Indian National Congress (INC) was formed by A.O Hume in the year 1885. It was originally known as the Indian Nation Union. The formation of the Indian National Congress in 1885 was not a coincidental occurrence. It was the culmination of a process of political awakening that began in the 1860s and 1870s and reached a tipping point in the late 1870s and early 1880s. The year 1885 was a watershed moment in this process. Modern intellectuals interested in politics, who saw themselves as representatives of national interests rather than narrow group interests, saw their efforts bear fruit. The all-India nationalist body that they established was to serve as the platform, organizer, headquarters, and symbol of the new national spirit and politics.

Background

• The groundwork for the establishment of an all-India organization had been laid in the late 1870s and early 1880s.
• A retired English civil servant, A.O. Hume gave this idea a final shape by mobilizing leading intellectuals of the time.
• Hume obtained permission from the then-Viceroy of India, Lord Dufferin, for the first session. It was supposed to be held in Poona, but it was moved to Bombay due to a cholera outbreak in Poona.
• Hume had written an open letter to Calcutta University graduates in 1883, expressing his desire to establish a body for educated Indians to demand greater participation in government and to provide a platform for dialogue.
• In 1890, Kadambini Ganguly, the first woman graduate of Calcutta University, addressed the Congress session, symbolizing the freedom struggle’s commitment to granting women in India their due status in national life.

Features

• The INC was India’s first national political movement, with the initial goal of involving more Indians in the country’s governance.
• Its purpose was later upgraded to complete independence. After independence, it grew into a major political party in the country.
• The INC was a moderate organization in its early years, limiting its methods to constitutional methods and dialogue.
• Its demands were restricted to increasing the number of Indians in the civil service and armed forces. It never mentioned independence.
• After a few years, the party’s demands and approach became more radical.
• By 1905, there was a clear schism in the party, which was now split between old moderates and the newer group, the extremists – so named because of their radical methods.
• The Nationalist activity was carried out through provincial conferences and associations, newspapers, and literature in addition to the Indian National Congress.

Objectives of INC

• To promote friendly relations between nationalist political workers from various parts of the country.
• To develop and consolidate a sense of national unity regardless of caste, religion, or province.
• To formulate popular demands and present them to the government.
• To train and organize public opinion in the country.
• To provide an outlet—“a safety valve”—for the growing popular discontent with British rule.
• Through a pan-India organization, establish a democratic, nationalist movement.
• To raise awareness about colonial exploitative policies and Indian political rights. To that end, Congress focused on increasing representation in councils, Indianization of civil services, and other issues.

Role of A.O Hume

• The idea for an all-India Congress is said to have originated in a private meeting of seventeen men following the Theosophical Convention in Madras in December 1884.
• Hume’s Indian union, which he founded after retiring from the Civil Service, is also said to have played a role in convening the Congress.
• Whatever the origin, and whoever the originator of the idea, we can conclude that there was a need for such an organization, and A.O Hume took the initiative.
• Hume was the son of Joseph Hume, a British radical leader. He inherited his father’s political views and was initially interested in European revolutionary organizations.
• In 1849, he joined the East India Company’s civil service and served in the Northwestern Provinces.
• He became involved in projects such as spreading education, combating social evils, and encouraging agricultural progress. Hume even started a newspaper in 1861 to educate the people of Etawah on political and social issues.
• Hume’s pro-Indian stance and efforts to promote Indian welfare did not go down well with his fellow British officers.
• In 1870, Hume was appointed Secretary to the Government of India. Viceroy Northbrook threatened Hume with dismissal for his opinions.
• He also did not get along with Lord Lytton and was demoted in 1879 before retiring from the army in 1882. Hume settled in Shimla and became interested in Indian politics.
• He sympathized with the Bombay and Poona groups more than with Calcutta leaders such as Surendranath Banerjee and Narendra Nath Sen.
• Hume also met Viceroy Lord Ripon and became interested in the latter’s scheme of local self-government.

First Session of INC in 1885

• With the cooperation of leading intellectuals of the time, A.O. Hume organized the first session of the Indian National Congress in December 1885 at Gokuldas Tejpal Sanskrit College in Bombay.
• As a prelude to this, the Indian National Conference held two sessions in 1883 and 1885, with representatives from all major towns in India.
• The Indian National Conference was founded by Surendranath Banerjea and Ananda Mohan Bose.
• The first session drew 72 delegates from all Indian provinces. There were 54 Hindus, 2 Muslims, and the remaining members were Jain and Parsi.
• Womesh Chandra Bonnerjee presided over the first session.
• Following that, the Congress met in December every year, in a different part of the country each time.
• Dadabhai Naoroji (thrice president), Badruddin Tyabji, Pherozeshah Mehta, P.Anandacharlu, Surendranath Banerjea, Romesh Chandra Dutt, Ananda Mohan Bose, and Gopal Krishna Gokhale were some of the great Congress presidents during this early period.
• Mahadev Govind Ranade, Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Sisir Kumar Ghosh, Motilal Ghosh, Madan Mohan Malaviya, G. Subramania Aiyar, C. Vijayaraghavachariar, and Dinshaw E. Wacha were among the other prominent leaders.