Yashi Janamanchi

Ryne Culley
Period 7

Imperialism Project Essay: The Indian National Congress

The Indian National Congress was Indias first political party, its largest current political
party, and one of the most influential organizations in India, existing as the main force behind the
independence movement and as the party of more than half of Indias prime ministers. While it
may be the subject of numerous controversies today in relation to nepotism and corruption, in its
time, the INC was very influential and was the face of Indian independence, being the party of
numerous figures such as Jawaharlal Nehru and Mahatma Gandhi.
The Indian National Congress was established in 1885 by a British civil servant Allan
Octavian Hume, a Parsi scholar by the name of Dadabhai Naoroji, Sir Dinshaw Edulji Wacha,
Indian barristers Womesh Chunder Bonnerjee and Monomohun Ghose, Surendranath Bannerjee,
Mahadev Govind Ranade, and a Scottish civil servant William Wedderburn. The party was
originally started to get more Indian seats within British Parliament, with the first president of
the organization being Womesh Chunder Bonnerjee. However, as the years went by and more
and more revolts against the British were taking place, the party started to get behind the
independence movement, becoming the main leaders of it. During the independence movement,
the party drew more than 15 million people, and got more than triple that number to join the
revolutionary movement. However, there was some conflict within the party about
independence, specifically when it came to methodology. The party was divided into two groups:
activists and moderates. The activists, like Surya Sen were very militant, unafraid to use
violence, meanwhile the moderates were much more focused on diplomacy, they were very

supportive of Gandhis nonviolent movement. After independence was achieved in 1947, the
INC continued to play a major role in Indian politics, electing Indias first Prime Minister the
then president of the INC, Jawaharlal Nehru.
While credited as being the main force behind Indias independence, the INC, similar to
the U.S. Democratic party, started to become synonymous with corporate interests and big
business, with many allegations of corruption thrown against the party. The party has also
become known for its infamous leader who became the third Prime Minister of India, Indira
Gandhi, Nehrus daughter. Mainly known for her autocratic and almost dictatorial term as PM,
Indira Gandhi is known as one of Indias most unpopular and ineffective prime ministers, and is
attributed with the INCs downfall. While Indias last PM belonged to the INC and has been one
of Indias most popular Prime Ministers, today the current Prime Minister belongs to the right
wing party of India, the Bharatiya Janata Party, which also won 282 seats in Indias lower
parliament in 2014, while the INC won a measly 44. That year, the INC also lost every
subsequent state election to the BJP.
While currently unpopular, no one can deny that the Indian National Congress has been
one of the most, if not the most, influential groups in India. Credited with freeing India with
Gandhiji, the INC is one of the most important parts of Indian history.