Faizpur Congress Session of 1936

The 50th annual session of the Indian National Congress held at Faizpur in December 1936 stands as a major landmark in the history of the Indian national movement. Presided over by Jawaharlal Nehru, this convention was the first Congress session held in a rural area, shifting the political epicenter of the freedom struggle from urban centers to the Indian countryside. The session formally integrated agrarian distress into the core national agenda, adopted the historic Agrarian Programme, and reinforced the anti-imperialist stance against the Government of India Act 1935.

Historical Context and Political Background

The Faizpur session met during a period of widespread economic hardship caused by the Great Depression, which severely impacted Indian peasantry through falling agricultural prices, high land revenue, and rising debt. Concurrently, the British Parliament enacted the Government of India Act 1935, introducing provincial autonomy while retaining overarching colonial control. Inside the Congress, socialist ideas gained strong momentum following the formation of the Congress Socialist Party (CSP) in 1934 by leaders like Jayaprakash Narayan, Acharya Narendra Deva, and Ram Manohar Lohia. Jawaharlal Nehru, who also presided over the Lucknow Session in April 1936, championed a socialist economic vision and pushed for direct alignment between the Congress organizational machinery and peasant unions like the All India Kisan Sabha, established in April 1936.

Key Features and Rural Setting

Organized in a small village in the Jalgaon district of Maharashtra (then part of the Bombay Presidency), the session set a structural precedent for future party conventions.

• Pioneer Organizers: Dhanaji Nana Chaudhari and Sane Guruji played central roles in organizing the rural infrastructure for the session.
• Eco-Friendly Venue: The venue was named Tilak Nagar in honor of Bal Gangadhar Tilak. The assembly hall and delegate huts were constructed entirely out of local bamboo, thatch, and rural materials under the artistic direction of Nandalal Bose.
• Symbolic Ceremonies: A 80-foot high flag pole made of local bamboo was erected, and Jawaharlal Nehru hoisted the national tricolor flag in front of thousands of peasant delegates.

The Agrarian Programme of 1936

The most consequential outcome of the Faizpur Session was the adoption of the first comprehensive Agrarian Programme of the Indian National Congress. Drafted to address rural exploitation, the 13-point programme outlined essential reforms:

• Taxation Relief: Substantial reduction in land revenue and agricultural rent.
• Revenue Exemption: Total exemption of uneconomic land holdings from revenue payments.
• Debt Moratorium: Cancellation of agricultural debt arrears and regulation of private moneylending practices.
• Tenancy Rights: Fixity of tenure for tenants and protection against arbitrary evictions by landlords.
• Feudal Abolition: Immediate abolition of forced labor (begar) and feudal dues or cesses (abwabs).
• Living Wages: Fixation of minimum wages and improved working conditions for agricultural laborers.
• Resource Access: Free rights of pasture for cattle and access to local natural resources for rural communities.

Resolutions on Provincial Elections and International Affairs

The Faizpur session finalized the strategy of the party regarding the upcoming provincial elections mandated by the Government of India Act 1935.

Strategy on the 1935 Act and Elections

The Congress reiterated its total rejection of the Government of India Act 1935, describing it as a charter of bondage. However, it decided to contest the 1937 provincial elections to combat the Act from within the legislatures and use the election platform to mobilize the masses. The decision on whether to accept ministerial offices in the provinces was postponed until after the election results.

Anti-Fascist and International Resolutions

Reflecting Jawaharlal Nehru’s international outlook, the Congress passed resolutions expressing solidarity with global anti-fascist struggles:

• Spanish Civil War: Condemned the fascist assault on the Spanish Republic and expressed sympathy for the Spanish people.
• Italian Aggression: Condemned the Italian invasion of Ethiopia (Abyssinia).
• Anti-War Stance: Declared that India would not participate in any imperialist war fought by the British Empire.

Factional Dynamics and Economic Perspectives

Impact and Aftermath

The rural orientation of the Faizpur session paid rich dividends in the 1937 Provincial Elections. The Agrarian Programme resonated strongly with rural voters, enabling the Congress to win absolute majorities in five out of eleven provinces (Madras, United Provinces, Central Provinces, Bihar, and Orissa) and emerge as the single largest party in Bombay and NWFP. By grounding its political agenda in rural issues, the Congress transformed its organizational structure into a mass movement rooted in the countryside.

Facts for Revision

• Session and Year: 50th Annual Session of the Indian National Congress, December 1936.
• Location: Faizpur, Jalgaon District, Maharashtra (Bombay Presidency).
• President: Jawaharlal Nehru.
• Key Historic Distinction: First annual Congress session held in a rural venue.
• Primary Organizers: Sane Guruji and Dhanaji Nana Chaudhari.
• Artistic Designer: Nandalal Bose designed the bamboo-based eco-friendly venue (Tilak Nagar).
• Key Economic Document: Adoption of the 13-point All India Agrarian Programme.
• Peasant Organization Link: Coincided with the rise of the All India Kisan Sabha founded in April 1936 by Swami Sahajanand Saraswati.
• Political Decision: Approved contesting the 1937 Provincial Elections under the Government of India Act 1935 while rejecting the Act itself.
• International Stance: Passed resolutions supporting the Spanish Republic against fascism and opposing Indian participation in imperialist wars.