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Indian National Congress (INC): Foundation and Key Facts
1. Foundation and Establishment
- Founder: Allan Octavian Hume (A.O. Hume), a retired British civil servant.
- Precursor Organization: The Indian National Union, founded by A.O. Hume in 1884.
- Date of Establishment: 1885.
- Viceregal Context: Established during the viceroyalty of Lord Dufferin (1884-1888), who ridiculed the early Congress as representing a “short-sighted minority.”
First Session (1885):
- Date: 28 December 1885.
- Venue: Gokuldas Tejpal Sanskrit College (Vidyalaya) in Bombay (Mumbai).
- Note: The original plan to meet in Poona was changed due to a cholera outbreak.
- Key Figures:
- President: Womesh Chandra Banerjee (W.C. Banerji).
- General Secretary: A.O. Hume.
- Name Origin: The name ‘Indian National Congress’ was suggested by Dadabhai Naoroji.
- Notable Absence: Surendranath Banerjee was absent due to his involvement with the rival Indian Association.
2. Early Sessions and Composition
- Second Session (1886):
- Venue: Calcutta (Kolkata).
- President: Dadabhai Naoroji.
- Composition: 33 Muslim delegates participated.
- 1896 Session (Calcutta):
- President: Rahimtulla M. Sayani (Second Muslim President).
- Significance: The song ‘Vande Mataram’ was first sung at this session.
- Initial Objective: To increase political participation for educated Indians and provide a platform to discuss social, civil, and political issues.
- British Outreach (1889): A British Committee of the INC was set up in London, headed by William Digby. It published the weekly journal “India”.
3. Presidents of the INC
| President | Session & Year | Significance |
|---|---|---|
| W.C. Banerjee | Bombay, 1885 | First President |
| Dadabhai Naoroji | Calcutta, 1886 | Second President; suggested the name ‘INC’ |
| Badruddin Tyabji | Madras, 1887 | First Muslim President |
| George Yule | Allahabad, 1888 | First British (European) President |
| Alfred Webb | 1894 | President in 1894 |
| Rahimtulla M. Sayani | Calcutta, 1896 | Second Muslim President; ‘Vande Mataram’ first sung |
| Annie Besant | Calcutta, 1917 | First Woman President |
| Lala Lajpat Rai | Calcutta (Special), 1920 | Only member of the “Lal-Bal-Pal” trio to become President |
| C.R. Das | Gaya, 1922 | Was in prison when nominated for the 1921 session |
| Abul Kalam Azad | 1923 | Youngest President (elected at age 35) |
| Sarojini Naidu | Kanpur, 1925 | First Indian Woman President |
| Jawaharlal Nehru | Lucknow, 1936 | First advocated for socialism |
| Subhash Chandra Bose | Haripura, 1938 | Advocated for the Roman script for Hindi |
| Abul Kalam Azad | 1940-1946 | Longest-Serving President (six consecutive years) |
| J.B. Kripalani | Meerut, 1947 | President at Independence |
Notable Non-Presidents:
- Bal Gangadhar Tilak: A major leader who was never elected President. He famously proclaimed “Swaraj is my birthright” at the 1916 Lucknow Session.
- Sir Syed Ahmad Khan: Was never associated with the INC and was opposed to it.
4. Significant Sessions and Resolutions
| Session & Year | President | Significance |
|---|---|---|
| Lucknow, 1916 | • Reunion of Moderate and Extremist factions after a 9-year split. • Lucknow Pact signed with the Muslim League. • Tilak declared “Swaraj is my birthright.” |
|
| Calcutta, 1917 | Annie Besant | First session presided over by a woman. |
| Amritsar, 1919 | Motilal Nehru | • Last session attended by Bal Gangadhar Tilak. • The new Constitution of the Congress was drafted here (by Gandhi, assisted by N.C. Kelkar and I.B. Sen). |
| Calcutta (Special), 1920 | Lala Lajpat Rai | Approved Gandhi’s non-cooperation movement. |
| Nagpur, 1920 | C. Vijay Raghav Chariar | First time Congress declared policy towards Indian Princely States (advocated for responsible government). |
| Bankipur, 1912 | The 27th session; A.O. Hume was referred to as the founder. | |
| Calcutta, 1911 | The national anthem, “Jana-Gana-Mana,” was first sung here. |
5. Internal Views and Criticism
- Lala Lajpat Rai: Criticized the early Congress, stating it was “neither inspired by the people nor devised or planned by them.”
- Lord Curzon: The Viceroy expressed his ambition to see the Congress meet a “peaceful demise.”
- Mahatma Gandhi: Suggested the INC should be wound up after India attained independence.
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