History..2

Womesh Chandra Bannerjee was the first President of the INC. The first meeting was scheduled to be held in Pune, but due to a plague outbreak there, the meeting was later shifted to Bombay. The first session of the INC was held from 28–31 December 1885, and was attended by 72 delegates.

Bal Gangadhar Tilak

Gopal Krishna Gokhale

A few years down the line, the demands of INC became more radical in the face of constant opposition from the government, and the party became very active in the independence movement. By 1907 the party was split into two halves; the Garam Dal (hot faction/Extremists) of Bal Gangadhar Tilak and the Naram Dal (soft faction/moderates) of Gopal Krishna Gokhale, distinguished by their attitude towards the British.

Under the influence of Bal Gangadhar Tilak, the Congress became the first integrated mass organization in the country, bringing together millions of people against the British. The Indian National Congress was the only political party to provide harmony to all the sects of the Indian society.

(to be continued)