Indian National Congress PDF

## The Indian National Congress The direction to form the Indian National Congress came from a strange source, A.O. Hume, a retired British member of the Indian Civil Service. He wanted to set up an organisation that would draw the government's attention to the administrative drawbacks and suggest...

## The Indian National Congress The direction to form the Indian National Congress came from a strange source, A.O. Hume, a retired British member of the Indian Civil Service. He wanted to set up an organisation that would draw the government's attention to the administrative drawbacks and suggest means to rectify them. Hume wrote an open letter to the graduates of the Calcutta University asking them to dedicate themselves to the service of the people by forming a union to organise a well-defined course of action. This appeal produced the desired result. In 1884 Hume, in consultation with the Indian leaders, laid the foundation of Indian National Union. The conference of the representatives of different parts of India was convened by the Union at Pune on December 25, 1885. Plague broke out in Pune at that point of time. So the meeting of the Union was held at Gokuldas Tejpal Sanskrit College, Mumbai from December 28 to 31, 1885 under the presidentship of Womesh Chandra Bonnerjee. It was attended by 72 delegates. On the suggestion of Dadabhai Naoroji the name of the Union was changed to the Indian National Congress. Thus, the foundation of the Indian National Congress was laid on December 28, 1885. The Viceroy, Lord Dufferin, favoured the formation of the Congress because he wanted it to act as a "safety-valve" for popular discontent, thereby, safeguarding the British interest in India. The Congress stood for the hopes and aspirations of the people of India who accepted its leadership in launching the freedom movement. It achieved the goal of freedom in 1947. ### **Aims of the Indian National Congress** In his presidential address at the first session of the Indian National Congress W.C. Bonnerjee declared the following as the aims of the Indian National Congress: - To promote friendly relations between nationalist political workers from different parts of the country. - To develop and consolidate the feelings of national unity irrespective of caste, religion or province. - To formulate popular demands and present them before the government. - To train and organise public opinion in the country. The Congress held its sessions every year in December to chalk out programmes to achieve its aims. Changes were made in the above-mentioned aims of the Congress from time to time, according to the changed circumstances. ### **Sessions of the Congress** The First Session of the Congress under the presidentship of W.C. Bonnerjee was attended by 72 delegates from all parts of India, including such eminent persons as Dadabhai Naoroji,