Understanding the President of the Historic Lahore Session of INC

The Indian National Congress (INC) held many significant sessions throughout its history, but the Lahore session of 1929 holds a special place. This session was pivotal as it marked a major shift in the goals of the Indian nationalist movement.

The Significance of the Lahore Session (1929)

• The Lahore session of the Indian National Congress in 1929 is famous for declaring 'Purna Swaraj' or complete independence as the goal of the Indian national movement.
• Until this session, the goal had largely been Dominion Status. The resolution for Purna Swaraj was passed on December 31, 1929.
• Following this declaration, January 26, 1930, was celebrated as 'Independence Day' across India, a tradition that continued until India gained independence in 1947 and adopted this date for its Republic Day.

Who Presided Over the Lahore Session?

The question asks who presided over this historic Lahore session of the Indian National Congress. Let's look at the options provided:

• Jawaharlal Nehru
• Motilal Nehru
• Gandhiji
• Mohammed Ali Jinnah

The records of the Indian National Congress confirm that Jawaharlal Nehru was elected as the President of the Lahore session held in 1929. His presidential address powerfully articulated the demand for Purna Swaraj.

While Motilal Nehru (his father) was a prominent leader and had also served as INC president (including in 1928, the year before Lahore), he did not preside over the 1929 session. Gandhiji was a key figure and instrumental in the Purna Swaraj resolution but did not hold the presidential post for this specific session. Mohammed Ali Jinnah was a leader of the Muslim League, not the Indian National Congress, especially by 1929.

Therefore, the leader who presided over the historic Lahore session of INC where Purna Swaraj was declared was Jawaharlal Nehru.