The Indian National Congress (INC) was established to introduce well-educated and affluent Indians to politics. Founder of indian national congress was Allan Octavian Hume. He was a retired British Indian Civil Service employee. He founded INC to offer educated Indians a place for civil and political conversation. With the Indian Rebellion of 1857, control of India was transferred from the East India Company to the British Empire. By enlisting the aid of English-educated Indians, who were more familiar with and sympathetic to British culture and political philosophy, the British Raj, or simply the Raj, strove to legitimise and defend its control over India. With the monopoly of British authorities and the expanding class of Indians and Anglo-Indians trained in the English language-based British heritage, Congress grew alongside and survived, notably in the 19th century era of undeniable British domination.

Formation of the Indian National Congress is one of the most important topics for the UPSC IAS exam. It covers a significant part of the Modern History subject in the General Studies Paper-1 syllabus and UPSC Prelims Syllabus General Studies Paper-1.

This article will study the features, reasons and major objectives of forming the Indian National Congress.

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Foundation for the Formation of INC

A national party called the Indian National Congress was formed on December 28th, 1885. A British government employee named Allan Octavian Hume founded the party. A total of 72 delegates from all of India’s provinces and presidencies joined forces to form the party. From December 28 to December 30, 1885, they all gathered in Bombay. Hume played a key role in forming the party when he served as its first general secretary. The party was founded specifically to unite all of the educated populace and have an impact on politics.

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Reasons behind the Formation of the Indian National Congress (INC)

• Safety Valve Theory: It was the main reason behind the formation of the Indian National Congress. Safety Valve Theory was proposed by Hume, basically beholding the mass mutiny of the Indians in 1857 so that it never repeats. He was very determined to avoid such rebellion. There was a suggestion that Hume founded the Congress intending to use it as a “safety valve” for the Indians’ growing unhappiness. For that purpose, he persuaded Lord Dufferin not to block the Congress’ establishment, called the Safety Valve Theory of Congress.
• Extremist leaders like Lala Lajpat Rai believed in the Safety Valve Theory. The ‘conspiracy hypothesis’ of Marxist historians was an offshoot of the safety valve theory.
• Organization for the Expression of Indian Demands: It was one of the main reasons behind the formation of the Indian National Congress. Modern Indian historians are sceptical of the concept of a “safety valve.” According to them, the Indian National Congress (INC) embodied the desire of politically aware Indians to establish a national organization to articulate their political and economic concerns. Early Congress officials utilized Hume as a catalyst to draw people together, according to historian Bipan Chandra.

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Major Objectives of the Indian National Congress (INC)

• A Pan India Organization: To establish a democratic, nationalist movement by forming a pan India organization.
• Anti-colonialism: Promote amicable ties among nationalist political activists from diverse country sections by developing and propagating an anti-colonial nationalist ideology.
• Inculcating Nationalism: Develop and consolidate national unity among all people, regardless of religion, caste, or province.
• Politicize & politically educate people: Congress wanted to raise awareness of exploitative colonial policies and Indian political rights. To that purpose, Congress pushed for more Indian representation in councils, as well as the Indianization of the civil service.
• Forward-looking political and economic programme: Formulate and propose public demands to the government to unite the people around a shared economic and political agenda.

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Features of the Indian National Congress 

• The INC was the first national political movement in India, and its principal objective was to increase Indian participation in political affairs. 
• It later upgraded its goal to complete independence. It became a significant political force in the nation after gaining independence. 
• The INC was a moderate organisation in its early years, limiting its strategies to constitutional debate and tactics. 
• Its demands were restricted to raising the proportion of Indians serving in the military and administration. 
• The party's demands and methods eventually became increasingly severe.
• By 1905, the party was divided into moderates and extremists. 
• Provincial conferences, organisations, media, and literature joined the Indian National Congress in nationalist activity.

Policies Opted by Indian National Congress (INC) During 1885–1905

The Indian National Congress (INC) passed various resolutions at its annual meetings between 1885 and 1905. Civil rights, executive branch, constitutional, and economic issues were among the modest requests of Congress throughout the resolution. We can see the trajectory of the parliamentary programme by looking at the resolutions passed in this manner.

•  Civil Rights: Parliamentarians have acknowledged the importance of freedom of expression and the press, as well as the right to organize queues, meetings, and other comparable rights.
•  Executive Branch: Parliamentary leaders pressed the administration to end certain administrative practices and develop public-benefit programs. They value the appointment of Native Americans to government positions. There have been specific plans to establish an agricultural bank to assist farmers. Parliamentary leaders also spoke out against the government’s discriminatory legislation.
• Constitution: Early legislative leaders’ modest constitutional goals strengthened the Legislative Council’s power. India’s elected representatives should be included. It’s worth noting that the British Indian government paid little attention to the parliamentary requests listed above.
• Economy: On the economic front, Congress slammed the British government’s actions, which resulted in soaring property prices and other economic woes for Indians. Parliament has also made specific proposals for the country’s and people’s economic development. The introduction of modern industries and the Indianization of governmental services were among them. According to Congress, salt taxes should be abolished, especially for low-income people.

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The Start of the Gandhian Era

Mahatma Gandhi was in South Africa when he was summoned by Gopal Krishna Gokhale, after which he returned to India in 1915. He brought an international reputation as a leading Indian nationalist, theorist and community organizer. Gandhi joined the Indian National Congress (INC) and was introduced to Indian issues, politics and the Indian people primarily by Gokhale. The major incidents during the Gandhian Era shaped the struggle for Indian independence.

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