of resignation and end of congress ministries in provinces.
* 27 December – The first contingent of Indian troops reaches France.

## Law

* 28 February – The budget is presented to the Legislative Assembly in which the duty on raw cotton is doubled.
* 13 March – The Chamber of Princes approves its own reorganization.
* 20 March – A new trade agreement with the UK till 31 March 1942 is signed after two years of negotiations.
* 15 April – The new tariff bill is rejected by the Central Legislature.
* 18 April – The Council of State passes the new tariff bill a second time.
* Registration Of Foreigners Act
* Portuguese Code of Civil Procedure
* Commercial Documents Evidence Act
* Dissolution of Muslim Marriages Act
* Limitation Act

## Births

* 11 March – Bani Basu, author, essayist, critic and poet.
* 19 May – Balu Mahendra, film director and cinematographer (d. 2014).
* 27 June – R. D. Burman, composer, singer (died 1994)
* 7 July – Satya Prakash Agarwal, politician
* 20 July – Walter Devaram, retired Indian Police Service officer
* 25 July – Mahendran, Indian film director, screenwriter and actor (d. 2019)
* 1 August – Jambuwantrao Dhote, Indian politician (d. 2017).
* 16 August – Kanchana, actress.
* 17 August – Farooq Feroze Khan, Pakistani air chief marshal (d. 2021)
* 15 September – Subramanian Swamy, Indian politician and economist.
* 29 October – Malay Roy Choudhury, poet and novelist (died 2023
* 22 November – Mulayam Singh Yadav, politician and former Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh (died 2022)
* 12 December – Swadesh Bharati, poet, novelist and literary critic.
* 14 December – Mythili Sivaraman, activist (died 2021)

### Full date unknown

* Arun Joshi, novelist (died 1993).

## Deaths

* 6 February – Sayajirao Gaekwad III, Maharada of Baroda (born 1863)
* 14 February – Samsa, playwright, poet and novelist (born 1898)
* 8 September – Swami Abhedananda, mystic (born 1866)