Contributions of Moderates and Radicals
Both moderates and radicals played significant roles in the Indian National Movement, and it is difficult to say which group was more successful.
Moderates:
- The moderates laid the foundation for the Indian National Movement by creating an all-India public opinion that British rule in India was the major cause of India’s poverty and economic backwardness.
- They also worked towards expanding councils and greater participation of Indians in councils. They campaigned for General Administrative Reforms and worked with the long-term objective of democratic self-government.
Radicals:
- Radicals contributed to the rise of mass movements and spread nationalist education.
- Radicals opposed the moderate’s ‘policy of petitions’ and ‘resolutions’.
- For example, while moderates would present their demands to the British through petitions and meetings, radicals advocated for more radical methods such as strikes and boycotts. They believed that these methods would be more effective in achieving their goals.
How was the Politics of the Radicals within the Congress different from that of the Moderates?
The Indian National Congress, founded in 1885, played a pivotal role in India’s struggle for independence from British rule. The Congress had members with different ideologies and strategies to achieve their goals. Among them, the radicals and moderates had distinct approaches towards achieving self-government or Swaraj. In this article, we will explore how the politics of radicals differed from that of moderates within the Indian National Congress.