Indian National Congress (INC): Anti-Partition Movements

Moderates Phase (1903 – 05)

• Major Leaders: Surendranath Banerjee,  K.K Mitra, Prithwishchandra Ray.
• Strategy: They adopted the strategy of petitioning the government, and public meeting propaganda through pamphlets and newspapers like Hitabadi, Sanjibani, and Bengalee to exert sufficient pressure on the British government to prevent partition.
• Reaction: As the government proclaimed partition of Bengal in 1905, the Congress officially launched the Swadeshi Movement with the passage of the Boycott resolution.

People’s Reaction to Partition

• People took out processions and walked barefoot singing Bande Mataram.
• People sang the song Amar Sonar Bangla composed by Rabindranath Tagore.
• People fasted, took dips in Ganga and tied rakhis on each other’s hands as a symbol of unity.

Congress Stand

• In the Benaras session (1905) of congress headed by Gopal Krishna Gokhale, the moderates wished to limit the Swadeshi Movement to Bengal only but the extremists wanted to extend the movement to the pan-India level.
• In the Calcutta session (1906) held at congress which was presided by Dadabhai Naoroji, the tri goal of Swadeshi, Boycott, and National Education was proclaimed.

Extremist Phase (1905 – 16)

• Extremists dominated the Swadeshi Movement.
• Reasons
  • Moderates failed to make any achievements.
  • Repressive measures of governments.
  • Arrests of major moderate leaders.