26.02.

2018 March | 2009 | Ithihas

Ithihas
Kaleidoscope of Indian civilization

In this blog you will find

Monthly Archives: March 2009
Writeups on Indian historical
themes and Biographies of
rulers and statesmen.
HISTORY OF FREEDOM MOVEMENT- 1
March 26, 2009 – 10:17 am
Blogroll The Birth of Indian National Congress
facetsofindianhistory Today India is making rapid strides in various fields. With a population
Sanatana Parishad of more than one billion, Indian engineers and doctors are much sought
Thinkerspad of in developed countries. Many Indian businessmen are now in a buying
spree, acquiring companies across the globe. The green and white
revolution has enabled India to feed its vast majority of population. The
Archives country has acquired nuclear capability and our scientists have
February 2018
developed missiles and sent satellites to space. With a vast pool of
January 2018
talented and English educated people, India is the favourite destination
for all MNCs for their back office work. In total within a span of sixty
October 2017
years, India is moving towards progress. All these could not have been
August 2017
possible but for the sufferings and sacrifice made by lakhs of freedom
June 2017
fighters whose only objective was the realization of a united and
May 2017
independent India. In this direction the part played by the Indian
March 2017 National Congress was unique.
October 2016 Genesis of the Congress: The establishment of a highly centralized
June 2016 administrative system by the British, the introduction of modern English
January 2016 system of education, development in the field of transport and
November 2015 communications, the socio-religious reform movements, influence of
August 2015 historical researches, the role of the Indian press, both English and
June 2015 vernaculars in mobilizing public opinion and promoting nationalism were
February 2015 some of the factors which led to the growth of political consciousness
January 2015 among the educated Indians and the need to form an organization to
September 2014 vent their grievances. The reactionary policies of Viceroy Lytton like
June 2014 reducing the maximum age limit for the I.C.S.examination from 21
May 2014
years to 19 years and the enactment of obnoxious laws like the
April 2014
Vernacular Press Act and Indian Arms Act saw organizations like the
Indian Association formed by Surendranath Banerjee to undertake a
March 2014
tour of Northern India to organize people to protest especially against
December 2013
the reducing of maximum age limit for appearing for the I.C.S.
November 2013
examination. Even much earlier a host of organizations had been formed
October 2013
by Indians to safeguard their interests. In fact the beginning of
September 2013 nationalism can be traced in the speeches of Rajnarain Bose, the
August 2013 grandfather of Aurobindo Bose. In 1866 Rajnarain Bose issued a
May 2013 prospectus with a view to establish a ‘Society for the promotion of
April 2013 National feeling among the educated natives of Bengal‘. The object of
February 2013 the society was to resist the tendency of imitating the west by reviving
January 2013 old ideas, traditions and customs in every walk of life. Rabindranath
July 2012 Tagore in his autobiography says that he and his elder brother joined a
January 2010 secret society founded by Rajnarain Bose and got from him their first
July 2009 inspiration to free India. The ideas preached by Rajnarain Bose was
June 2009 enthusiastically taken up by Nabagopal Mitra, who started an annual
May 2009 gathering known as ‘Hindu Mela’ to promote national feeling, sense of
April 2009
patriotism and spirit of self help among Hindus. Special features of the
March 2009
gathering were rendering of patriotic songs, poems and lectures, review
of political, social, economic and religious condition of India, exhibition
February 2009
of indigenous arts and crafts and performance of physical exercise. The
October 2008
‘Hindu Mela’ met 14 times from 1867 to 1880.
September 2008

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August 2008 But it was A.O.Hume an Englishman who conceived the formation of an
July 2008 organization of All-India nature, which he wanted to play the role similar
June 2008 to that played by the opposition party in the British Parliament.
May 2008 A.O.Hume was a retired government official and according to recent
April 2008 researches was an enlightened imperialist. It is said that he was
March 2008 alarmed at the growing gulf between the rulers and the ruled and was
February 2008 vary of the political motives behind the establishment of Indian National
Conference in 1883 by S.N.Banerjee, who was popularizing the ideas
and teachings of Italian nationalists like Mazzini and Garibaldi. Hence
A.O.Hume decided to by-pass this Indian National Conference and
instead organize a loyal political organization. Lala Lajpat Rai felt that
the Indian National Congress was organized to serve as a ‘safety-valve’
for the growing unrest in the country and strengthen the British Empire.
Dr.Raghuvanshi also maintains that the main purpose for A.O.Hume in
organizing the Congress was to ‘save the British Empire‘. In March
1883, Hume addressed an open letter to the graduates of the Calcutta
University in which he asked for fifty volunteers to join in a movement
to promote the mental, moral, social and political regeneration of the
people of India. He also secured the support and sympathy of public
men both in England and India including the then Viceroy Dufferin. On
30th December 1885 the first session of the Indian National Congress
was held at Bombay and attended by 72 delegates from different parts
of India. The Congress was presided over by W.C.Bonnerjee. Some of
the demands of the Congress included reform of the legislative councils,
simultaneous holding of examination for the I.C.S. in India and England,
reduction of military expenditure, abolition of Indian Council, etc.
The Congress sessions: The annual Congress session used to be like a
fair with the pandal decorated with flowerpots, buntings and flags. There
were stalls selling refreshments and attracted lot of curious visitors. The
Presidential procession looked like a triumphal procession. He drove in a
carriage amidst large cheering crowds gathered along the route. Student
volunteers sometimes pulled his carriage. Holiday atmosphere
prevailed. In 1901 an industrial exhibition was held under the auspices
of Calcutta Congress and it soon became a permanent feature of the
annual Congress session. A.O.Hume was annually elected General
Secretary and even after his departure from India he continued to be
elected Honorary General Secretary. Dadabhai Naoroji, Pheroz Shah
Mehta, W.C.Bonnerji, Dinshaw Wacha, Badruddin Tyabji, S.N.Banerjee,
Gopal Krishna Gokale, Balagangadhar Tilak were some of the prominent
Congressmen of the early period. As the proceedings of the Congress
was in English only English knowing Indians came, as delegates and
majority of them were lawyers or journalists. Big landlords like the
Zamindar or Darbhanga, Vizianagram and Ramnad and Princes like the
Maharaja of Mysore and Baroda provided funds for the annual Congress
sessions in the beginning. Congress during that period spoke for all the
classes and communities.
In 1887, the Congress published two pamphlets to woo the peasants.
The first pamphlet, ‘A Conversation between Maulvi Fariduddin and
Rambaksh of Kambakhtpur‘ written by Hume and the other ‘The Tamil
Catechism‘, written by Veeraraghavachariar described the evils of
landlordism and despotic government and advocated the establishment
of representative government as the remedy. These pamphlets attracted
the attention of the government, which felt that the Congress was going
too far. In 1889, the British Committee of the Indian National Congress
was set up at London with William Wedderburn as Chairman, William
Digby as secretary and a number of Englishmen as members. The
journal ‘Indian’ was started to propagate the Congress views.
Achievement of early Congressmen: They did lot of spadework and
their methods- the use of press for propaganda and publicity, submitting
petition, memorandums and passing resolutions and sending
deputations all brought about political maturity among the Indians. The
main achievement of the early Congressmen was the appointment of a
Public Service Commission presided over by Charles Aitchison in 1886.
On the recommendation of this Commission, the age of admission to the
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Civil Service was raised to 23. The Act of 1892 for the first time
introduced elective elements in the Central Legislature. The efforts of
the Congress resulted in the House of Commons to pass a resolution for
simultaneous holding of I.C.S. examination in London and India and the
appointment of the Welby Commission to enquire on Indian expenditure.
But the greatest service of the early Congressmen was that they focused
public attention on the fact that Indian poverty was largely due to the
colonial exploitation of Indian economic resources by the British.
Attitude of the government towards Congress: In the beginning
the official attitude towards the Congress was sympathetic. Dufferin
arranged a tea party to the Congress delegates attending the second
Congress session (1886) at Calcutta. In 1887 the Governor of Madras
also gave all facilities for the Congress when its third session was held at
Madras. But later the government became hostile to the Congress and
barred government officials from attending Congress meetings. It also
encouraged communalists like Syed Ahmed Khan from issuing a call to
the Muslims not to join the Congress.
Response from Karnataka to Congress activities: Kolachalam
Venkatarao of Bellary, Bhausaheb Bhate of Belgaum and Narayan
Chandavarkar of Karwar were some of the leaders from Karnataka who
took active interest in the activities of the Congress in its early stage.
Alur Venkata Rao (Dharwad), Srinivasrao Kaujalgi (Bijapur) and
Gangadharrao Deshapande (Belgaum) were other early Congressmen
from Karnataka. Kolachalam Venkatarao belonged to a scholarly family
and was a leading lawyer. He was a philanthropist who endowed the
widow’s home in Bellary with Rs 500 and Rs 20,000 for an orphanage.
He constructed the Town Hall at Bellary at a cost of Rs 50,000 and
furnished it with a free library. He also brought a house at a cost of Rs
7,000 to be used as girl’s school. Narayan Chandavarkar was elected
President of the Lahore Congress session in 1900. Earlier in 1893
A.O.Hume visited North Karnataka and was given a warm welcome in
Belgaum and Dharwad. His presence among the people of Karnataka
infused an intense spirit of nationalism in them.
In Karnataka Balgangadhar Tilak and his papers Kesari and the Maratha
were the real harbingers of modern nationalism, especially in North
Karnataka area. Kannada journals like Rajahamsa, Karnataka Vritta,
Dhananjaya, Swadeshabhimani, Vrittanata Chintamani, etc., spread the
gospel of nationalism.
Plague and famine havoc: In 1897 Bubonic plague broke out in
Bombay and then spread to Poona. Its mortality was so high in Bombay
that queues had to be formed at the cremation grounds and burial
places. People fled in panic from their homes and thus spread the
epidemic. Even official deserted their posts of duty and it took some
months for the seriousness of the situation to dawn upon the
authorities. On 4th February 1897 the Epidemic Disease Act was passed
and it gave sweeping and drastic powers to the authorities to detain
streamer passengers and cargo, to examine railway passengers and to
remove those affected to hospitals. Any house could be searched and
any person compulsorily segregated without notice. It was the execution
of the last two measures, which was entrusted to British soldiers that
caused the greatest distress and anger in Poona. Suspected patients
were summarily taken to hospitals and their relations to segregation
camps. Houses were forcibly entered and defiled; valuable property was
destroyed and bonfire were made of furniture, clothes and bedding
under the pretext of disinfection.
In Karnataka the epidemic spread to Dharwad, Hubli, Gadag and many
other places including Bangalore. A segregation camp was opened in
Dharwad. The fear of the soldiers who were entrusted with relief
operations may be gauged by the fact that, when in Dharwad the people
in the city’s market square heard of the arrival of the soldiers, they left
their belongings and ran away. Unable to bear the highhandedness of
the military officers, a pious man by name Hayagrivachar committed
suicide in Dharwad.

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Famine, which followed plague, took heavy toll of lives. Tilak raised his
voice against the highhandedness of the Revenue officers, who forced
the people to pay the revenue by selling their properties or by obtaining
loans at ruinous interest from moneylenders. He sent volunteers of the
Sarvajanik Sabha to create awareness among the people about the
provision of the Famine Code and asked the people not to be scared by
the demands and threats of the collecting officials. His wrote in Kesari –
“Will you kill yourself by timidity and starvation?” “Can you not be bold,
even in the grip of death?” In June 1897, as a reprisal against the
highhandedness of the authorities in carrying out plague regulations, the
Chapekar brothers murdered Plague Commissioner Rand and Lt.
Ayerest. The government charged Tilak for inciting the murders with his
writings and sentenced him to 18 months rigorous imprisonment. This
move caused a wave of resentment throughout India. In North
Karnataka patriotic dramas such as Bhavani Talwar, Simhagad, Bapu
Gokhalyachi Pagadi were staged in all the important towns. In Dharwad
a dramatic troupe called ‘Sri Shivaji Arya Samaj’ was formed and it
enacted nationalist dramas like Rana Bheemadeva. Another important
personality who infused self-confidence among Indians and prepared
them to fight the forces that were undermining their freedom and
culture was Swami Vivekananda. According Alur Venkata Rao, the
Swamijis speeches especially during his short stay at Belgaum roused
the people of Karnataka to a pitch of national enthusiasm as nothing
else did.

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