Explain the immediate effects of the Lahore session of the Indian National Congress of December 1929.
Answers
a. Lahore Congress:
The Lahore session of the Indian National Congress was held in 1929 under the Presidentship of Jawaharlal Nehru. h. Its Importance: The Lahore session of the Indian National Congress witnessed significant developments in the Indian national movement.
In this session Congress had taken such decisions which had far-reaching consequences. Besides, the signs of the imminent Civil Disobedience Movement were visible in this Congress.
However, the importance of the Lahore session of the Congress may be summed up as follows:
First, the election of Jawaharlal Nehru to the post of Presidentship of the Congress was a clear indication of the growing strength of the Leftists in the Congress.
Secondly, it was in this session that the Congress for the first time raised the demand for complete independence. Such demand was not raised from the Congress platform earlier.
The Lahore Congress accepted the new interpretation for Swaraj which was now to mean 'complete independence'.
Thirdly, it was in the Lahore session that the Congress decided not to participate in the Round Table Conference.
Fourthly, the Nehru Report was declared to be null and void in the Lahore Congress.
Fifthly, another significant decision arrived at in the Lahore Congress was that the Congressmen all over the country will take an Oath of Independence in the midnight of 31st December, 1929.
Sixthly, it was further decided in the Congress that 26th January, 1930 was to be celebrated as the 'Independence Day'.
This fake Independence Day under the British rule was to be celebrated to make the Indian national movement more lively.
Seventhly, Lahore Congress also decided to launch a Civil Disobedience Movement with complete independence as its goal. The detailed programme of the movement was, however, to be drawn up by Gandhiji.
Pt. J.L. Nehru presided over the Lahore Session of the INC in December 1929. The immediate effect of this session of Congress was the demand of ‘Purna Swaraj’ or full liberty of India from the British rule. It was concluded that 26 January 1930 would be observed as the Day of India's Independence. But the judgment of Lahore Session was inadequate to bring much attention. By using the idea from this Purna Swaraj program Gandhiji organized ‘Dandi March’ (against the unjust salt laws) as the primary action for Civil Disobedience.