Indian National Congress and Maharashtra

 

 

Indian National Congress and Maharashtra

Indian National Congress was formed in the year 1885. Retired British Servant Allan Octavian  Hume played an important role in the establishment of Indian National Congress.

The first session of the Indian National Congress was held in the city of Bombay from 28 to 31 December 1885. It was held in Gkuldas Tejpal Sanskrit College.

As many as Seventy Two delegates from different parts of India attended the first session of Indian National Congress. As far as the Presidencies of Bombay, Madras and Bengal were concerned Thirty Eight, Twenty One and Four delegates attended the first session of Indian National Congress respectively from these Presidencies. The President of the first session was Womesh Chandra Bannerji.

Originally the first session of Indian National Congress was planned to be held in Pune. Poona Sarvajanik Sabha was to play the host of the first session but there was an outbreak of cholera in Pune at that point of time. Hence, the venue of the first session was shifted from Pune to Bombay. Since then during the years of freedom struggle the annual sessions of Indian National Congress were held at various places in different parts of India.

As far as the connection of Maharashtra with Indian National Congress was concerned it was established in Bombay city located in Bombay Presidency i.e. today’s Maharashtra. The prominent leaders like Dadabhai Naoroji, Sir Pherozshah Mehta, Badruddin Tyabji and N. G. Chandavarkar from Bombay city had served as the Presidents of Indian National Congress.

Some of the other well-known personalities from Bombay Presidency or Maharashtra who were associated with Indian National Congress in pre-independence era were Justice Mahadev Govind Ranade, Justice Kashinath Tryambak Telang, Gopal Krishna Gokhale, Lokmanya Tilak among others. Gopal Krishna Gokhale is considered as the Mentor of Mahatma Gandhi.

Bombay Presidency Association was established in Bombay city in 1885. The founders of Bombay Presidency Association viz. Sir Pherozshah Mehta, Kashinath Tryambak Telang and Badruddin Tyabji were closely associated with Indian National Congress. Badruddin Tyabji and Sir Pherozshah Mehta were Presidents of the Sessions of Indian National Congress held in 1887 and 1890 in Madras and Calcutta respectively. Kashinath Tryambak Telang was the Secretary of the Reception Committee for the first session of the Indian National Congress to be held in Bombay city in 1885.

We have already seen that Poona Sarvajanik Sabha another Provincial Association from Bombay Presidency or present day Maharashtra was to organise the first session of the Indian National Congress.

The above discussion shows that the Provincial Associations from Maharashtra and many leaders from Bombay Presidency were actively involved in the activities of Indian National Congress since its inception. Maharashtra also responded positively and enthusiastically when the call for freedom struggle was given and participated in the various movements launched against British such as Non-cooperation Movement, Civil Disobedience Movement, Quit India Movement, etc.