The Indian National Congress, established in 1885, was a pivotal player in the Indian independence movement against British rule. However, the Congress was a heterogeneous entity with two main factions: the Moderates and the Extremists. These two groups had divergent ideologies and strategies that had a significant impact on the Indian independence movement.
The Moderates were the early leaders of the Indian National Congress who believed in a gradual and constitutional approach towards achieving Indian independence. Influenced by British liberal values of democracy, equality, and justice, the Moderates believed that India could achieve freedom through peaceful means. Key figures among the Moderates were Dadabhai Naoroji, Pherozeshah Mehta, Gopal Krishna Gokhale, and Surendranath Banerjee. They stressed the significance of education, social reforms, and economic development in India’s progress. They believed that these measures would foster an enlightened and politically conscious middle class that would work towards achieving Indian independence through constitutional means.
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In contrast, the Extremists did not think that the Congress’s constitutional methods were adequate to achieve independence, and they advocated more radical tactics. The Extremists believed that the British government was not interested in granting freedom to India, and therefore, more aggressive measures were necessary. The Extremists were led by figures like Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Lala Lajpat Rai, Bipin Chandra Pal, and Aurobindo Ghose. They believed in the use of civil disobedience, boycotts, strikes, and protests to put pressure on the British government to grant independence to India. They promoted the use of Swaraj, or self-rule, as a means to achieve independence.
The Moderates and Extremists had contrasting attitudes towards the British government. The Moderates believed that the British government was benevolent and willing to grant independence to India through constitutional means. They viewed India as an integral part of the British Empire and desired to work within the existing political framework to achieve their objectives. Conversely, the Extremists saw the British government as oppressive and believed that they had no intention of granting independence to India. They perceived India as a distinct nation with its own culture, history, and identity and pushed for complete independence from the British Empire.
Another significant difference between the Moderates and Extremists was their approach to social reforms. The Moderates believed that social reforms such as education, sanitation, and healthcare were critical for India’s progress. They believed that these measures would create an enlightened and politically conscious middle class that would work towards achieving Indian independence through constitutional means. In contrast, the Extremists believed that social reforms were insufficient to achieve Indian independence. They believed that India needed to develop a robust sense of national identity and pride, which would motivate Indians to fight for their freedom.
In conclusion, the Moderates and Extremists were two significant groups within the Indian National Congress with different ideologies and strategies. The Moderates believed in a gradual and constitutional approach towards achieving Indian independence, while the Extremists advocated for more radical methods. The Moderates emphasized British liberal values of democracy, equality, and justice, while the Extremists promoted the use of Swaraj as a means to achieve independence. The Moderates underscored the importance of education, social reforms, and economic development, while the Extremists focused on developing a strong sense of national identity and pride. The differences between the Moderates and Extremists had a profound impact on the Indian independence movement, and their legacies still resonate in contemporary India.