Foundation of Indian National Congress – INC History, Safety Valve Theory

Foundation of Indian National Congress

The foundation of Indian National Congress was done by 72 delegates at Gokuldas Tejpal Sanskrit College in Mumbai on December 28, 1885. The founder of Indian National Congress is Allan Octavian Hume, a former Indian Civil Services Officer. The principles behind the formation of Indian National Congress (INC) is given below.

• Safety Valve Theory: It is suggested that Hume established the Congress to serve in the form of a “safety valve” for the Indians’ mounting discomfort. In order to achieve this, he pestered Lord Dufferin to not oppose the Congress’ establishment.
• The safety valve theory was held by hardline leaders such as Lala Lajpat Rai. The “conspiracy theory” advanced by the Marxist historian was a product of the “safety valve theory”.
• Indian historians reject the “safety valve theory.” They believed that the Indian National Congress encompassed the aspiration of politically inclined Indians to formulate a national organisation to reflect Indian economic and political concerns. Bipan Chandra, a historian, notes that early Congress leaders utilised Hume as a unifying force.

Founder of Indian National Congress

Allan Octavian Hume was the founder of Indian National Congress. It was important in the 1940s when India was fighting for independence from British rule. He was a British civil official who served in British India.

• He was also a political reformer, ornithologist, and botanist. He has been accredited for the foundation of Indian National Congress.
• After leaving the civil service and near the end of Lord Lytton’s rule, Hume noticed that the Indian people felt helpless and felt compelled to act on their behalf.
• As the Indian National Union concept developed, Lord Dufferin offered some support to Hume.

Reason for the Establishment of Indian National Congress

Former British civil servant Allan Octavian Hume led the foundation of Indian National Congress. Thus, the establishment of Indian National Congress and its first session was held in Bombay in 1885. The history of the Indian National Congress can be studied in three important phases:

• Congress’s moderate nationalist period (1885–1905) was marked by its continuing loyalty to the British throne.
• The Home Rule Movement, the emergence of militant nationalism, and the Swadeshi Movement all occurred between 1906 and 1916. The harsh policies of the British government led to the formation of extremists within the Congress, including Aurobindo Ghosh, Lala Lajpat Rai, Bal Gangadhar Tilak, and Bipin Chandra Pal (Lal, Bal, Pal).
• The Gandhian era is referred to as the years 1917 to 1947.

History of Indian National Congress

The Indian National Congress (INC) is one of the most significant and largest political parties in India. It was founded on December 28, 1885, by a group of educated Indian professionals, lawyers, and journalists who sought to bring about political reforms in British India.

• Some of the early Congress leaders included Dadabhai Naoroji and Gopal Krishna Gokhale. These leaders were moderate in their approach and demanded limited self-government for India within the British Empire.

• However, the party became more radicalized under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi, who joined the party in 1915. Gandhi’s philosophy of nonviolent resistance or satyagraha inspired the Indian independence movement, and he became the undisputed leader of the Indian National Congress.

• Under Gandhi’s leadership, Congress launched a series of nonviolent protests and civil disobedience campaigns against the British Raj, including the Salt Satyagraha, the Quit India movement, and the Non-Cooperation movement.

• After 1947, when India gained independence from the British, the Indian National Congress became the dominant political party in the country.

Objectives of Indian National Congress

The Indian National Congress was the first-ever national political party and its main objective was to increase the participation of India in its own governance. Here we have discussed some more objectives of INC in detail.

• Seeking political reforms and limited self-government for India within the British Empire.
• Encouraging cordial relationships between nationalist political activists from different regions of the country.
• Organizing and educating the nation’s public opinion.
• Creating and spreading an anti-colonial nationalist philosophy. Also, presenting a government with a list of common demands.
• Maintaining a feeling of national unity among all citizens that transcends religion, caste, and province.

Main Points Regarding Foundation of Indian National Congress

The retired British civil servant, A.O. Hume, with the support of 72 political workers, laid the foundation of Indian National Congress. Here, we have provided some important facts regarding the formation of Indian National Congress important for preparing for the UPSC exam.

• Womesh Chandra Banerjee was the first president of the Indian National Congress.
• Maulana Abul Kalam Azad was the youngest president of the Indian National Congress.
• Annie Besant was the first woman president of the Indian National Congress.
• Congress was declared illegal during 1932, and 1933 sessions.
• The Congress party has been in independent India for the longest. For 49 years, the party has presided over the national government.
• The Congress was set to hold its inaugural meeting at Poona (now Pune). However, the event was moved to Bombay because of a cholera outbreak (now Mumbai).
• A crucial element of the Indian liberation movement was performed by the Congress party. The INC eventually drove out the imperial colonisers from India with the help of nearly 15 million members and 70 million participants.
• The Congress party continues to control Indian politics even after Independence. The Congress has won six of the 15 general elections held since independence.

Features of Indian National Congress

The foundation of Indian National Congress was the foundation of the first national political movement in India. While the primary objective of the party had been to increase Indian participation in national governance, it soon upgraded its goal to total independence. Some of the features of INC are discussed below.

• The Indian National Congress promoted inclusivity and representation of various sections of society. It was founded as a platform for educated individuals from diverse communities to voice their concerns and demand political reforms.
• The Congress under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi advocated for nonviolent resistance against the British Raj.
• The Congress party has always been committed to the cause of Indian nationalism and independence.
• The Indian National Congress always promoted secularism and opposed communalism. It advocated for equal treatment of all religious communities and promoted communal harmony.

Foundational Theories of INC

A strong approach was laid in the late 1870s and early 1880s for the formation of Indian National Congress. A.O. Hume gave this concept its ultimate form when he collected the top intellectuals of the time and, with their assistance, planned the inaugural meeting of the Indian National Congress in Bombay in December 1885. Further, let us discuss some foundational theories of INC.

Safety Valve Theory

This theory postulates that Hume established the Congress in anticipation that it would act as a “safety valve” for the Indians’ mounting unhappiness. Leaders such as Lala Lajpat Rai supported the safety valve theory.

Conspiracy Theory

The conspiracy theory was started by Rajani Palme Dutt. The idea of a “safety valve” led to the rise of conspiracy theories. R.P. Dutt asserts that the bourgeois (middle-class) leaders were engaged in a strategy to suppress a public movement in India that gave rise to the Indian National Congress.

Lightning Conductor Theory

Gopal Krishna Gokhale proposed the lightning conductor theory. The Indian National Congress, in the opinion of contemporary Indian historians, expressed the desire of politically aware Indians to create a national organisation to express the Indians’ political and economic concerns. Hume served as a “lightning conductor,” or a catalyst, for the early Congress leaders to unite nationalistic forces.

Foundation of Indian National Congress For UPSC Exam

The foundation of Indian National Congress is an important topic for the UPSC examination. Here, we have provided the PDF notes to help the candidates prepare well for the Prelims and Mains exam. Many academicians have put a lot of effort into determining which person or persons, or whose particular conditions, might be deemed the main immediate causes of its formation.

Foundation of Indian National Congress UPSC PDF

Given the significance of the Indian National Congress in Indian history, it was only natural for historians of the past to speculate about how it was founded. Discussions about this topic have existed since the foundation of Indian National Congress.

UPSC Notes
State Formation in India	Integration of Princely States
Types of Political Ideologies	Political Map of India
Regional Parties in India	Political Parties in India