A Probe into the Ideology and Politics of the Extremist Wing of the Indian National Congress (1885-1930)

 

 

ABSTRACT:

The proposed research monograph entitled "A probe into the ideology  and politics of the Extremist wing of the Indian National Congress" (1885-1930) is an attempted move to explain and characterize  the various ideological tenets that combined together had constituted the basic creed of the Congress as a coalion of various ideology which fought  together decisive battles against British colonial rule.

 

An elite class, educated in modern education and western democrativve system, emerged as the first vanguard of Indian nation. This class of people tempered by new consciousness derived from widening of modern knowledge and democrativevalue, demanded to implement certain corrective measures for freedom of speech, press and eradication of the modification in social and religious order if India , now not suited to the ameliorative demand for social change .

 

Frustration of their hopes in British imperialism was inevitable fate of the order leadership. As the failure of the old school became apparent it was equally inevitable that a new school of thought appeared demanding more positive programmed and effective method to fight imperialism out This newly emerged school of thought, associated with Tilak, branded itself as 'nationalist' also 'integral nationalist 'or' orthodox nationalist and came to be known as Extremist in opposition to the Moderates. The research has analysed the politico-ideological creeds of of these two schools of thoughts and inferred that it would be a mistake to cognise the impugned thoughts ineach as a radical left wing ideology of the Extremist and a conservative reactionary ideology of the Moderate, the research has found the position just contradictory .

 

The research, in its probe into the Extremist ideology of the Congress has concluded that with all its limitations and deviations in posing an alternative to compromising trend adhered by the upper class leadership of the national movement the Extremist injected in the movement an ideology of uncompromising battle against imperialism, a concept that led the Indian nations to insert in the movement the ideology of socialism. The Extremist ideology of early Tilakites, ceased to be operative in the national movement since 1916 but the ground it had prepared for a no conciliatory battle against British rule provided radicals to stand on it with their ideology of socialism .

 

 

The research work, under examination, entitled as “A probe into the Ideology and Politics of the Extremist Wing of the Indian National Congress “(1885-1930) has been divided into the chapters given below and the main points, each chapter embodies separately, can be briefed as summarized below:

                                                                                           

Chapter First, captioned as   “Introduction“,  has briefly enumerated events and organizations occurred and founded respectivelyin the years before the formation of the  Indian National Congress in 1885 and the main thrusts, given to the period, to explain the conditions for formation of the All India National are of the years between 1857 and 1885. While briefing these events the chapter has explained the apprehensions of a revolutionary upheaval that compelled Hume to take initiative in direction of the constitution of an organization. A few years since the information of the congress there emerged inside the movement two sects of ideology, one influenced by the ideology of medieval extremism and the another the ideology of modernism. So, from the very inception the ideological conflict inside the congress could have apparently been seen. Later on, the extremist ideology was influenced by the global revolutionary events but its odd part was the absence of material conditions for giving it an impetus to grow on a correct ideological pursuit as the extremism had developed in European countries under the material conditions of an industrialized society. consequently, the extremist ideology that emerged inside the Indian National Congress, opposed  imperialism but failed to project a revolutionary alternative to it. The chapter has explained how the extremist ideology that sprung up inside the Congress, did oppose imperialism and in that respect projected a revolutionary opposition to imperialism but in its efforts to project a correct alternatives with revolutionary creed, it failed .

 

The second chapter, entitled as “Inceptional Ideology of the Congress“ is an analysis of reasons for mass discountents against British rule, the repressive measures launched by the government against agitationists and harassing impacts on the Indian people. The chapter has explained how the embodied mission of the British government in its efforts to lay down the formation of the congress was forfeited within a narrow span of three years time when the congress began to champion wildly the demands for greater participation of Indians in British administration. However, all the demands raised by the congress, were of liberal type and no basic demands like self– government, were raised.

The chapter has explained and analysed reasons, adhered by a group of the congress, and its leaders responsible for such ideological development and has inferred that a section of congress, and its leaders, in that period were gripped under an ideology that the backwardnesses of India could have only been eliminated with the help and cooperation of Britain therefore, to them imperialism was not the real enemy of India, but India’s illiteracy, obscurantism and many other evils that had gripped the people in their flods.

                                                                                         The chapter has explained how this type of understanding eroded and the Congress became disillusioned from its vows of seeking helps of Britain in eradication of India’s  backwardnesses. Once the congress came out of this assertion, naturally, a wing of lidership emerged from its inside which adhered to ideology of an uncompromising battle against imperialism. From here started the ideology of extremists wing of the congress.

                                                                                      Chapter third entitled “Ideological conflict and Emergence of the Extremists” has dealt with yhe main contents of the extremist ideology that have differentiated it from the ideology of the Moderate wing of leaders. Dealing with this aspect of the Extremist ideology the chapter has explained those aspects of the Moderate ideology that came under severe attack of the Extremist leaders. On basis of this analysis the chapter has explained that the ideology of the extremists  to wage an uncompromising battle against imperialism differentiated it from moderate who wanted to have a cordial relation with Britain under their perceived idea that to bring India out of its economic and social retardations assistance of Britain was a must condition. In this respect the Extremists represented progressive ideology in the national movement . But in their efforts to project as an alternative to capitalist culture and production relation of the ancient Indian economic order and culture of village economy they placed themselves in the rank of reactionaries because they criticized those aspect of Moderate’s ideology which was really progressive in its spirit and content.

 

Chapter fourth, entitled as “Ideological Ground that Distinguish Exremists“  has devoted to explain political condition in the years after 1905 in which new ideological conflict arose between the two wings of the Congress amidstwhich Surat split took place in the congress in 1907. Morley–Minto Reforms  were the another critical issue to which conflicting stands were taken by the Extremists and the Moderate. In the years between the acceptance by the Congress of the Morley-Minto reforms and the out break of the first world war the prevalent political lull and its derived lessons, united the Congress and the League in 1916 but the differences  between the extremists and the Moderates on characterization of war and 1919 reforms again cropped  up. The chapter has explained the two stands of the Indian National movement–one led by the Extremists and the other by Moderates. The chapter has given full thought to the situation and the stands of Extremists on the movement in the period. The chapter has explained the position of the Extremists after death of Tilak and inferred that although the Extremists wing got itself merged in the Congress but its ideology to fight irreconcilable struggle against imperialism remained alive and was endorsed by progressive  forces inside the Indian national movement .

                                                                                     Chapter fifth, under the caption of “The Extremist’s Ideology and Indian Nationalism “is an evaluation of impacts of the Extremists ideology on the national movement. The chapter has explained how these two ideologies, adhered by the Moderates and the Extremists separately, combined together, moulded the Indian national movement and on what ground they were distinct. The Extremists ideology had derived its ideological base from the anti-British feeling apparent among Indian masses from very beginnings and remained in existence for ever. It represented revolutionary tenets of the Indian nationalism when it asserted to wage a continued and uncompromising fight against imperialist rule but in its efforts to impose ancient Indian culture and civilization superior to that of bourgeois culture of modern capitalism, it assumed a reactionary from. The chapter has also explained the conditions which led the extremists to adopt such contradictory vows and hypotheses and summed up that in a backward society, colonially ruined, the political consciousness that led the movement was not developed enough to insert in the movement developed ideology of modern capitalism. Secondly, the Extremists were also devoid of the ideology of socialism, which could have provided them a better alternative to capitalist social order, the obsence of mass organizations had barricaded them opt developed form of alternative to wage their struggle against imperialism .

 

The chapter, while enumerating the ideological conflict between the two ideologies has focused the point how the extremists, with their anti—imperialist vows, created conditions in the national movement to transform it into an anti-imperialism of the Extremists ideology remained the guiding factor in the national movement as well as the main factor for the unity of varied anti-imperialist class forces which fought against imperialist rule unitedly as well as the guiding strategy of national movement particularly against the compromising attitude of the Moderate ideology. From 1905 to final realization of the national movements goal, movement against the Rowlatt Bill, Non-cooperation movement, Simon Commission boycott movement, Civil disobedience movement etc. fought for realization of final goal of freedom were tempered by the ideology of anti-imperialism started and shaped under the ideology initiated by the Extremist in the closing decade of 19^th century .

 

Chapter Sixth is “Conclusion“, which has assimilated the entire discussions, debated in various chapters and has concluded them. In general perusal of facts the research has divided national movement into two distinct eras which can be marked with two stagesof extremists ideology, the first  is the period before the death of Tilak and arrival of Gandhi in the national movement and the second the period thenceforward. In the first period the extremist ideology emerged as a potent factor that challenged the moderate’s ideology which did not treat England as the enemy of India rather friend. Because such an assertion, as was cognized by the Moderate wing of the Congress, the multidimensional back wardnesses of India could have been removed only with the cooperation of England. This assertion of the Moderate leaders was challenged by the extremist who wanted the anti-British movement to be carried on uncompromisingly. The ideological debate in early years centred round it. I this stage the Extremist severely lacked scientific attitude and mass organization, both, and their ideological immaturity led them to enclose reactionary approach to the movement such as imposition of India’s ancient culture and civilization as superior to Industrial culture. They, consequently, failed to project major offensive against imperialism. Their programmes and scheme recived ideological ground only in 1905 when revolutionary events like 1905 Russina revolution and defeat of Russian czardom by Asiatic Japan paved ground and to that sequel boycott was accepted as a new strategy of the Indian national movement. Since 1905 till the the death of Tilak Extremist remained potent factor in the Indian national movement.

 

In the second stage Extremism of early years could not survive in its original form, rather it was transformed into an anti-imperialist vows adhered by revolutionary forced and got itself transformed into an anti-imperialist movent. But the root of anti-imperialism was grounded by the Extremist ideology of the past. India’s struggle for freedom when assume anti-imperialism as its ideology it maintained its this creed till its final victory.

 

Each chapter has cited footnotes with details to substantiate the discussion.

 

REFRENCE:

1    Sir William Wedderburn, Allan Octavian Hume, Father of the Indian National Congress, 1913, p.50.

2    Ramesh Chandra Dutt , The Economic History of India, vol. I Preface  " India under Early British Rule" ,1901, p XVIII

3    Quoted by :R.P.Dutta, India Today, Manish Granthalay, Calcutta, 1997, p. 322

4    Ibid, p. 325 .

5    Young India, 31, December, 1919.

6    Lala Lajpat Rai, Presidential Address to the Special Congress session in Sept., 1920, Calcutta .

7    Official History of the National Congress, P. 628

8    The Times, 8 May, 1931 .

9    Gandhi's Letter to Victory, 2 March, 1930 .

10  Young India, 27 February, 1930 .

 

DOCUMENTS:

1    A. B. Keith, Speeches and Documents on Indian Policy 1750- 1921, Vol -1 

2    A. A. Purcell and J. Hallsworth, Report on Labour condition in India, 1928, Trade Union Congress .

3    Annual Factory Report of the Presidency of Bombay, 1924 .

4    Bengal Census Report , 1931 .

5    Bihar and Orissa Report , 1921 .

6    C. R. Das , Speeches 

7    C. R. India for Indians , 1921 .

8    Lajpat Rai, Presidential Address Address to the Calcutta Special Session of the Indian National Congress , September, 1920 .

9    Lord Minto , speech to Muslim Deputation in 1906 .

10  Manifesto of the Communist Party of India to the  Ahmedabad National Congress , 1921 .

11  Marx letter to Engles , 8 October 1858 .

12  Moral and Material Progress of India , 1921 . Government Annual Report 1921. 

13  Montague - Chelmsford Report , 1918 .

14  Report of the East India Company , 1812 .

 

BOOKS:

1    A. C. Majumdar, Indian National Evolution, 1917 .

2    Adam Smith, Wealth of Nations, Book IX and X .

3    A. R. Desai, Indian Feudal State and the National Struggle .

4    Aga Khan, India in Transition, 1918 .

5    Anny Besant Indian Wright for Freedom, 1915. 

6    A. K. Ghosh, Public Administration in India, 1920 .

7    Auribind  Ghose, Bal Gangadhar Tilak, 1918 .

8    Mohammad Barkatulah, The Khilafat, 1922 .

9    M. K. Gandhi, Autobiography, 1940.

10  M. K. Gandhi, Speeches and Writings, 

11  M. K. Gandhi, satyagrah, 1935

12  M. S. Natrajan, Famine , 1944.

13  N. C. Kelkar, Life and Time of Lokmanya Tilak, 1928 .

14  Rajendra Prasad, Pakistan , 1940 .

15  Rajendra Prasad India divided, 1946

16  R. K. Das The Labour Movement in India , 1923 .

 

 

ARTICLE :

1    h. w. nEVINSON , "Review of the Simon Report ." New Leader, 27 , July , 1930 .

2    K. Marx , " The Native States ," New York Daily Tribune , 25 , July , 1853 .

3    K. Marx , " The British Rule in India ," New York Daily Tribune , 8 Aug 1853 

4    M. H. Gopal " Industrial Profit since 1939 " Eastern Economist , 12 May 1944 

5    Sir Alfred Watson , " Lecture on the Royal Empire Society " The Times , 4 June 1933