Consider the following assertion :
The genesis of political alliances based on community lay in the very nature of the Montague-Chelmsford Reforms, 1919.
Which of the following statements support/supports the above assertion?
1. Reforms retained and extended the principle of separate electorates.
2. Separate electorates were supposed to counter Indian nationalism, which was growing stronger.
3. Deprived classes rallied around the favours inherent in separate electorates.
A.1 only
B.2 and 3 only
C.1 and 2 only
D.1, 2 and 3
Explanation: * Statement 1 is correct: The 1919 reforms further extended the 1909 communal separate electorates and gave communal representation to additional groups such as Sikhs, Indian Christians, Anglo-Indians, and Europeans in certain provinces. * Statement 2 is correct: The British policy of separate electorates formed part of the broader strategy of "divide and rule." The British believed that dividing political interests along communal lines would reduce the possibility of a consolidated anti-colonial struggle. * Statement 3 is correct: Over time, several socially and politically marginalized groups began viewing separate electorates and reserved political representation as instruments for securing political safeguards and access to power (e.g., Communal Award).