Surat Session, 1907

At the Surat session of INC in 1907, held on the banks of the Tapti River, the Indian National Congress split into two factions: extremists and moderates. Lokmanya Tilak, Lajpat Rai, and Bipin Chandra Pal led the extremists, while Gopal Krishna Gokhale led the moderates. The moderate and extremist delegates of the Congress met in Surat in an atmosphere charged with excitement and anger. The ridicule and venorn heaped on the moderates by the extremists in the mass meetings held in Surat a few days before the session, and the extremists were energized by the rumor that the moderates wanted to scuttle their Kolkata resolutions. The Congress session began with extremists objecting to the duly elected president for the year, Rash Behari Ghosh. The split was unavoidable because both sides came to the session prepared for a fight.

Background

• At the Indian National Congress session in Benaras in December 1905, the extremists wished to expand the Boycott and Swadeshi Movement to regions other than Bengal, as well as to include all forms of associations in the boycott programme, thereby launching a nationwide mass movement.
• The Moderates, on the other hand, advocated for strictly constitutional methods of protesting Bengal’s partition.
• As a concession to the militants, the goal of the Indian National Congress was defined as ‘swarajya,’ or self-government, at the Congress session in Calcutta in December 1906. For the first time, the word swaraj was mentioned, but its connotation was not specified.
• The Calcutta session emboldened the extremists, who called for widespread passive resistance and a boycott of schools, colleges, legislative councils, municipalities, law courts, and other institutions.
• Encouraged by the news that council reforms were on the horizon, the Moderates decided to scale back the Calcutta programme. The extremists believed that the people had been aroused and that the fight for liberty had begun.
• The Moderates saw the council reforms as a chance to realize their dream of Indian participation in government.
• By the time of the 1907 session in Surat, both sides had adopted rigid positions that left no room for compromise.
• The split was unavoidable, and the Congress was now dominated by the Moderates, who wasted no time in reiterating Congress’ commitment to the goal of self-government within the British Empire and to constitutional methods alone for achieving this goal.

Features

• The Congress was on the verge of breaking up. Nagpur was scheduled to host the 1907 session. But Nagpur was Bal Gangadhar Tilak’s stronghold.
• The moderates were well aware that the local delegates would raise issues in favor of the extremists. As a result, Gopal Krishna Gokhle had the venue changed to Surat, a Congress stronghold.
• The 1907 Surat session was held on the banks of the Tapti river in Surat.
• The extremist camp was led by Lal Bal and Pal, while the moderate camp was led by Gopal Krishna Gokhle.
• Dr. Rash Behari Ghosh presided over the Surat meeting.
• This session of Congress was held in an atmosphere of rage and resentment. Dr. Rash Behari Ghosh was elected, but extremists objected to the outcome.
• The extremists initially dominated the session, but they soon accepted Dr. Rash Behari Ghosh as president and offered to cooperate. However, the meeting was called to a halt. Congress became divided.
• By the time the next session of Congress convened in Madras in 1908 under Dr. Rash Behari Ghosh, the extremist camp that had been facing the Lathis and arrested by the British Government, was now in a comfortable position as Congress was divided.