Foundation of Indian National Congress

The establishment of the Indian National Congress (INC) in December 1885 marked the transition of Indian politics from regional associations to an all-India political movement. Earlier organizations like the Indian Association of Calcutta, Poona Sarvajanik Sabha, Madras Mahajana Sabha, and Bombay Presidency Association laid the groundwork by mobilizing educated professionals across provinces. Allan Octavian Hume, a retired British civil servant, played a key role in coordinating regional political groups. Hume met with Indian leaders to create a pan-Indian political forum for constitutional agitation. In late 1884, he formed the Indian National Union, which served as the immediate precursor body to the Congress.

The First Session at Bombay (1885)

The first session of the Indian National Congress was originally planned to meet in Poona (Pune). An outbreak of cholera in Poona forced the venue to be shifted to Bombay. The conference met at Gokuldas Tejpal Sanskrit College in Bombay from December 28 to December 31, 1885. Womesh Chandra Bonnerjee, a prominent barrister from Calcutta, presided over the session. The meeting brought together 72 political delegates representing various presidencies and provinces.

Key Participants of the Foundation Session

• Dadabhai Naoroji: Leading economist and political thinker from Bombay who proposed renaming the “Indian National Union” to the “Indian National Congress.”
• Pherozeshah Mehta and K.T. Telang: Lawyers and leaders of the Bombay Presidency Association who managed local arrangements.
• Dinshaw Wacha: Financial analyst and journalist who served as a key administrative manager for the session.
• Badruddin Tyabji: Senior lawyer from Bombay who actively brought Muslim political delegates to the movement.
• G. Subramania Aiyer: Journalist and founder of The Hindu, who drafted the first resolution passed by the Congress.
• P. Anandacharlu: Delegate representing the Madras Mahajana Sabha.
• N.G. Chandavarkar: Leader from Western India who represented Bombay delegates.

Early Objectives and Demands

The inaugural Congress session adopted nine resolutions outlining early constitutional and economic goals. The methods favored petitions, memorandums, public meetings, and speeches.

• Royal Commission on Administration: Demanded the appointment of a Royal Commission to inquire into Indian administrative affairs.
• Abolition of the Council of India: Called for the dissolution of the Secretary of State’s Council in London, arguing it wasted Indian tax revenues.
• Reform of Legislative Councils: Demanded the expansion of Central and Provincial Legislative Councils, calling for direct elections and budget discussion rights.
• Simultaneous ICS Examinations: Requested simultaneous civil service examinations in India and England, along with raising the age limit for candidates.
• Reduction of Military Expenditure: Opposed high imperial military spending and requested reallocation of funds toward public development.
• Annexation of Upper Burma: Protested against the British military annexation of Upper Burma and the expenditure of Indian tax revenue on foreign conquests.

The “Safety Valve” Theory vs. Modern Views

Two prominent historical theories explain the circumstances behind the foundation of the Congress.

The Safety Valve Theory

This theory suggests Viceroy Lord Dufferin encouraged A.O. Hume to form the Congress as a peaceful political outlet for rising public discontent. Proponents argued the British created the organization to gather intelligence on public grievances, preventing a mass revolt similar to 1857. Lala Lajpat Rai popularized this theory in his work Young India (1916) to critique Moderate leadership strategies. Early Extremist leaders and Marxist historians like R. Palme Dutt (India Today) also supported this interpretation, viewing the early Congress as an instrument of colonial containment.

The “Lightning Conductor” Theory

Modern historians, including Bipan Chandra, reject the Safety Valve thesis. Archives show Lord Dufferin viewed Hume with suspicion and was hostile to early Congress demands. The Lightning Conductor theory states that Indian political leaders used A.O. Hume as a neutral shield to unify regional associations across British India. Partnering with a retired British civil servant prevented the colonial administration from suppressing the political movement in its nascent stage.

Key Facts for Quick Revision

Surendranath Banerjea and Ananda Mohan Bose missed the first session of the INC in Bombay because they were hosting the Second National Conference in Calcutta during the same week in December 1885. No women delegates attended the inaugural 1885 session of the Congress. Kadambini Ganguly and Swarnakumari Devi attended the 1889 Bombay session as the first female delegates, and Kadambini Ganguly addressed the 1890 Calcutta session. The name “Congress” was taken from American political history to signify an assembly of people’s delegates. The British Committee of the Indian National Congress was founded in London in 1889 under William Wedderburn to influence British parliamentary opinion. It launched a journal named India in 1890. Viceroy Lord Dufferin initially invited the delegates of the second Congress session (Calcutta, 1886) to a garden party, but he later criticized the Congress in 1888, calling it a “microscopic minority” of the Indian population.