Indian National Congress 1920: Battle for the Soul

Chair: Aman Thakker

The Greater Washington Conference on International Affairs The George Washington University

International Affairs Society November 1st, 2014

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Committee Description

The delegates of this committee will be placed in this very tense time of the history of the

INC. You will discuss integral issues like the core platform of the Indian National Congress

going forward, and how to continue negotiations with the British government regarding

independence.

History of the Indian National Congress

The Indian National Congress, today, is one of the two largest parties in Indian politics.

However, the organization dates its history back to 1885, when it was formed by Indian and

British members of the Theosophical Society for the purpose of “obtaining a greater share in

government for educated Indians and to create a platform for civic and political dialogue of

educated Indians with the British Raj.”

As the Congress began to grow, and educated Indians began to join, the organization

started getting radicalized and pro-independence. The entrance of figures such as Bal Gangadhar

Tilak, famously known as “Lokmanya” or “a man of the people,” transformed the organization

into the first political group actively campaigning for independence in India.

By 1920, the Indian National Congress had successfully spearheaded the independence

movement in India, and a majority of Indians began to support the idea of swaraj, or “self-rule.”

However, the party began having internal disagreements as to the manner in which to approach

the struggle of Independence. The “Garam Dal” or the Extremist Faction of the INC campaigned

for a violent revolution that would beat the British out, while the “Naram Dal” or the Non-

violent faction wholeheartedly supported Gandhi’s philosophy of satyagraha and non-

cooperation rather than violence.

Indian National Congress Today

It is 1920, and the Indian National Congress is at a crossroad. The core committee of the

INC, comprised of 15 members is split into three factions: The Non-violent Faction, the Garam

Dal, and the Moderate Undecideds. There are tough decisions for the committee to make. Will

the INC adopt the ideology of Gandhi, or will it support the revolutionary activities of the Garam

Dal? Will they negotiate with British for home rule, or fight them until independence is

achieved? It is up to the members of this committee to decide India’s future.

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Committee Structure

Members of the body will have equal voting power. There will some minor crisis elements

played out to move the plot of this committee forward, but virtually all action of this committee

should be taken by committee-wide resolutions. The chair of this committee will portray C.

Vijayaraghavachariar, the current President of the Indian National Congress so as to play a

liaison between the two competing factions, and to be neutral midpoint between the differing

ideologies.

Topic A: Party Platform

As a political organization, the INC has a party platform to articulate and express its

intentions, beliefs, and ideology. As Gandhi’s influence increased in the INC, there was an open

disagreement within the party over ideology and the future of the independence movement. At

the heart of this issue was a discussion to permanently edit and codify non-violence into the

platform. This move, however, has been blocked by the Garam Dal, and is causing a standoff

between the two groups. The recent events, such as the massacre in Amristar, where a British

General led a platoon of British officers in to Jallianwala Bagh, where a non-violent protest was

occurring, and ordered the officers to shoot and kill the protestors. This event caused sheer

outrage and riots around India, and has led to increased support of the Garam Dal.

Since the party platform is public in nature, and is a rallying cry to the public of India,

which sees the INC as its leaders in the fight for independence, it is imperative that the platform

be as clear and unambiguous as possible. There are huge political ramifications to both victory

and loss in the platform battle. If non-violence is not coded in, the public could lose faith in

Gandhi and the non-violent faction’s ability to lead. The Garam Dal, however, would have

renewed power, and could win public support, which is currently split between them and the

non-violent faction. However, if non-violence is a part of the platform, then it could sap all

support from the Garam Dal, and would force them to either change their ideology and agree

with the platform, or leave the INC altogether. Moreover, as the non-violent faction has recently

pushed for the election of Mahatma Gandhi to the President of the Indian National Congress, a

victory in the platform issue would all but guarantee his victory in the elections. This decision

could very directly affect this trajectory of the Independence movement, and the delegates would

have to ensure that while personal political success is important, that India moves in the right

direction.

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Topic B: The Future of the Independence Movement

1920 is also shaping up to be an important year for the independence movement. All talks

about home rule and Indian Independence had been put on hold at the outbreak of the World

War, which India was forced to contribute troops to, and fight for the British. As the war ended

in November of 1919, the idea of resuming negotiations is being discussed both in public and in

private. The core members of the INC must decide if negotiations should be continued, and how

they should be conducted. Key issues to consider will be whether or not the INC should trust the

British to negotiate in good faith, what the INC’s demands should be if negotiations do go

through, and who should represent the INC in these negotiations. These decisions will also

impact the INC’s ability to act outside of these negotiations. If negotiations do continue, the

British government could place a gag rule on the INC from campaigning against the British rule,

severely affecting the Garam Dal’s ability to mobilize its supporters. Moreover, the choice of

negotiator could affect internal relations of the INC. Muslim support of the INC has been slowly

eroding, and Muhammad Ali Jinnah, a prominent Muslim member of the INC, has been warning

of talks of separation among some radical Muslims. If the Muslim supports believe that INC

negotiators do not have Muslim interests at heart, it could cause a huge split in the INC, and

could cripple negotiations. Finally, if negotiations do not go forward, the delegates must come up

with some sore of contingency plan for the INC to continue the fight for independence. This will

be an incredibly important opportunity for the Indian National Congress to move closer towards

self-rule for India, but one wrong move could set India back. It is imperative that the body take

the best decision for India’s future.

Committee Positions

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi Mohandas Gandhi (popularly known as Mahatma, or “Great Soul) is an extremely powerful and well-known member of the Indian National Congress. He is an English-educated barrister, who is famous for advocating on behalf of Indians in South Africa. He returned to India in 1915, and began campaigning on behalf of farmers in Champaran. He is the leader of the non-violent non-cooperation movement, and is supported by his faction to be the next leader and President of the Indian National Congress. Jawaharlal Nehru Jawaharlal Nehru is a powerful member of the Indian National Congress. Son of known Indian lawyer and statesman, Motilal Nehru, Nehru is a British-educated lawyer who has made a large name for himself in Indian politics. A close ally of

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Mahatma Gandhi, Nehru is an ardent supporter of his non-violent policies. He has left-leaning ideologies, and is considered a champion of those policies by others in the INC who share those beliefs. Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Vallabhbhai Patel is a prominent lawyer in India, and popular figure in India. Commonly seen on the front line of large protests and political events. He has supported Gandhi since his time in Chamaparan, and is well respected by Gandhi, who actively seeks his advice and s uggestions Dr. Rajendra Prasad Dr. Rajendra Prasad is another very close ally of Mahatma Gandhi. He joined the INC in 1911, and met Gandhi in 1916. Gandhi asked him to volunteer with him in Champaram, where their relationship grew and Dr. Prasad became a devoted follower. He was so moved by Gandhi that he gave up his lucrative law career to become an activist within the INC, and support Gan dhi’s plans of Non-cooperation. Motilal Nehru Motilal Nehru is the father of Jawaharlal Nehru, and was the most recent President of the Indian National Congress in 1919. He was a well known lawyer in India, and was the prime author and Editor-in-Chief of the daily newspaper The Independent. He, like his son, is very close to Mahatma Gandhi, and supports his movement of Non-Cooperation. Maulana Abul Kalam Azad Abdul Kalam Azad, popularly known as “Maulana” or “learned man,” is a popular Indian scholar and activist. He rose to fame by writing blistering critiques of the British Raj and espousing Indian Nationalism. He is an enthusiastic supporter of Gandhi’s ideals, and w as the prime architect of the non-cooperation movement that began in retaliation to the Rowlatt Acts of 1919. Lokmanya Tilak Bal Gangadhar Tilak (popularly known as Lokmanya, or “of the people) was the first leader of the Indian Independence movement. He is one of the strongest advocates of Swaraj (self-rule), proudly proclaiming that “Swaraj is my birthright, and I shall have it!” He is also called the “Father of Indian unrest,” he was one of the INC most radical nationalists. He is the central figure of the Garam Dal, along with Bipinchandra Pal. He is also the founder of the All India Home Rule League, an activist group that worked all year round for the sole purpose of creating pressure on the British rule, and to create support for home rule.

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Bipin Chandra Pal Bipin Chandra Pal is a close ally of Lokmanya Tilak, forming what was called the “Lal-Pal-Bal” trio of the Garam Dal. He was closely related to revolutionary activities around India, and claimed to have no faith in non-violent protests. In fact, he did not see eye to eye with Gandhi on most issues regarding the battle for Independence, and was one of the most nationalist members of the Garam Dal. Mohammad Ali Jinnah Mohammad Ali Jinnah is a powerful member of the Indian National Congress, having participated in its activities since the start of the century. However, he has been increasingly displaying displeasure at the manner in which the INC is moving to adopt Gandhi’s strategies. He is a close ally of Lokmanya Tilak, and has worked with him in the past to support Hindu-Muslim unity and home rule for India. V. O. Chidambaram Pillai V. O. Chidambaram Pillai is a radical Hindu Nationalist and a disciple of Lokmanya Tilak. He was associated with many revolutionary activities, and was even charged with sedition and imprisioned for life. However, since his release in 1910, he has retuned to politics in the Indian National Congress, taking a hardliner stance against Gandhi.

Annie Besant Annie Besant is the only English member of the core committee of the INC, and has been an ardent supporter of Indian self-rule. She was elected president of the INC in 1917. She was a founding member, with Lokmanya Tilak, of the All India Home Rule League. However, she also has warm relations and Gandhi. Her only disagreements with him and Nehru are their leanings towards socialisms, but not on the topic of non-violent protest. Lala Rajpat Rai Lala Rajpat Rai is the third member of the Lal-Pal-Bal trio of the Garam Dal. Popularly known as the “Lion of Punjab,” he was a pillar of radical Indian nationalism in India. He rarely disagreed with his two compatriots, and would often be on the frontlines of protests and riots, especially in Punjab. C. Rajagopalachari C. Rajagopalchari was an Indian lawyer and independence activist. He joined the Indian National Congress after he was inspired by the work of Lokmanya Tilak. He also had warm relations with Annie Besant and V. O. Chidambaram Pillai, who were members of the Garam Dal. However, since 1919, he has also worked closely with Mahatma Gandhi on the non-violent protests against the Rowlatt Act. He is, therefore, seen as a key swing vote in this committee.

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Chittaranjan Das Chittarnajan Das (known popularly as Deshbandhu, or “Friend of the Country) is an English-educated barrister. He rose to fame when he defended Aurobindo Ghosh in his involvement with the Alipore bombing controversy. However, Chittaranjan Das also worked closely with Gandhi in the Non-cooperation movement, playing a key role in its success in Bengal. He maintains good relations with members of both factions, and could bring popular support in Bengal to whichever faction he chooses to support. Madan Mohan Malaviya Madan Mohan Malaviya is well known freedom fighter and figure in the Independence movement. He is best known as the founder of the right-wing Hindu nationalist party Hindu Mahasabha. He was also recently elected as President of the INC in 1918. Although he did work with Gandhi, he had significant differences with him ideologically, including on matters of Muslim “appeasement.”