Perceiving the increasing intensity of the Indian feeling A.O. Hume, a retired civilian wanted to divert them into a constitutional channel. He was convinced that India needed a political organisation, which would perform the function which Her Majesty’s opposition did in England. According to Mr. Hume’s plan was taken up by some prominent Indians and the Indian National Congress was ushered into existence in December 1885. It met at Bombay under the Presidency of Mr. W.C. Banerjee, a prominent Bengalee barrister and was attended by only seventy two delegates.
The Congress was an All India Institution and had the support and co-operation of the Hindus, Muslims, Parsees, Sikhs, Christian, Anglo-Indians and Europeans. W.C. Banerjee the first President of the Indian National Congress was an Indian Christian. Its next President was Dadabhai Naoroji who was a Parsee. The third President was Badruddin Tayabji who was a Muslim. The fourth and fifth Presidents were George Mool and William Baderburn who were Britishers.
First Phase (1885-1905)
During this period the Congress though a national body mainly represented the educated middle class intelligentsia, men of legal, medical engineering and literary professions. Its delegates were mostly drawn from the cities who had hardly any contact with the masses.
In the first phase of its life the Indian National Congress simply demanded a few concessions and not liberties for the Nation. True, Lokmanya Tilak used the work Swaraj or self government towards the last decade of the nineteenth century but it did not become popular. In 1890 a deputation of the Indian National Congress went to England and demanded representation of 50 percent elected candidates in the Legislative Assemblies Slowly and gradually more and more youths joined Congress. There was an increase in self-confidence among the Indians and after 1905, the ultimatum of the Congress became the attainment of independence. In all fairness it must be said that men like Dadabhai Naoroji, Sir Feroze Shah Mehata, Sir Dinshaw Wacha, Gopal Krishna Gokhale, Surendra Nath Banerjee etc. were the most progressive elements in Indian Society and true patriots. They earnestly wished the betterment of Indian society and worked to lessen the harshness of British rule. They did a lot of spade work.
Second Phase (1905-1916)
The early years of the 20th century witnessed the emergence of a new and younger party within the Congress which decried the ideology and methods of the old leaders and advocated the adoption of Swaraj as the goal of the Congress to be achieved by more self reliant and independent methods. The new group came to be known as the Extremist Party in contrast to the older one which began to styles as the Moderate Party.
Causes for the Birth of Extremism
(i) The process of rejuvenation started from within India. There developed a hatred for bondage and love for one’s country, own religion and self government.
(ii) The younger element within the Congress were dissatisfied with the progress of the past two decades and were disgusted with the cold and reactionary attitude of the Government. They lost all faith in the British sense of justice and fair play.
(iii) The terrible famines of 1896-97 and 1899-1901 followed by bubonic plague took a very heavy toll of life. The Government relief machinery was inadequate, slow moving and badly organised. Tilak was arrested when he criticised the callous and ineffective government machinery. Riots broke out in the Deccan and the Government tried to stifle public opinion and suppress lawlessness.
(iv) Events outside India exercised a powerful influence on the younger generation. The humiliating treatment meted out to Indians in British Colonies, especially in South Africa created anti-British feeling. Nationalist movements in Egypt, Persia, Turkey and Russia gave Indians new hopes and new aspirations.
(v) The Imperialist policies of Lord Curzon provided the immediate occasion for the birth of extremism with in the Congress. The storm which had been brewing for sometime actually burst out in acts of violence and terrorism. He refused to recognise that India was a Nation. Curzon became the most hated person in India and with him the British Imperialism as the worst enemy of India.
The Objectives and Methods of Extremist Group
The extremist group was organised under the leadership of the Trio—Lal, Bal and Pal (Lala Lajpat Rai, Bal Gangadhar Tilak and Bipin Chandra Pal). Tilak gave the slogan of the new group when he said, “The objective of Swaraj or self-Government was to be achieved even if it meant a clash with the authorities and involved sacrifices. The view point of the moderate group was explained by Gokahle when he said, “We are not beggars and our policy is not mendicancy. We are ambassadors of our people at a foreign court to watch and guard the interests of our country and get as much for her as we can.”
The extremist advocated boycott of Foreign Goods, Swadeshi and National Education. The Swadeshi movement was designed to encourage house industry and provide the people with more opportunities for work and employment. Soon it was discovered that economic boycott might prove a powerful weapon against economic exploitations by the foreigners. It proved a most effective weapon for injuring British interests in India. It was believed the newly rising Indian manufacturing class would liberally provide funds for the Congress and thus strengthen it.
The Home Rule Movement
In 1915 Mrs. Annie Besant announced her decision to establish a Home Rule League on the model of Irish Home Rule Movement. The Home Rule League was to be an auxiliary to the Indian National Congress. In 1916 Mrs. Annie Besant set up a Home Rule League at Madras. Tilak organised his own Home Rule League at Poona. Both the Leagues worked the unison and aimed at the achievement of self-government. The League’s objectives was to educate the people and to provide the Congress demand for self-government with the support and strength of a nation united in knowledge of itself and its single aim. The Home Rule movement reached its zenith in 1917. But the Government took stern measures against the movement and Mrs. Besant was made prisoner. A movement was started for her release and Tilak threatened to start passive resistance. But in the meantime, the Secretary of State for India made an announcement in 1917 promising responsible Government to the people of India by stages. Slowly and gradually the Home Rule movement died out. Mrs. Besant was elected the President of Congress in 1917.
The Third Phase or the Gandhian Era (1919-1947)
During this period the object of the Congress was the attainment of Swaraj by all legitimate means with in the Empire if possible and without it if necessary. In 1930 came the unequivocal declaration of Purna Swaraj or complete independence was the goal of the Congress. The period was dominated by the personality of Mohan Dass Karam Chand Ghandi who introduced new ideas into Indian politics. Gandhiji deprecated the policy of violence and underground plots but preached open and active resistance to injustice. He advocated the adoption of the policy of Satyagraha i.e., non-violent non-co-operation towards a government which did not look to the interests of the governed and was high handed and oppressive. The Congress movement gradually became a mass movement. The Congress organi-sation was considerably strengthened and its constitution made more democratic. The aim of the Congress was an all round improvement of Indian Society. Gandhiji used to explain his programme for streng-thening India by pointing to the five fingers of his hand, exhorting the people to practise five virtues—spinning, removal of untouchability, sobriety (non consumption of alcohol or opium), Hindu-Muslim unity and equality for women. The five virtues were to be achieved through non-violent methods.
The Great World War (1914-18) gave a big shock to Imperialism by advocating the principle of self-determination. During the war the Congress gave ample demostration of loyalty. Mahatma Gandhi showed great enthusiasm and urged the Gujarati peasants to join the army. The events of the year 1919 greatly disillusioned Gandhiji and from a co-operator he became non-co-operator. The passing of the Rawlett Act, the Jallianwalla Bagh tragedy and the Khilafat wrongs gave a new turn to Indian politics.
Non co-operation Movement of 1920
In 1920 the Congress accepted the policy of non-co-operation towards the unjust Government. The policy involved renunciation of Government titles, boycott of legislatures, law courts, educational institutions, foreign goods and finally non payment of taxes. On the constructive side people urged to develop the spirit of discipline and self sacrifice to set up national educational institutions, decide their disputes by mutual arbitration, take to hand weaving and use of Swadeshi goods. Gandhiji toured the whole country to whip up enthusiasm of the people. In 1921 about 30,000 persons courted arrest. Much against the wishes and instructions of Gandhiji, the movement led to a serious mob violence at Chauri Chaura in U.P. where a police station was burnt and a number of police officials were killed. Gandhiji atonce suspended the non-co-operation movement and declared that Swaraj stank in his nostrils and that without adequate discipline and restraint on the part of the people the movement had proved to be a Himalayan blunder.
The Swaraj Party
Dissatisfied with Gandhiji’s policies C.R. Dass and Moti Lal Nehru founded the Swaraj Party advocated the programme of Council entry. They hoped to wreck the functioning of Legislative Councils by a policy of uniform continuous and consistent obstruction. In the election of 1923 the Swarajists secured an absolute majority in Bengal and the Central Provinces and by their tactics made impossible for the ministers to function.
Shopping Cart
