• Dr. Anil Dutta Mishra

The Indian National Congress, founded in 1885, is the first and oldest political organisation started to get independence from the British Empire. In the beginning, it was dominated by elite and educated. Mahatma Gandhi and Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru made Congress Party a ‘People’s Organisation’ through their thoughts, actions and deeds. Congress Party played a historic role in forcing Britishers to give independence, and after independence, built India brick-by-brick and laid strong foundation of Modern democratic and secular India.

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi went to South Africa for bread and butter but returned in 1915 as Mahatma Gandhi. On the advice of Shri Gopal Krishna Gokhale, his political mentor, he took a nationwide journey to understand India and Indians. What he saw reaffirmed in his mind his faith in the ideals of non-violence, harmony and satyagraha. Gandhi Ji first developed the idea of satyagraha in 1906 in opposition to legislation that discriminated against Asians in the British colony of the Transvaal in South Africa. Non-violence struggle took place in India from 1917 to 1947, incorporating fasting and economic on- cooperation. He served as a lawyer, politician, and activist in the struggle for social justice and for India’s independence from British rule. Gandhi Ji is internationally esteemed for his doctrine of non-violent protest to achieve political, economic and social goal.

The 1901 Calcutta Session of the Congress Party was the first time that Mahatma Gandhi appeared on the Congress’ platform as a lawyer based in South Africa. Gandhi ji urged the Congress to support the struggle against racial discrimination and exploitation in the country. At the Calcutta Session, Gandhi Ji took a broom and cleaned the dirty places around the conference area. That was his humbleness and unique way of service to connect with the people. At its Bombay Session 1904, the Congress protested the violation of rules by Lord Curzon as he used revenues from India for his forward policy in Tibet. The Congress also recorded its emphatic protest against the Curzon administration’s proposal to divide Bengal, a province which was at the forefront of the anti-British struggle.

Mahatma Gandhi’s entry and meteoric rise in the Indian political scenario following his return from South Africa, has been variously equated with the emergence of a guiding light to a breath of fresh air. Indian National Congress was the single most popular Party, spearheading India’s war for independence when Gandhi Ji returned, having led two successful revolutions in South Africa. He is remembered for four virtues – non-violence, truth, love and fraternity. Through these four virtues, he brought Congress Party in forefront and brought freedom to India. He attended the Lucknow Session of Congress Party in 1916 where for the first time, he met Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru and they instantly became admirer of each other. Their friendship continued till the last moment of their life. Within few years, Gandhi ji became the supreme leader of Indian National Congress after Champaran movement. He introduced a number of reforms within the Party and changed the mindset of the masses. He inspired masses and masses inspired him. The first responsibility that Gandhi Ji undertook as the President of the Indian National Congress was to increase the reach of the Party among the masses who reside in the remote corners, in order to eradicate its elitist status. Gandhi Ji famously stated that rural India was the very backbone of the country, both in economic and in logistical terms. He believed that no movement can be truly successful unless it is wholeheartedly supported by the inhabitants of the Indian villages. The first step that he took was to considerably reduce the membership fee of the Party. Then he restructured the entire Party hierarchy, and opened new Party branches at various provinces and princely states of India. Soon, Congress took a national dimension with membership multiplied manifold. Gandhi Ji became the undisputed natural leader and guiding star of the Congress Party. Gandhi Ji’s first major achievement was in 1918 when he led the Champaran and Kheda agitations of Bihar and Gujarat. He also led Non-Cooperation Movement, Civil Disobedience Movement, Swaraj, and Quit-India movement against the British government. With such great following, non-cooperation movement against the Rowlatt Act and the Amritsar tragedy naturally took massive national dimension. Gandhi Ji called off the Non-Cooperation Movement abruptly following the unfortunate violence at Chauri Chaura in Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh. It was even condemned by many of his most loyal followers as a historic blunder. But determined Gandhi stood for non-violence. Gandhi Ji was arrested in 1922. In the Calcutta Conference of 1928, he announced his arrival with aplomb, daring the British government with a one-year deadline to free India. He was influenced by the enthusiasm of younger Congressmen particularly Jawahar Lal Nehru and Subhash Chandra Bose. The government did not respond and the INC celebrated Indian independence on January 26, 1930, following the proposals undertaken at Lahore Congress the year before. At the Congress 1929 Lahore session under the presidency of Jawaharlal Nehru, ‘Purna Swaraj’ (complete independence) was declared as the Party›s goal, declaring 26 January 1930 as Purna Swaraj Diwas .Gandhi Ji started Dandi March in 1930 with 79 selected people from all parts of India. This march was a great success and blew the foundation of the British Empire, where ‘Sun never set’. Gandhi ji removed the fear from the masses and entire country revolted against the wrong laws of the British.

Gandhi - Irwin pact was signed. As per the pact, Gandhi Ji reached England in 1931 as the sole representative of the Indian National Congress to participate in the Second Round Table conference, where he delivered an invigorating speech, exposing the brutalities of the British rule in India. The conference failed and the British government thereafter indulged in a divide-and-rule policy with the introduction of the Communal Award rule. To oppose this, Gandhi ji started the fast until death that he undertook on 20th September, 1932. His condition deteriorated and soon the warring factions were forced to come to terms of commonality. There would be a common election for the Hindus with the harijans and the other backward categories having seats reserved for them. The meeting with Ambedkar was successful, a great cessation was avoided at Gandhi Ji’s own initiative and the British policy of divide-and-rule suffered a setback. In 1942, Congress Party Started ‘Quit India Movement’ which got massive support of people and finally India got Independence in 1947. Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru became the first Prime Minister and gave India everything that is needed. He established basic and heavy industries, IITs, IIMs, BARC, AIIMS, ISRO etc. Soon after the Independence, Gandhi ji was assassinated by Nathuram Godse on 30 January 1948. Nehru ji said, “the light has gone out of our lives, and there is darkness everywhere”. The United Nations declared Gandhi Ji’s birthday, October 2nd, as the International Day of Non-violence in 2007.

Gandhi Ji’s legacy was carried forward by Indira Gandhi Ji by nationalising the Banks and Rajeev Gandhi Ji by starting IT revolution and modern infrastructure in India. Congress and its leaders have always sacrificed for the nation. For them, nation is first and nation is last. The foundation of whatever India has achieved today was laid by Nehru ji, Patel ji, Shastri ji, Indira Gandhi ji, Rajeev Gandhiji and many others. We cannot think India and Indian democracy without Congress Party along with its leaders and dedicated workers. The Congress Party has history, ideology, sacrifice, commitment and vision for new vibrant and united India. The Congress Party and its governments gave power to the powerless voice to the voiceless. It empowered women, Dalits, STs and SCs to live with dignity.

Even when the Congress Party is not in power today, it is playing a role of vibrant opposition inside and outside the parliament. The ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ started on September 08, 2022, from Kanyakumari by Shri Rahul Gandhi (covering 3500 Kms on foot) will culminate in J&K. It is a Yatra to bring harmony, peace and awakening the masses on issues of poverty, unemployment, inequality, hate, fear and domination.

(Author is a renowned Gandhian scholar and author of ‘Reading Gandhi’)