Sambhav-2023

Answer 1

Approach

• Introduce the nature of pre-INC organizations.
• Discuss how pre-INC organizations has developed national consciousness and resistance to colonial rule in India.
• Conclude suitably.

Introduction

• The Indian independence movement was a mass-based political movement that sought to end British colonial rule in India. It was a long and complex process that involved the efforts of numerous individuals and organizations over many decades.
• Pre-INC organizations, played a significant role in the development of national consciousness and resistance to colonial rule in India.

Body

• Most of these organisations had demanded macro level reforms like
  • Administrative Reform
  • Association of Indians with the administration and
  • Spread of education

There are some of these organisations and their contribution to the ideological and political India for nation building:

• British India Association 1851: Formed by merging Zamindari Association and Bengal British India Society. It had raised voice for-
  • Separate legislature of a popular character
  • Separate executive and judicial functions
  • Reduction in salaries of officials and various duties.
  • The organisation by its macro level demand brought political awareness among middle class intelligentsia.
• East India Association 1866: It was organised by Dadabhai Naoroji in London to influence the public in England for India’s welfare. This was the first organisation to use persuasion in foreign land for India's interest.
• The Indian League 1875: It was started by Sisir Kumar Ghosh. Its contribution was “stimulating the sense of nationalism amongst the people” and of “encouraging political education”.
• The India Association of Calcutta (aka Indian National Association): It was led by Surendranath Banerjea and Anand Mohan Bose. It contributed to:
  • Create a strong public opinion on the political question
  • Unify Indian people in a common political program.
• Pre-INC organisation organised various campaigns, which brought resistance to colonial rule in India like:
  • Against Arms Act 1878
  • Against Vernacular Press Act 1878
  • Against plantation labour and against Inland Emigration Act
  • In support of the Ilbert bill
  • Campaign in British to vote for pro-India party
  • Against reduction in maximum age for appearing in civil services.
• The pre-INC organizations to the development of national consciousness by various campaign and contributed to the nation building and national contribution. Like:
  • Bring political and economic awareness amongst middle class intelligentsia
  • Brought sense of belongingness amongst the elite for cause of masses
  • Raised voice for major executive, judicial and legislative reform
  • Campaign for general administrative and defense civil rights.

Although the pre-INC has contributed to the development of national consciousness and contributed to the nation building but they have certain weakness in their policies like:

• Their too much law abiding and constitutional way of protest, popularly known as the prayer, petition and protest method.
• They were reluctant to actively protest against excessive westernisation and colonial designs to submerge the Indian national identity in the British Empire.
  • Their narrow social base and lack of political faith in the masses. They failed to widen their democratic base and the scope of their demands.
• Their belief that the India’s relations with British are in interest of Indians.

Conclusion

• These organisations had given a democratic and peaceful form of struggle that led to mass movement in later years.
• Although these organisations had been dominated by wealthy and aristocratic persons but created a politically trained and democratically managed middle-class intelligentsia that brought mass movement under leadership of Gandhi and others.

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Answer 2

Approach

• Briefly Introduce rise and growth of Indian nationalism.
• Discuss how the modern nationalism begun in India and the failure of moderates led to the dominance of militant nationalism.
• Conclude suitably.

Introduction

The rise and growth of Indian nationalism has been traditionally explained in terms of Indian response to the stimulus generated by the British Raj through creation of new institutions, new opportunities, resources, etc. In other words, Indian nationalism grew partly as a result of colonial policies and partly as a reaction to colonial policies.

Body

The Indian nationalism was a product of a mix of various factors, like:

• Understanding of Contradictions in Indian and Colonial Interests: People came to realise that colonial rule was the major cause of India’s economic backwardness. The nationalist movement arose to take up the challenge of these contradictions inherent in the character and policies of colonial rule.
• Political, Administrative, and Economic Unification of the Country: The British rule in the Indian subcontinent created a larger state. The British sword imposed political unity in India. This process of unification had a two-fold effect:
  • The economic fate of the people of different regions got linked together.
  • Modern means of transport and communication brought people and leaders, from different regions together, and facilitate the exchange of political ideas.
• Western Thought and Education: It had afforded opportunities for assimilation of modern Western ideas and gave a new direction to Indian political thinking. The liberal and radical thought of European writers helped many Indians imbibe modern rational, secular, democratic, and nationalist ideas.
  • This ever-expanding English educated class formed the middle-class intelligentsia who constituted the nucleus for the newly arising political unrest. This section provided leadership to the Indian political associations.
• Rediscovery of India’s Past: Indian scholars depicted India’s past and showed the characteristics like well-developed political, economic, and social institutions, a flourishing trade with the outside world, a rich heritage in arts and culture and numerous cities.
  • It gave a psychological boost to the educated Indians. The self-respect and confidence so gained helped the nationalists to demolish colonial myths that India had a long history of servility to foreign rulers.
• Progressive Character of Socio-religious Reform Movements: These reform movements removed social evils which divided the Indian society; this had the effect of bringing different sections together and proved to be an important factor in the growth of Indian nationalism.
• Rise of Middle-Class Intelligentsia: British administrative and economic innovations gave rise to a new urban middle class in towns. This class, prominent because of its education, new position, and its close ties with the ruling class, came to the forefront. The leadership to the Indian National Congress in all its stages of growth was provided by this class.
• Impact of Contemporary Movements in the World: Rise of a number of nations on the ruins of the Spanish and Portuguese empires in South America, and the national liberation movements of Greece and Italy in general and of Ireland in particular deeply influenced the nationalist ranks.
• Reactionary Policies and Racial Arrogance of Rulers: Racial myths of whites and a deliberate policy of discrimination and segregation left Indians deeply hurt. E.g., the grand Delhi Durbar of 1877 when the country was in the severe grip of famine, the Vernacular Press Act (1878), and the Arms Act (1878) provoked a storm of opposition in the country.

On one hand, the rise of nationalism and lack of effective policies of the Moderates to solve the very pertaining issues in the society leads to the rise of more vocal and militant nationalism that were not hesitant to adopt unconstitutional means to achieve the goal of Indians and make India free from colonial rule.

The factors that led to failure of moderates:

• The younger elements within the Congress were dissatisfied with the achievements of the Moderates during the first 15– 20 years.
  • They were strongly critical of the methods of peaceful and constitutional agitation, popularly known as the “Three ‘P’s”—prayer, petition and protest—and described these methods as ‘political mendicancy’.
• Moderates were reluctant to actively protest against excessive westernization and colonial designs to submerge the Indian national identity in the British Empire.
• Moderates had a narrow social base and early nationalists lacked political faith in the masses; they felt that there were numerous divisions and subdivisions in the Indian society, and the masses were generally ignorant and had conservative ideas and thoughts.
  • They failed to widen their democratic base and the scope of their demands.
• The moderate political activity involved constitutional agitation within the confines of law and showed a slow but orderly political progress. The Moderates believed that the India’s relations with British are in interest of Indians.
• These were the reasons that brought the moderates at less competitive position than the militant nationalist.

Conclusion

Although the moderate’s policy was not complete failure instead, they had very long vision and prepared ground for the Indian masses to show the militant and revolutionary form of nationalism.