Formation of Indian National Congress: Factors Responsible
The formation of congress in 1885 was a significant movement in history of India's freedom struggle. It marked the beginning of an organized political activism in India and laid the foundation for the subsequent struggle against the British colonial rule. It's formation was influence by a combination of factors including the rise in political conciseness among the Indian, the socio-economic changes under the British rule, the role of British administration and the efforts of Indian and British intellectuals. The spread of western education during the British rule played a crucial role in the emergence of new class of educated Indians. This group was familiarizes with European political ideas like democracy, liberty and freedom which shape their understanding of governance and colonialism. The educated Indian began to realize the discriminatory and exploitative nature of British rule and they wanted the political reform to address their grievances. The British economic policies had a devasting impact upon Indian agriculture, industry and crafts which caused discontent among educated middle class who recognized the need for political representation to express their grievances. The beginning of railways, telegraph and modern postal system by British help to improve communication among the different parts of India allowing the Indians to exchange their ideas and come together, creating a sense of unity and national conciseness. Several early political organization laid the groundwork for the formation of congress these included the British Indian Association (1851), Poona Sarvajanik Sabha (1870) and The Indian Association (1876). Indian National Congress represented an effort to unite these organization and provided a national platform for political discussion and debate. A crucial factor in the formation of INC was the events of the time of Lord Litton and Lord Rippon as the viceroy of India during the period 1876-1880 and 1880-1884 respectively. One popular historical explanation for the formation of INC is the theory of Safety Wall. According to this theory, the British government concern about the growing discontent and nationalist sentiment in India, established INC as a safety wall to channelize the Indian grievances in a peaceful and control manner. According to this view, Aoum acted as an agent of British government, facilitating the creation of INC to serve as a safety wall. However, there are limited evidences to suggest that British government planned the formation of INC as a safety wall while, Aoum involvement is well established calling his action British conspiracy is not proved by concrete evidence. Aoum action were based upon his genuine concern for the Indian welfare and his belief in the liberal political principle reducing his role that of British agent over simplified his contribution. INC's formation was driven by the genuine aspiration of the educated Indians for political representation, social reform and economic justice. It reflected the growing political conciseness and organizational abilities of the Indian middle class Intelligenzia.