Establishment of Congress Before the formation of the Congress, various political institutions which were formed earlier had extended sizgnificant contribution to the development of political awareness and the spirit of nationalism. In various parts of the country, the spirit of organizing the national movement by unifying various movements run by different political organizations was intensifying. Due to the need of an All India Organization, the Congress was born.
On 1st March 1883, Hume wrote a letter addressed to the graduates from Calcutta University and urged them to form a political organization oonsisting of Indian individuals. In May 1885, Hume met with Lord Defferin in Shimla. Before forming the Congress, he first took advice from Dufferin and gained his support. In July 1885, Hume viisted Britain in the form of a representative of Indian National Union and talked with the political leaders there.
Before the formation of Congress, its name was ‘Indian National Union’. With the assistance of liberal intelligentsia, retired British officer Allen Octavian Hume formed the Indian National Congress in December 1885. The first meeting of the Congress was scheduled in Poona. Due to the spread of dysentry, this meeting took place in Bombay.
First meeting of the Congress was held on 28th December 1885 in Gokuldas Tejpal Sanskrit College situated in Gawalia Tank of Bombay under the chairmanship of Vyomesh Chandra Banerjee 72 representatives participated in it. Among them, representatives from Bombay, Madras, Bengal presidency, Punjab, north-western region and Awadh etc. were included.
In place of Indian National Union, it was renamed as ‘Indian National congress’. The word ‘Congress’ has been taken from the History of America and it means ‘a group of people’. Dada Bhai Nauroji, Ferozshah Mehta, Kashinath Tailang, Dinesh Wacha, etc. were the major leaders who participated in the first session of the Congress.
In the beginning, the congress adopted a liberal outlook and had limited objectives. In order to fulfill its objectives, it adopted the path of running constitutional movements. It created political awareness in various parts of the country and performed the work of educating and organizing the citizens in political form.
Objectives of the Congress:
1. To establish personal contact and friendship among the Indians working in various parts of the country for the cause of national welfare.
2. To eliminate caste-based, religious and provincial differences between the patriots and to develop and strengthen the spirit of national unity.
3. To expose the opinion of Indian educated class on important issues of political and social importance.
4. To determine such policies and measures as were necessary for the politicians in context to public welfare in future.
The major demands of Congress included appointment of Royal Commission, including increased number of elected representatives in legislative assembly or councils, these councils be allowed to participate in debate associated with the budget, exam of civil services to be held in India also along with Britain, expenditure on defence be reduced etc.
Various political organizations were urged to support the proposals raised by the Congress. The second session of Congress was held in Calcutta on 28th December 1886. A. O. Hume was elected as the chief secretary. While, ending the first session of the Congress, Hume appreicated the British Empress Victoria.
On one hand, Hume tried to use the Congress in the form of a Safety valve’to stop the increasing dissatisfaction among the educated Indians, and on the other hand, the liberal intellectual Congress leaders made efforts to use it in the form of lightening conductor to escape from the blow of the British..
Representatives from various sections participated in the first session of the Congress. Congress started organizing its sessions in various parts of the country. Dada Bhai Nauroji presided as the chairman in the second session of the Congress held in Calcutta. Badruddin Taiyabji presided as the chairman in the third session of the Congress held in Madras in 1887 CE.
He was the first Muslim chairman of the Congress. George Yule was the chairman of the annual session of the Congress held in 1888 CE. He was the first European chairman of the Congress. William Wedenburn became the chairman of the Bombay session of the Congress held in 1889 CE.