this ppt traces the role of INC in the freedom struggle of India.

1. BY Deepak Jetly

2.  The Congress was
founded by Indian and
British members of the
Theosophical Society

On 28 December 1885,
the Indian National
Congress was founded at
Gokuldas Tejpal Sanskrit
College in Bombay, with
72 delegates in
attendance.
 Hume assumed office as
the General Secretary,
and Womesh Chandra
Bannerjee of Calcutta was
elected President.
Origins
of
Indian
Nation
al

4.  Its objective was to
obtain a greater share in
government for educated
and Indians create a
platform for civic and
political dialogue
between educated
Indians and the British
Raj.
 It demanded the
separation of the judiciary
from the executive, the
repeal of the Arms Act
and the freedom of
speech and expression.
 It demanded reduction of
revenue, cut in military
expenditure and more
funds for irrigation.

5.  In the beginning, the Congress never
attemptedto addressthe issues of
poverty, lack of healthcare, social
oppression, and the prejudiced
negligence of the people's concerns
by British authorities.
 Many Muslimand other minorities
community leaders, likethe
prominent educationalist Syed
AhmedKhan, viewedtheCongress
negatively, owingto its membership
being dominatedby Hindus.


7.  In the first two decades
after its formation, the
Congress was
dominated by a group
of leaders who came to
be known as the
‘Moderates’. They
favoured orderly
progress and
constitutional agitation.
 But by 1907, a rival
group, the ‘Extremists’,
who adopted a more
aggressive approach
towards British rule,
also came into
prominence.

8.  Later, with Mahatma Gandhi
returning from South Africa and
leading the nationalist movement,
Satyagraha and passive resistance
became the main aspects of
Congress strategy and thinking,
from the 1920s.
 The divided Congress re-united in
the pivotal Lucknow session in
1916, with Bal Gangadhar Tilak
and Gopal Krishna Gokhale
adorning the stage together once
again.
 Tilak had considerably moderated
his views, and now favoured
political dialogue with the British.
He, along with the young
Muhammad Ali Jinnah and Mrs.
Annie Besant launched the Home
Rule Movement

9. •Phase II: The
Gandhian Era

10. Gandhi transformed the Congress from
an elitist party based in the cities, to an
organization of the people, through
various reforms like:
 Membership fees were reduced.
 Congress established a large number
of state units across India – known as
Pradesh Congress.
 All former practices distinguishing
Congressmen on basis of caste,
ethnicity, religion and sex were
eliminated — all-India unity was
stressed.
 Native tongues were given official use
and respect in Congress meetings.
 Eligibility for leadership would be
determined by how much social work
a member had done, not by wealth or
social standing.

11.  Under the guidance of M.K.
Gandhi tens of thousands of
Congress volunteers to embrace
major social problems across
India. These were-
 Untouchability and caste
discrimination
 Alcoholism
 Unhygienic conditions and lack
of sanitation
 Lack of health care and medical
aid
 Purdah and the oppression of
women
 Illiteracy, with the organization
of national schools and colleges
 Poverty, with prolifting khadi
cloth, cottage industries

12.  . The Congress session was
held at Lahore in 1929 under
the leadership of Jawaharlal
Nehru.
 Following decision were
taken: The Congress declared
Poorna Swaraj as its aim.
 Under the Government of
India Act 1935, the
Congress first tasted
political power in the
provincial elections of
1937. It performed very
well, coming to power in
eight of the eleven
provinces where elections
were held.
 They formed a secular
nation state government in
won provinces.
Provisional elections of 1937

14.  Gandhiji decided to inaugurate
the Civil Disobedience
Movement by breaking the salt
law.
 The government imposed heavy
tax on salt. Moreover, the
production of salt was the
monopoly of the government.
So the price of salt was very
high. Therefore, Gandhiji
opposed the salt law.
 Gandhiji and 78 of his
followers started a march on
foot from Sabarmati Ashram
to Dandi.
 When they reached Dandi.
Gandhiji prepared salt by using
sea water, broke the salt law
and inaugurated the Movement.

16.  Foreign goods were boycotted.
Liquor shops were picketed.
Government servants resigned
their jobs.
 Many laws were broken.
People refused to pay taxes.
Many congress leaders were
arrested. Workers attacked
government offices.
 Gandhiji called off the
movement on 5 March 1931
under the Gandhi-Irwin Pact.
He agreed to attend the Second
Round Table Conference.
 It was restarted when Gandhiji
returned from London. It was
finally called off in 1934.

17.  In August 1942, Gandhiji started the
'Quit India Movement' and decided
to launch a mass civil disobedience
movement 'Do or Die' call to force
the British to leave India.
 The movement was followed,
nonetheless, by largescale violence
directed at railway stations,
telegraph offices, government
buildings, and other emblems and
institutions of colonial rule.
 There were widespread acts of
sabotage, and the government held
Gandhi responsible for these acts of
violence, suggesting that they were
a deliberate act of Congress policy.
 However, all the prominent leaders
were arrested, the Congress was
banned and the police and army
were brought out to suppress the
movement.

18. •Congress party on the
partition.

19. • Within the Congress, the
Partition was opposed by
Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan,
Saifuddin Kitchlew, Dr.
Khan Sahib and
Congressmen from the
provinces that would
inevitably become parts of
Pakistan.
• Maulana Azad opposed
partition in principle, but
did not wish to impede
the national leadership;
preferred to stay with
Indian side.

20.  The Congress was not
consistent on the Partition.
On April 2, 1942, the
Congress Working
Committee criticized the
secession idea.
 But at the same time Congress
committee said that it cannot
think in terms of compelling the
people of any territorial unit to
remain in the Indian Union
against their declared and
established will.
 On September 24, 1944
Gandhi himself offered Jinnah
his plan for “two sovereign
independent Nation”. Thus,
from 1940 onwards, the trend
was unmistakably against
India’s unity
 Both Gandhi and the Congress
had accepted the principle of
Partition, based on consent of
the areas concerned. Time was
running out on India’s unity.

21. •THANK YOU ALL FOR
YOUR TIME.