Congress was founded on 28 December 1885 at 12:00 noon, in the building of Gokuldas Tejpal Sanskrit College, Bombay. Its founder was Allan Octavian Hume. Its first president was Vyomesh Chandra Banerjee and 72 people participated in it. The word Congress is derived from North America which means group of people. The initial name was Indian National Congress is Indian National Union. Later on the suggestion of Dadabhai Naoroji, its name was changed to Indian National Congress .
The doctrine of the safety valve relating to the establishment of the Congress
According to this principle, Hume gave birth to this organization on the instructions, guidance and advice of the Viceroy Lord Dufferin. In order to prevent the growing discontent among the Indian public from bursting into a volcano of violence and to provide a safe, benign, peaceful and constitutional exit or "safety valve" for the "vapours of discontent" to escape without danger. In this way, a self-born revolutionary potential in the Indian public was strangled. That is, a violent revolution which was knocking was averted due to the establishment of the Congress.
Arguments in favor of safety valve
1. W. C. Banerjee
W. C. Banerjee, who was the first President of the Indian National Congress, wrote in his book Introduction to Indian Politics in 1898 - "The establishment of the Congress and its working style to this day is actually due to Dufferin." "Dufferin asked Hume to form an organization that would discuss politics so that the government would be informed about the views of the Indian people."
2. Wedern Byrne
Wedern Byrne wrote a biography of Hume which was published in 1913. According to it, Lytton's reactionary policies and the economic crisis of 1876 had created conditions that brought the situation "on the edge of revolution". They received a confidential seven-volume report based on information from 30,000 reporters. This report was a warning of a major rebellion. So Hume and Dufferin thought of making a safety valve so that the emerging discontent could be vented.
3. Lala Lajpat Rai
Lala Lajpat Rai wrote in Young India in 1916 - "The Congress is the brainchild of Lord Dufferin". "The object of the founding of the Congress was much more than the securing of political independence, so as to save it from the imminent danger to the British Empire."
4. Rajni Palme Dutt
Marxist Rajni Palme Dutt has written that - "A secret plan was drawn up in collaboration with the Viceroy to use the Congress as a weapon to protect British rule from the forces of popular discontent and anti-British sentiment rising at that time. "
4. Golwalkar
M.S. Golwalkar of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh wrote in his book WE, 1939, that- "The British established the Congress as a safety valve against nationalism that was boiling at that time and it was to put to sleep a colossal god that was then awake, for them it was a toy. It was a weapon to destroy the national consciousness."
Review of the notion of safety valve
1. W.C. Banerjee has claimed that Dufferin emphasized political rather than social movement but the reality is quite the opposite. Dufferin said on St. Andrew's Day in 1988 that the Congress was ignoring social reforms for its vested interests and running a political movement. In fact, W.C. Banerjee wanted to save the Congress from the imperialist government of the 19th century, so he said that this institution was created by the British.
2. As far as Hume's biographer Wedern Byrne is concerned, the report of the seven volumes was false. Hume did not belong to the Secret Service or the Police Department. Rebellion in India ,The matter of information about India arose under the influence of the spirits of Tibet of the Theosophical Society. Hume was under the influence of the Theosophical Society.
3. The extremist Lala Lajpat Rai used this hypothesis to attack the moderate side of the Congress as we can see - "For the Congress the interest of the British Empire was in the first place and no one can say that it did hasn't been honest with."
4. R.P. Dutt established the myth of the safety valve as the raw material of leftist ideology. As we can see – “Congress had two forms, one side supported imperialism against the threat of mass movement and the other side led the people in the national struggle”.
5. M.S. Golwalkar used the principle of safety valve to label the Congress as anti-national because of its secularism. “The Congress promoted the principles of democracy and spread the distorted impression that our old enemies and aggressors, the Muslims, were in many respects the same as us Hindus”.
Thus the concept of security valve does not really explain the establishment of the Congress. The establishment of the Congress was the result of a wider political movement in India, so it was bound to happen.
The real reason for the establishment of Congress
Looking deeply, the establishment of Congress was inspired by the contemporary needs like-
1. Need for an institution for the spread of political consciousness
2. Need for an institution for nation building
3. There is a need for an institution for the formulation and operation of national programs
4. An institution is needed to seek social and political leadership
5. The need for an institution to build an anti-colonial nationalist ideology
6. Hume's role as a lightning conductor in Congress
Purpose of establishment of Congress
A-Building unity in India
1. Mutual coordination
2. Finding solutions to disputes related to religion, language and region
3. To discuss and formulate policies
4. Ending Britain's unjust relations
5. Formulation of public demands
6. Filling national feeling in all classes and communities
B- Keeping national demands
1. Not reducing import duty on imported cotton garments
2. Getting the right to bear arms
3. Fighting for the freedom of the press
4. Cut military spending
5. Helping the victims of natural calamity
6. Recruitment of administrative services
7. Admission of Indians in military and civilian organizations
8. Empowering the Indian Judiciary to try criminal cases against European citizens
9. To campaign among the British voters in such a way that they vote for the party which takes care of the interests of Indians.
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