In December 1928, in the Congress Session held in Calcutta, Mahatma Gandhi proposed a resolution that called for the British to grant dominion status to India within two years. If the British failed to meet the deadline, Congress would call upon all Indians to fight for complete independence. Subhash Chandra Bose and Nehru objected at the time given to the British, they pressed Gandhi to demand immediate actions from British. This session was presided over by Motilal Nehru. In this article, we will discuss the Calcutta Congress Session (December 1928) which will be helpful for UPSC exam preparation.

Motilal Nehru

Calcutta Congress Session - Features

• Motilal resigned from the UP Council immediately following the Congress session in Calcutta (1920), reduced his vast retinue of servants, changed his way of life, and publicly burned cartloads of furniture, silks, crystal, and foreign finery.
• Though Gandhi inspired lakhs of Congress leaders and workers to adopt simplicity and austerity, Motilal Nehru's sacrifice was unique.
• Following the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, Motilal Nehru was appointed as a member of the Congress Inquiry Committee to investigate the heinous crime.
• Motilal's fateful decision to join Gandhiji was undoubtedly influenced by the tragic chain of events that began with Jallianwalla Bagh and led to the Non-Cooperation Movement.
• Motilal played a pivotal role in leading the Swaraj Party, which was recognised as the Congress' legislative wing, and in preparing the Nehru Report for the Committee headed by him to determine the principles of a Constitution for free India between the two sessions of the Congress he presided over, in 1919 and 1928.
• Unfortunately, Jinnah and the Muslim League rejected the Nehru Report. If it had been accepted, the country's history would have been different.
• The Nehru Report, which represented the greatest common denominator among a number of disparate parties, was predicated on the assumption that the new Indian Constitution would be based on Dominion Status.
• A radical wing of the Congress-led by Subhas Chandra Bose and MotilaI's own son, who founded the 'Independence for India League,' saw this as a retreat.
• The Calcutta Congress Session (December 1928), presided over by Motilal Nehru, saw a head-on clash between those willing to accept Dominion Status and those who wanted nothing less than complete independence.

Motilal Nehru as President of the Indian National Congress

• Motilal Nehru was an Indian lawyer, activist, and politician who was a member of the Indian National Congress. He died on February 6, 1931.
• He also served as President of the Congress twice, in 1919–1920 and 1928–1929. He was the patriarch of the Nehru-Gandhi family and the father of India's first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru.
• Motilal Nehru was the Congress Party's President twice, once in Amritsar (1919) and again in Calcutta (1928).
• The 1919 Jallianwala Bagh massacre left a deep impression on him, and he is said to have written in its aftermath, "My blood is boiling."
• He was elected to preside over the Amritsar Congress in December of that year. Motilal was at the epicenter of the raging storm that destroyed many familiar landmarks the following year.
• At the special Congress in Calcutta in September 1920, he was the only front-line leader to support non-cooperation.
• The Calcutta Congress (December 1928), presided over by Motilal, saw a head-on clash between those willing to accept Dominion Status and those who wanted nothing less than complete independence.
• A split was averted by Mahatma Gandhi's proposal, which stated that if Britain did not grant Dominion Status within a year, the Congress would demand complete independence and, if necessary, fight for it through civil disobedience.
• During the Non-Cooperation Movement, he was arrested.
• Despite his initial friendship with Gandhi, he openly criticized Gandhi's suspension of civil resistance in 1922 in response to the murder of police officers by a riotous mob in Chauri Chaura, Uttar Pradesh.

Conclusion

During the Congress Session at Calcutta in December 1928, the Congress had given an ultimatum to the British government and had resolved in one voice that in case the government did not accept the Nehru Report by 31st December 1929, the Congress would declare complete independence as its goal and would launch a civil disobedience movement to achieve that goal.

FAQs

MCQs

1. Who presided over the Calcutta Congress Session in December 1928?

A) Jawaharlal Nehru
B) Subhas Chandra Bose
C) Motilal Nehru
D) Mahatma Gandhi

2. What was the key demand of the Congress at the Calcutta Congress Session?

A) Complete Independence
B) Dominion Status
C) Partition of Bengal
D) Quit India Movement

3. Which report was discussed at the Calcutta Congress Session of 1928?

A) Simon Commission Report
B) Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms
C) Nehru Report
D) Cripps Mission Report

4. What did the Congress decide to do if the British government failed to grant Dominion Status within a year?

A) Launch the Quit India Movement
B) Declare war
C) Declare Complete Independence
D) Call for a general strike

5. Which Congress leaders opposed the idea of Dominion Status at the Calcutta Congress Session?

A) Bal Gangadhar Tilak and Lala Lajpat Rai
B) Jawaharlal Nehru and Subhas Chandra Bose
C) Mahatma Gandhi and Sardar Patel
D) Rajendra Prasad and C. Rajagopalachari

GS Mains Questions and Model Answers

Q1: Analyze the significance of the Calcutta Congress Session of 1928 in shaping the future course of India’s freedom struggle.

Answer: The Calcutta Congress Session of 1928 was a pivotal moment in India’s freedom struggle as it set the stage for the eventual demand for complete independence. The debate between the moderates, who sought Dominion Status, and the younger leaders, who called for Purna Swaraj, reflected the growing impatience within the Congress. By giving the British government an ultimatum of one year, the Congress signaled its readiness to escalate the struggle if its demands were not met. The failure of the British to respond positively to this ultimatum led to the declaration of Purna Swaraj at the Lahore Session in 1929, marking a decisive shift in the freedom movement.

Q2: Discuss the role of the Nehru Report in the proceedings of the Calcutta Congress Session of 1928.

Answer: The Nehru Report, drafted by Motilal Nehru in 1928, played a central role in the Calcutta Congress Session. It laid out a framework for India’s Dominion Status, advocating for self-governance within the British Empire. While it garnered support from moderates within the Congress, younger leaders like Jawaharlal Nehru and Subhas Chandra Bose rejected it, arguing that it did not go far enough in demanding complete independence. The discussions on the Nehru Report highlighted the ideological divide within the Congress, setting the stage for more radical demands in the future.

Q3: Evaluate the impact of the ultimatum issued by the Congress at the Calcutta Congress Session on the freedom movement.

Answer: The ultimatum issued at the Calcutta Congress Session of 1928, which gave the British government one year to grant Dominion Status, had a profound impact on the Indian freedom movement. The failure of the British to meet this demand led the Congress to adopt Purna Swaraj as its goal at the Lahore Session in 1929. This shift in focus from constitutional reforms to outright independence galvanized the masses and laid the groundwork for more aggressive strategies, including civil disobedience. The ultimatum thus marked a turning point in the freedom struggle, as it brought clarity to the ultimate goal of the movement.

Previous Year Questions on Calcutta Congress Session

1. UPSC CSE Mains 2018 (GS Paper 1)

Question: Discuss the importance of the Nehru Report in shaping India’s constitutional development during the freedom struggle.

Answer: The Nehru Report, drafted by Motilal Nehru in 1928, was the first attempt by Indian leaders to formulate a constitutional framework for India’s self-governance. The report called for Dominion Status, proposing a parliamentary system with fundamental rights, adult suffrage, and provincial autonomy. Although the report was a response to the Simon Commission, its importance lies in the fact that it demonstrated India’s capability to draft its own constitution. While the Nehru Report was supported by moderates, it faced opposition from younger leaders like Jawaharlal Nehru and Subhas Chandra Bose, who advocated for complete independence. The failure of the British government to adopt the report led to a decisive shift in the Congress's demand, culminating in the Purna Swaraj resolution in 1929.

2. UPSC CSE Prelims 2019

Question: Which of the following was the key resolution passed during the Calcutta Congress Session of December 1928?

A) Adoption of the Non-Cooperation Movement
B) Demand for Dominion Status
C) Launch of the Quit India Movement
D) Formation of the Indian National Army

Answer: B

Explanation: The Calcutta Congress Session of December 1928 was significant for its resolution to demand Dominion Status from the British government. The Congress gave an ultimatum of one year, and if this demand was not met, the Congress would declare a movement for complete independence, which eventually led to the adoption of Purna Swaraj in 1929.