Important Indian National Congress Sessions

Introduction

• The Indian National Congress was founded at Bombay in December 1885.
• The early leadership – Dadabhai Naoroji, Pherozeshah Mehta, Badruddin Tyabji, W.C. Bonnerji, Surendranath Banerji, Romesh Chandra Dutt, S. Subramania Iyer, among others – was largely from Bombay and Calcutta.
• A retired British official, A.O. Hume, also played a part in bringing Indians from the various regions together.
• Formation of Indian National Congress was an effort in the direction of promoting the process of nation building.
• In an effort to reach all regions, it was decided to rotate the Congress session among different parts of the country.
• The President belonged to a region other than where the Congress session was being held.

Sessions

• First Session: held at Bombay in 1885. President: W.C. Bannerjee
  
  • Formation of Indian National Congress.
• Second Session: held at Calcutta in 1886. President: Dadabhai Naoroji
• Third Session: held at Madras in 1887. President: Syed Badruddin Tyabji, first muslim President.
• Fourth Session: held at Allahabad in 1888. President: George Yule, first English President.
• 1896: Calcutta. President: Rahimtullah Sayani
  
  • National Song ‘Vande Mataram’ sung for the first time by Rabindranath Tagore.
• 1899: Lucknow. President: Romesh Chandra Dutt.
  
  • Demand for permanent fixation of Land revenue
• 1901: Calcutta. President: Dinshaw E.Wacha
  
  • First time Gandhiji appeared on the Congress platform
• 1905: Benaras. President: Gopal Krishan Gokhale
  
  • Formal proclamation of Swadeshi movement against government
• 1906: Calcutta. President: Dadabhai Naoroji
  
  • Adopted four resolutions on: Swaraj (Self Government), Boycott Movement, Swadeshi & National Education
• 1907: Surat. President: Rash Bihari Ghosh
  
  • Split in Congress- Moderates & Extremist
  • Adjournment of Session
• 1910: Allahabad. President: Sir William Wedderburn
  • M.A Jinnah decried the separate electorate system introduced by act of 1909
• 1911: Calcutta. President: B.N. Dhar
  
  • First time recital of Jan-Gan-Man in Congress session
• 1915: Bombay. President: Sir S.P. Sinha
  
  • Constitution of the Congress was altered to admit the delegates from the extremist section
• 1916: Lucknow. President: A.C. Majumdar
  
  • Unity between two factions-Moderates and Extremists of Congress
  • Lucknow Pact signed between Congress and Muslim League to build political consensus
• 1917: Calcutta. President: Annie Besant, First Woman President of Congress
• 1918 (Special session): Bombay. President: Syed Hasan Imam
  
  • The session was convened to deliberate the contentious Montagu–Chelmsford Reforms Scheme
• 1919: Amritsar. President: Motilal Nehru
  
  • Congress extended support to Khilafat Movement
• 1920 (Special Session): Calcutta. President: Lala Lajpat Rai
  
  • Mahatma Gandhi moved the Non cooperation resolution
• 1920: Nagpur. President: C. Vijayaraghavachariar
  
  • Reconstitution of Working committees of Congress on Linguistic basis
  • MA Jinnah left the Indian National Congress
• 1922: Gaya. President: C.R. Das
  
  • CR Das and other leaders broke away from INC
  • Formation of Swaraj Party
• 1924: Belgaum. President: M.K. Gandhi
  
  • Only Session presided over by Mahatma Gandhi
• 1925: Kanpur. President: Sarojini Naidu, First Indian Woman President
• 1927: Madras. President: Dr. M.A. Ansari
  
  • Passed a resolution against the use of Indian troops in China, Iran and Mesopotamia.
  • Passed a resolution against boycott of Simon Commission
  • Adoption of resolution on Purna Swaraj
• 1928: Calcutta. President: Motilal Nehru
  
  • Formation of All India Youth Congress
• 1929: Lahore. President: Jawahar Lal Nehru
  
  • Passed the resolution on ‘Poorna Swaraj.’
  • Civil Disobedience movement for complete independence to be launched
  • 26 January to be observed as ‘Independence Day’.
• 1931: Karachi. President: Vallabhbhai Patel
  
  • Resolutions on Fundamental Rights and National Economic Programme
  • Endorsement of Gandhi-Irwin pact
  • Gandhi nominated to represent INC in the Second Round Table Conference to be held in London
• 1934: Bombay. President: Rajendra Prasad
  
  • Amendment in the Constitution of Congress
• 1936: Lucknow. President: Jawahar Lal Nehru
  
  • Push towards socialist ideas by Jawahar Lal Nehru
• 1937: Faizpur. President: Jawahar Lal Nehru
  
  • First Session to be held in a village
• 1938: Haripura. President: Subhas Chandra Bose
  
  • National Planning Committee set up under Jawahar Lal Nehru.
• 1939: Tripuri. President: Rajendra Prasad
  
  • Subhas Chandra Bose was re-elected but had to resign
  • Rajendra Prasad was appointed in his place
  • Subhash Chandra Bose formed Forward Bloc
• 1940: Ramgarh. President: Abul Kalam Azad
  
  • Civil Disobedience movement to be launched at appropriate time and circumstances.
• 1941–45: This Period is marked by events i.e. Quit India movement, RIN Mutiny & INA trials.
  
  • Phase of constitutional negotiations such as Cripps Mission, Wavell Plan and Cabinet Mission.
  • On account of these events during this phase no congress session was held.
• 1946: Meerut. President: J.B Kripalani
  
  • Last session before independence
  • J.B Kriplani was the president of INC at independence.

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