The Indian National Congress was founded on December 28, 1885 by a British Officer Allan Octavian Hume.
Hume laid the foundation of Indian National Congress in Gokul Das Tejpal Sankrit College in Bombay along with 72 political workers. Dadabhai Naoroji, Pherozeshah Mehta, Dinshaw Edalji Vacha, Kashinath Telang, V. Raghavacharya, N.G. Chandravarkar and M. Subramanyam were some famous names among these 72 political workers.
The Chairperson of first session of Congress was a famous Bengali advocate Womesh Chunder Bannerjee and the chief secretary was A.O. Hume himself. The Viceroy Lord Duffer-in himself was present at the time of foundation of the Congress. The primary objective of Congress was to soothe the possible explosion of resentment due to dissatisfaction among-st Indians against the British Government.
It can be said that Congress was founded by A.O. Hume as a safety valve to let out Indian resentment peacefully.
It was said in the Calcutta Session held in December, 1906, whose chairperson was Dadabhai Naoroji, that main objective of Congress was to achieve self governance just like America and other colonial countries of the world achieved their self governance and independence.
The period of Indian National Congress can be divided into three categories:
1.Period of Moderate Nationalism (1885 – 1905):
With the foundation of Indian National Congress, the dominance of national leaders was established. Main moderate leaders of that time were Dadabhai Naoroji, Mahadev Govind Ranade, Pherozeshah Mehta, Surendranath Bannerjee, Dinshaw Edalji Vacha, Womesh Chundev Bannerjee, Gopal Krishan Gokhale and Pt. Madan Mohan Malviya.
During the first 20 years after the foundation of Congress, policy of the leaders was quite moderate. So, this period is considered as the time of moderate nationalism in the history of Congress. The moderate leaders considered that India can get its independence, only by adopting constitutional means. It was the time when the rich, middle-class, intellectuals like advocates, doctors, engineers, journalists and writers dominated the Congress.
The moderate leaders had full faith in British judiciary and they took them as their friends, not as an enemy. These leaders put their demands before the British government through petitions, reminder letters, memorandums and delegations. Due to their flexibility and moderate behaviour, exterminate leaders declared them as “political beggars”.
2. The Extremist, Period of Extreme Nationalism (1906 – 1919):
On one side, there were extremists and on the other side, there were revolutionary movements held at this time. Both were fighting against British to oust their rule and to get self – governance. At the one side the extremist leaders were fighting through boycott movements, and on the other hand, revolutionary leaders were fighting with the help of guns and bombs and ammunition. Where the extremist leaders believed in peaceful political movements, the revolutionary leaders were using violence and force to oust British from India.
Main extremist leaders were Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Lala Lajpat Rai, Bipin Chandra Pal, Aurobindo Ghosh, etc. The movements operated by these leaders created the feeling of nationalism among-st Indians and a fear in British rulers. Common public began to consider these movements as the only way for gaining independence. A feeling of self-respect and self dependence started running in their veins.
3. The Period of National Movements (1920 – 1947):
Mahatma Gandhi made an entry in the Indian politics in 1915. Gandhiji was one of the shining stars who dedicated their all for Indian independence and sacrificed their lives for national integrity. He joined the common people of the country in the freedom movement through non – violent means.
The movements conducted under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi were Non Co – operation movement (1920), Civil Disobedience movement (1929), and Quit India movement (1942), which did the work of striking the final nail in the coffin of British imperialism, and under the leadership of Congress, independence movement got a new direction and a new way. India got independence on 15th August, 1947. Soon after independence, Gandhiji was of the opinion to dissolve the Congress in public interest, but no one listened to him.
