Indian National Congress – Foundation [1885], Important Sessions

Foundation of Indian National Congress

• Many Indian nationalist political leaders had a desire to build an all-India organization.
• The credit for making this resolution a reality goes to “Allan Octavian Hume“.
• He was a retired Indian Civil Service employee.
• Hume played a crucial role in convening the first session of the Congress with the help of prominent Indian leaders.

Early Phase (1885-1919)

• During its initial phase, the INC predominantly comprised moderate leaders who believed in constitutional methods and dialogue with the British authorities to achieve political reforms.
• However, the Congress also witnessed the emergence of nationalist voices advocating for more assertive forms of resistance against British rule.
• The ideological divide between moderates and extremists, exemplified by leaders like Bal Gangadhar Tilak, began to surface within the Congress ranks.
• The names of the eminent leaders in the first phase (Moderate Phase) of the Congress (1885-1905) were –
  • Dadabhai Naoroji
  • Badruddin Tyabji
  • Feroz Shah Mehta
  • P. Anandcharlu
  • Surendranath Bandyopadhyay
  • Ramesh Chandra Dutta
  • Ananda Mohan Bose
  • Gopal Krishna Gokhale
  • Mahadev Govind Ranade
  • Balgangadhar Tilak
  • Sishir Kumar Ghosh
  • Motilal Ghosh brothers
  • Madanmohan Malviya
  • S. Subrahmanya Iyer
  • C. Vijayaraghavachariar
  • Dinshaw Edulji Wacha

• From 1885 to 1892, their demand was –
  • further expansion and reform of the Legislative Council,
  • only representatives elected by the public should be kept as members in the Legislative Council,
  • Legislative Council should be given more powers.
  • greater representation of Indians in the civil services.
• The British government was forced to enact a law called the “Indian Council Act” in 1892.
• As a result of this Act, the number of Central Legislative Council and Provincial Legislative Council of India was increased.
• These leaders were able to inculcate the idea of “swadeshi” in the minds of the masses.
• Gradually, with the progress of time, an extremist trend emerged within the national congress. It developed during the Partition of Bengal in 1905.

The Emergence of Gandhi (1919-1930)

The period from 1919 to 1930 marked a pivotal phase in the history of the Indian National Congress (INC), characterized by the emergence of Mahatma Gandhi as a towering figure in India’s struggle for independence. Gandhi’s leadership during this decade revolutionized the INC’s approach to political agitation, advocating for nonviolent resistance and mass mobilization.

• Context and Background: The aftermath of World War I witnessed growing discontent among Indians with British colonial rule. The Rowlatt Act, the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, and economic hardships fueled widespread resentment against British authorities. Against this backdrop, Mahatma Gandhi, already renowned for his leadership in South Africa, returned to India in 1915 and began to mobilize Indians for the struggle against colonial oppression.
• Championing Nonviolent Resistance: Gandhi’s philosophy of Satyagraha, or nonviolent resistance, became the cornerstone of his leadership within the INC. Drawing inspiration from Hindu and Jain traditions, as well as thinkers like Henry David Thoreau, Gandhi advocated for the power of truth and nonviolence in confronting injustice. His belief in the inherent dignity of every individual and the transformative potential of love and compassion resonated deeply with the Indian masses.
• The Non-Cooperation Movement: In 1920, Gandhi launched the Non-Cooperation Movement, calling for Indians to boycott British goods, resign from government positions, and refuse to cooperate with British authorities. The INC, under Gandhi’s leadership, mobilized millions of Indians in a nationwide campaign of civil disobedience. The movement marked a departure from previous INC strategies and demonstrated the power of nonviolent resistance as a force for political change.
• Challenges and Setbacks: Despite its initial success, the Non-Cooperation Movement was suspended in 1922 following incidents of Chauri Chaura violence incident in Uttar Pradesh. Gandhi, deeply troubled by the outbreak of violence, called off the movement. The suspension of the movement and Gandhi’s subsequent imprisonment raised questions about the effectiveness of nonviolent resistance as a strategy for achieving independence.
• Building Grassroots Support: During this period, Gandhi focused on building grassroots support for the INC’s objectives, traveling extensively across India to mobilize peasants, workers, and marginalized communities.

List of Indian National Congress Sessions

• Congress Sessions and Resolutions: The annual sessions of the Indian National Congress served as platforms for debating various issues concerning Indian interests and formulating strategies for political agitation.
• Resolutions passed during these sessions addressed a wide range of subjects, including economic policies, civil liberties, education, and religious freedom.
• The INC’s demands for greater Indian participation in governance and economic decision-making laid the groundwork for future struggles against colonial rule.
• Leadership Elections: During many sessions, leaders were elected or reaffirmed in their positions within the party hierarchy.

Session	Location	President	Important Points
1st session	Bombay	Umesh Chandra Bandyopadhyay	This first session was held in Bombay in December 1885. 72 representatives or (delegates) from different parts of the country joined this conference.
2nd Session	Calcutta	Dardabhai Naoroji	December 1886 Number of delegates – 434 The decision was taken to set up Provincial Congress Committees across the country.
3rd Session	Madras	Badruddin Tyabji	Dec. 27-30, 1887
4th Session	Allahabad	George Yule	Dec. 26-29, 1888
5th Session	Bombay	Sir William Wedderburn	Dec. 26-28, 1889
17th Session	Calcutta	Dinshaw Eduljee Wacha	Dec. 26-28, 1901 At this Session, Mahatma Gandhi made his first appearance on the Congress platform. He urged the Congress to lend its support to the fight against racial discrimination and exploitation in the country.

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