The Birth of Indian National Congress: Foundation, Programmes, Early Objectives | History Optional for UPSC (Notes) PDF Download

Indian National Congress

• Many Indians were planning to create a nationwide organization for nationalist political activities. However, the credit for organizing the first meeting of the Indian National Congress goes to A.O. Hume, a retired English Civil Servant who chose to stay in India after his retirement.
• Hume traveled across the subcontinent, speaking with prominent political leaders in Bombay, Madras, Calcutta, persuading them to gather for a national conference initially planned for Poona.
• He had a good relationship with Lord Ripon, the then Viceroy of India, who shared Hume's belief in acknowledging the educated class as a political reality and the need to channel their grievances constructively.
• On March 1, 1883, A.O. Hume addressed students at Calcutta University, encouraging them to form an association for the mental, moral, social, political regeneration of India.
• One of Hume's main objectives in facilitating the establishment of the National Congress was to provide an outlet, a "safety valve," for the growing popular dissatisfaction against British rule.
• Hume believed that a "safety valve" was urgently needed to address the growing discontent and that the Congress Movement could serve this purpose effectively.
• While the "safety valve" theory is a part of the truth, the National Congress primarily represented the desire of politically conscious Indians to create a national organization for their political and economic advancement.
• The rise of the National Congress was driven by powerful forces and the growing national movement in the country.

Role of A.O. Hume in the Founding of the Indian National Congress

• Founders of the Indian National Congress were capable and patriotic individuals.
• They sought the assistance of A.O. Hume as the chief organizer.
• This decision was to avoid early official hostility towards their political efforts.
• Given the vastness of the Indian subcontinent, Hume's help was deemed necessary.
• Hume successfully organized the first session of the Indian National Congress on December 20, 1885.
• The session took place at Gokuldas Tajpal Sanskrit College in Bombay.
• Womesh Chandra Banerjee presided over the session with 72 delegates in attendance.
• Banerjee's election as president set a precedent for choosing leaders from different provinces.
• The foundation of the Congress was a natural progression from previous political efforts in India.
• By 1885, there was a need to establish basic objectives through a united organization.
• The participants in the Bombay meeting were motivated by these objectives.
• These objectives would determine the success or failure of the Congress in its early years.
• The establishment of the National Congress marked the beginning of a structured struggle for India’s freedom.
• It signified the start of a national movement that would continue to grow until independence was achieved.

Nature and Character of the early INC (Phase of moderate leaders – 1885-1905)

• The early Congress was not a fully developed political party.
• It lacked paying members, a central office, a permanent fund, permanent officials.
• The only constant presence was a general secretary.
• Early leaders, including Jawaharlal Nehru, were focused on the concerns of landlords, capitalists, educated unemployed individuals.
• The early sessions aimed to present a united front against colonial rule.
• The number of delegates increased from 72 in 1885 to nearly 1,900 by 1890, representing diverse regions of India.
• Distinguished Europeans, along with figures like Allan Octavian Hume and William Wedderburn, participated in the Congress sessions.

Growth in Popularity

• Popular enthusiasm for the Congress was evident from its second session in Calcutta, where the venue was overcrowded with onlookers.
• The accompanying crowds continued to grow at subsequent sessions.
• From the outset, the Indian National Congress (INC) aimed to overcome regional differences.
• The first Congress emphasized the development of national unity.
• By holding sessions annually in different parts of the country, the INC sought to minimize regional barriers.
• The first Congress in 1885 included 72 non-official Indian representatives from various backgrounds.
• In its early years, the INC was not radical but rather cautious, addressing issues through prayers, petitions, memoranda.
• Leaders like W.C. Banerjee emphasized loyalty to the British government.
• Figures like Gokhale pointed out that the involvement of English liberals like Hume was crucial for the Congress's survival and growth.
• The Congress began as elitist politics focused on limited reforms.
• It represented a modern trend in Indian political tradition, advocating for broader government participation.
• During its formative years, the INC was under the influence of moderate leaders who preferred gradual reforms.
• The Congress aimed for autonomy in internal affairs while expressing faith in the British government.
• The proceedings were orderly, following strict parliamentary procedures.
• The moderates sought economic, social, political transformations in India.
• They appealed for self-rule within constitutional limits.
• The early Congress was dominated by the educated middle class, emphasizing peaceful agitation.
• The annual sessions of the Congress served as a significant propaganda method.
• Leaders trusted in the British sense of justice.
• The Congress regarded the British government as an ally and worked towards national unity.
• It promoted friendly relations among diverse communities.
• Initially conceived as a movement rather than a party, the Congress aimed for broad objectives.
• It sought to unify Indians across different social classes and ideologies.
• The Congress operated under the banner of democratic and secular nationalism.

Objectives of the Early Indian National Congress (1885):

• Promote national unity across diverse races, castes, religions, provinces to counter imperialist claims.
• Create a national political platform for all Indians to agree upon for political activities.
• Politicize the public and foster interest in political issues, training public opinion.
• Establish all-India political leadership and train political workers for nationwide efforts.
• Record opinions of educated classes on pressing issues to guide future actions.
• In 1888, ensure resolutions were not passed if strongly opposed by Hindus or Muslims.
• Adopt a majority clause in 1889 for legislative council reforms.
• Support all objectives of moderates as described in another chapter.
• Focus on political aspirations rather than social reforms to achieve political unity.
• Favor a bourgeois path of socio-economic political development.
• Demand Indianization of civil services, greater Indian representation, oppose military expenditure, criticize annexation of Upper Burma, propose separation of executive and judiciary, re-imposition of import duty on cotton goods, encourage indigenous manufactures, promote education, reduce government control over education.

British Attitude Towards Early Congress:

• Initially, the British official attitude towards the Indian National Congress (INC) was one of neutrality and even indifference, if not outright favour. In this spirit, Lord Dufferin hosted a garden party for delegates attending the second Congress session in Calcutta (1886), the Governor of Madras provided facilities for the organizers during the third session in Madras (1887).
• At the 1888 Allahabad Session of the INC, presided over by George Yule, the first Englishman to do so, the Congress began to gain recognition.
• However, by 1887, it became clear that the INC was not going to be confined to a limited role, leading to a hostile British response. The British authorities could not tolerate the growing political awareness among the common people.
• During the third session in Madras in 1887, presided by Badaruddin Tyabji, the concept of Self-Governance was introduced into the discussions.
• In 1887, Lord Dufferin publicly criticized the Congress, portraying it as a representation of a tiny minority and its demands as overly ambitious.
• Earlier, in 1886, he commented on the national press's role in shaping public opinion, suggesting that it fostered a belief that the Congress was against the interests of mankind, especially India.
• In 1890, government employees were prohibited from attending or participating in Congress meetings.
• George Hamilton, the Secretary of State for India, accused the Congress of being seditious and duplicitous. In 1900, he expressed his concerns to Dadabhai Naroji about the Congress's dual stance of supporting British rule while criticizing its conditions. Earlier, in 1897, he wrote to Viceroy Elgin about the growing solidarity among native opinions against British rule.
• Despite the INC's moderate approach and emphasis on loyalty to the British crown, it failed to secure significant concessions from the government.
• Recognizing the threat posed by the growing unity among the Indian populace, the British authorities intensified their policy of divide and rule. They encouraged pro-British individuals like Sir Syed Ahmed Khan and Raja Shiva Prasad of Benaras to initiate anti-Congress movements.
• Under Lord Curzon, the British attitude towards the Congress became even more antagonistic. Curzon believed that the Congress was on the verge of collapse and aimed to assist in its peaceful demise.
• Curzon's government sought to weaken nationalist elements, particularly the Congress, by creating divisions among leaders along religious lines and communalizing politics, exemplified by the partition of Bengal in 1905.
• After the Revolt of 1857, the British had repressed the Muslim upper classes, favouring Hindu middle and upper classes. However, post-1870, they attempted to turn the Muslim upper and middle classes against the national movement.
• The British exploited controversies like Hindi and Urdu to foster communal tensions. The cow protection movement by orthodox Hindus was also utilized for this purpose.
• Kimberley, the Secretary of State for India, advised Landsdowne, the Viceroy, in 1893, that communal movements undermined the Congress's efforts to unify Hindus and Muslims.
• The British endeavoured to turn traditional feudal classes against the emerging intelligentsia, to create rifts among provinces, castes, communities.
• To create splits within nationalist ranks, the British adopted a more conciliatory approach towards conservative or moderate sections. The moderate factions were appeased with concessions such as the Indian Council Act of 1892 and an increase in the maximum age for Civil Services recruitment.
• Through the Education Act of 1903, the British imposed strict controls on university education, believing that the spread of education was fostering nationalism.
• Leaders from older associations like the British Indian Association were appeased and turned against radical Congress leaders.
• Following the Swadeshi Movement in Bengal, the British implemented a policy of "Repression-Conciliation-Suppression," initially suppressing militant leadership, then attempting to win over moderates, finally suppressing militant leadership completely while ignoring moderates.
• Both moderates and extremists fell into this trap. Initially, the British believed that the moderate-led Congress would easily collapse due to its weakness and lack of popular support. However, after the Bengal Movement, their policy shifted.