Moderates and Radicals

Introduction to the Moderates 

In the years following the foundation of the Indian National Congress, the national movement became wider including diverse groups of people. The Congress between the period 1885 and 1905 was dominated by the leaders who have been described as moderates. These leaders belonged to the politically conscious middle class consisting of professionals such as lawyers, doctors and teachers, who had faith in the British sense of justice.

Prominent among them were Dadabhai Naoroji, Badruddin Tayabji, M. G. Ranade, Pherozeshah Mehta, W. C. Bonnerjee, Surendranath Banerjee, and Ananda Mohan Bose.

Workings of the Moderates 

The demands of the moderates were initially mostly limited to constitutional, economical, administrative and civil reforms. They believed that the aim of India should be to achieve democratic self government and they petitioned the British government to abolish Indian Council and expand the Imperial Legislative Council besides demanding self-government.

The moderate Congress passed several resolutions urging several administrative reforms like separation of the judiciary and the executive, to hold simultaneous civil service examinations in London and Calcutta for recruitment of the civil services. They also urged the government to agree to the proposal of adequate representation of Indians in the executive council of the Viceroy and the provincial governors.

In the field of civil rights, the moderates fought for the right to freedom of speech, thoughts and association. They opposed the Vernacular Press Act and demanded the freedom of the press.

The moderates demanded several economic reforms like reduction in land revenue, abolition of salt tax, reduction in military expenditure, etc.

Methods of the Moderate Struggle 

The moderate leaders had complete faith in the honesty of the British. They firmly believed that the continuation of the political connection with Britain was beneficial to India at that period of time. Working within the constitutional limits, the moderates adopted a two-pronged methodology – awakening political consciousness and protests within the Constitutional methods.

Achievements and Failures of the Moderates 

National awakening and the creation of a sense of a nation were the two most important achievement of the moderates. Besides it created a platform for later mass movements.  The biggest failure of the moderates was its lack of mass support and too much faith and dependence on the British sense of honesty.

Introduction to the Extremists or Radical Nationalists 

In the end of the 19^th Century, many young Congress leaders like Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Bipin Chandra Pal, Lala Lajpat Rai and Aurobindo Ghosh were disappointed with the ideology and techniques of the moderates. They wanted the Congress to adopt aggressive methods against the British government. They were becoming aware of the exploitative policies of the British. The growing discontent of the people of India coupled with several other factors like severe famine and partition of Bengal led to the rise of radicalism in the Congress.

By 1907, the Congress was heading to a split. In Surat Session of the INC in 1907 the moderates and the radicals differed over the functioning of the Congress and the ultimate goal of the freedom struggle.

First Split in the Congress Part 

During the Surat Session in 1907 the radical nationalists wanted Tilak to be president, but the moderates were successful in nominating Rashbehari Ghosh as the president. Tilak was humiliated by not letting to speak. Violence erupted between both sides and the radicals were expelled from the party for nine years.

Causes of the rise of radical nationalism 

The growth of education and confidence coupled by repressive British policies like arrest of Tilak, Indian Penal Code, severe famines and rise of unemployment led to the rise of the radical nationals in the Congress. They differed over the functioning of the Congress and the ultimate goal of the freedom struggle.

Methods of Radicals 

The radical nationalists didn’t believe in the moderate ways of political struggle. They advocated the use of militant approach in the political struggle as they had no faith in the British systems. The ultimate objective of the radical nationalists was the attainment of absolute autonomy or swaraj for India. Their methods contained Boycott and swadeshi movements, passive resistance, involvement of masses and use of popular festival to unite people

The biggest achievement of this type of movement was the annulment of the Bengal Partition.