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Foundation of Indian National Congress: Theories and Sessions

08-11-2024

08:30 AM

GS I

Sub-Categories:

Modern History

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Table of Contents

Prelims: History of India and Indian National Movement 

Mains: Modern Indian history from about the middle of the eighteenth century until the present- significant events, personalities, issues

The Foundation of Indian National Congress (INC) in 1885, stands as a cornerstone in India's fight for independence and has played a crucial role in shaping the country's political landscape. Before its inception, several socio-political movements and organizations laid the groundwork for the formation of the Indian National Congress.

Till 1947, there were numerous INC sessions (annual and special INC sessions) to discuss the political situation in the country and to pass resolutions on important issues. These INC sessions served as platforms for inclusive and collective decision-making and planning for the course of India's struggle for freedom. Foundation of the Indian National Congress

While many Indians had been contemplating the formation of an all-India organization for nationalist political activists, it was A.O. Hume, a retired English Civil Servant, who played a crucial role in giving the idea a concrete and definitive form. He engaged with prominent Indian leaders and collaborated with them to organize the inaugural INC session in Bombay in December 1885. Hume's primary intention in establishing and promoting this association was likely to provide a "safety valve" for the mounting discontent among educated Indians.

Initially, it was decided to hold a conference in the name of the Indian National Union to be held in Poona, but the venue was shifted to Bombay due to the cholera outbreak in Poona. The first meeting was held on Monday, 28 December 1885, in Gokuldas Tejpal Sanskrit College, Bombay.

  • The aims and objectives of the Congress were defined very clearly by the 1st President of INC, W. C. Bonnerjee. He described the objectives as: 
    • Promotion of personal intimacy and friendship amongst the countrymen
    • Eradication of all possible prejudices relating to race, creed or provinces
    • Consolidation of sentiments of national unity
    • Recording of the opinions of educated classes on pressing problems of the day
    • Laying down lines for future courses of action in the public interest
  • Participation: 
    • The dominance of lawyers within Congress is a commonly made argument. Notably absent were members of the old aristocracy, such as Rajas, Maharajas, prominent Zamindars, and wealthy merchants, as they perceived a threat from the emerging liberal and nationalist ideas. 
    • Similarly, the Congress did not attract a significant following from peasants or artisans.

Theories related to Foundation of Indian National Congress

The Indian National Congress holds a crucial place in India's history, and as a result, contemporary opinions and subsequent historians have often pondered the factors that led to its establishment. Even a hundred years after its inception, this matter remains a subject of ongoing discussion among historians.

Safety Valve Theory

The theory posits that Hume founded the Congress with the expectation that it would function as a "safety valve" for the escalating discontent among Indians. This notion was endorsed by extremist leaders, including Lala Lajpat Rai.

Conspiracy Theory

Rajani Palme Dutt is credited with originating the Conspiracy Theory, which emerged from the 'safety valve' concept. According to Dutt, the INC was born from a conspiracy to quash a popular uprising in India, and he believed that the bourgeois (middle-class) leaders of India were also involved in this scheme.

Lightning Conductor Theory

  • Gopal Krishna Gokhale proposed the "lightning conductor theory," suggesting that the INC was an expression of politically conscious Indians' aspiration to form a national entity representing their political and economic demands. 
  • Modern Indian historians believe that the early Congress leaders utilized Hume as a "lightning conductor" to act as a catalyst, uniting nationalist forces, even if the facade of a "safety valve" was maintained.

Important INC Sessions

Initially, the Congress lacked strong cohesion, regular membership, or a central office, and its views were mild and moderate. But ultimately leading to the realisation of India's aspirations for freedom, sovereignty, and self-reliance within about sixty years. Following are the significant INC sessions, their Presidents and outcome: 

 

Important INC Sessions

Year: 1885

Place: Mumbai 

- President: Womesh Chandra Bonnerjee

- Outcomes: Formation of Indian National Congress 

  • The 1st session of INC drew 72 delegates from all Indian provinces. There were 54 Hindus and 2 Muslims; the remaining members were Jain and Parsi.

- Viceroy- Lord Dufferin

Year: 1886

Place: Calcutta

- President: Dadabhai Naoroji 

- Outcomes:

  • Towards the end of this INC session, the Congress decided to set up Provincial Congress Committees across the country.

Year: 1887

Place: Madras

- President: Badruddin Tyabji

- Outcomes: 

  • First Muslim president 

Year: 1888

Place: Allahabad 

- President: George Yule

- Outcomes: 

  • First English president 

Year: 1889

Place: 

- President: Sir William Wedderburn

- Outcomes:

  • The main resolutions passed
    • Adoption of the Congress creed
    • Resolution on education
    • Resolution on agriculture 

Year: 1901

Place: Calcutta

- President: Dinshaw Eduljee Wacha

- Outcomes

  • The 1901 Calcutta’s INC Session was the first time Mahatma Gandhi appeared on the Congress platform.
  • The main resolutions passed:
  • Resolution on the drain of wealth
  • Resolution on the famine

Year: 1905

Place: Banaras

- President: Gopal Krishna Gokhale

- Outcomes: 

  • Resentment was shown against the partition of Bengal
  • Proclamation of Swadeshi movement 

Year: 1906

Place: Calcutta

- President: Dadabhai Naoroji 

- Outcomes:

  • The main resolutions passed at this INC session were:
    • Adoption of the goal of Swaraj
    • Condemnation of the Partition of Bengal

Year: 1907

Place: Surat

- President: Rash Behari Ghosh

- Outcomes: 

  • Extremist leaders like Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Lala Lajpat Rai and Bipin Chandra Pal were pushing for resolutions on Swaraj, Boycott and national education, while moderate leaders like Surendranath Banerjea and Gopal Krishna Gokhale were advocating a softer approach. 
  • With no meeting ground between the two sections, this INC Session disintegrated into confusion and eventually had to be suspended.
  • Congress declared Swaraj as its aim.

Year: 1916

Place: Lucknow

- President: Ambica Charan Mazumdar

- Outcomes: 

  • It represented the unification of the moderates and extremists within the Congress but also the closing of ranks between the Congress and the All India Muslim League. 

Year: 1917

Place: Calcutta

- President: Annie Besant

- Outcomes: 

  • The Congress got its first woman President at the Calcutta Session in 1917.

Year: 1920

Place: Calcutta

(special INC session) 

- President: Lala Lajpat Rai

- Outcomes:

  • This INC session was called to discuss the situation in India following the Jallianwala Bagh massacre and the Khilafat Movement.
  • The session passed a resolution launching the Non-Cooperation Movement

Year: 1920

Place: Nagpur

- President: C. Vijayaraghavachariar

- Outcomes: 

  • The Congress sought to intensify the Non-Cooperation Movement. 
  • It urged merchants to boycott any foreign trade relations and urged government servants to help the national cause. 

Year: 1923

Place: Delhi

(special INC session) 

- President:Maulana Mohammad Ali (youngest person to become president) 

- Outcomes: 

  • Congress reaffirmed its commitment to the principles of non-violent non-cooperation.
  • Congress decided to suspend all propaganda against council entry and allow congressmen to stand as candidates in the upcoming elections.

Year: 1924

Place: Belgaum

- President: M.K. Gandhi

- Outcomes: 

  • Only INC session chaired by MK Gandhi 

Year: 1925

Place: Kanpur

- President: Sarojini Naidu

- Outcomes: 

  • Sarojini Naidu became the second woman and first Indian woman to preside over the Congress 

Year: 1929

Place: Lahore

- President: Jawaharlal Nehru

- Outcomes: 

  • It passed the historic ‘Purna Swaraj’ – (total independence) resolution 

Year: 1931

Place: Karachi

- President: Vallabbhai J. Patel

- Outcomes: 

  • In addition to fundamental rights which protected civil liberties, the Resolution for the first time put forward a list of socio-economic principles/rights that the Indian state had to adhere to.
  • Irwin- Gandhi Pact approved 
  • The Congress conveyed its appreciation for the courage and sacrifices made by Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev, and Rajguru, who were executed on March 23, 1931, while simultaneously expressing its disapproval of political violence..

Year: 1936

Place: Lucknow

- President: Jawaharlal Nehru

- Outcomes:

  • The main theme of this INC session was the economic and social upliftment of the Indian people. 
  • During this INC session, a resolution was approved, demanding full independence from British rule.

Year: 1937

Place: Faizpur 

- President: Jawaharlal Nehru

- Outcomes: 

  • The 50th INC session, the first to be held in a rural setting.
  • Congress reiterated the “entire rejection of GoI Act 1935” 
  • The call for a Constituent Assembly elected by adult suffrage was made, and the impact of the Kisan Manifesto was evident in the agrarian program adopted by the INC during its Faizpur session.

Year: 1938

Place: Haripura (Gujarat)

- President: Subhas Chandra Bose

- Outcomes: 

  • National Planning Committee set up under Jawaharlal Nehru
  • INC reinforced their commitment towards the attainment of Poorna Swaraj and the need for a responsible government.

Year: 1939

Place: 

- President:Subhash Chandra Bose

- Outcomes: 

  • Bose defeated the Gandhi-supported Pattabhi Sitaramayya in the election for president.
  • Bose and a faction of the Working Committee encountered disagreements, leading to Bose's resignation from his presidency.

Year: 1946

Place: Meerut

- President: J.B. Kripalani

- Outcomes: 

  • Main resolutions passed 
    • Acceptance of the Cabinet Mission Plan
    • Decision to participate in the Constituent Assembly
    • Formation of the National Planning Committee

Year: 1948

Place: Jaipur

- President: B. Pattabhi Sitaramayya

- Outcomes: 

  • The main resolutions passed at this INC session were:
    • Homage to Mahatma Gandhi
    • Adoption of the Objectives Resolution
    • Decision to hold general elections

 

PYQs on Foundation of Indian National Congress

Question 1: Consider the followings statements: (UPSC Prelims 2015)

  1. The first woman President of the Indian National Congress was Sarojini Naidu.
  2. The first Muslim President of the Indian National Congress was Badruddin Tyabji.

Select the correct answer using the code given below.

  1. 1 only 
  2. 2 only 
  3. Both 1 and 2 
  4. Neither 1 nor 2

Answer: (b)

Question 2: The 1929 Session of the Indian National Congress is of significance in the history of the Freedom Movement because the (UPSC Prelims 2014) 

  1. Attainment of Self-Government was declared as the objective of the Congress.
  2. Attainment of Poorna Swaraj was adopted as the goal of the Congress 
  3. Non-Cooperation Movement was launched 
  4. Decision to participate in the Round Table Conference in London was taken

Answer: (b)

Question 3: Annie Besant was (UPSC Prelims 2013) 

  1. Responsible for starting the Home Rule Movement
  2. The founder of the Theosophical Society 
  3. Once the President of the Indian National Congress. 

Select the correct statement/statements using the codes given below: 

  1. 1 only 
  2. 2 and 3 
  3. 1 and 3 
  4. 1, 2 and 3

Answer: (c)

Question 4: The Lahore Session of the Indian National Congress (1929) is very important in history, because (UPSC Prelims 2012) 

  1. The congress passed a resolution demanding complete independence
  2. The rift between the extremists and moderates was resolved in that Session
  3. A resolution was passed rejecting the two-nation theory in that Session

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. 1 only 
  2. 2 and 3 
  3. 1 and 3 
  4. None of above

Answer: (a)

FAQs on Foundation of Indian National Congress

Q) What is the Indian National Congress?

Indian National Congress is one of the oldest political parties in India, founded in 1885. It played a pivotal role in India's freedom struggle and later became a significant force in the country's politics.

Q) Who was A. O. Hume, and what was his role in the Indian National Congress?

Allan Octavian Hume was a British civil servant and ornithologist. He played a key role in the formation of the Indian National Congress and became its General Secretary.

Q) What is meant by Purna Swaraj? 

Purna Swaraj is a Hindi word that means "complete self-rule" or "complete independence." In 1929, the Indian National Congress passed a resolution declaring Purna Swaraj as its goal.

Q) Why was the National Planning Committee established? 

It  was established in 1938 by the INC to plan for the economic development of India. The committee was chaired by Jawaharlal Nehru. The committee was established in response to the growing economic and social problems facing India in the 1930s.

Q) Which INC session was presided by MK Gandhi? 

The Belgaum session of the Indian National Congress in 1924 was presided over by M.K. Gandhi. It was the only time Mahatma Gandhi served as the President of an INC session. 

Q) Who was the first women President of INC Session? 

The first woman President of the Indian National Congress was Annie Besant. She served as the President of the party in 1917 during the annual INC session held in Calcutta.

Q) What was the significance of the Faizpur Session of the Indian National Congress?

The Faizpur Session held in 1936 was crucial as it witnessed the election of Subhas Chandra Bose as the Congress President, marking a shift in the Congress' approach towards complete independence.

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