Surat Split

1885-1905 was known as the period of the moderates because they dominated the Indian National Congress. The Moderates used petition, prayers, meetings, leaflets, pamphlets, memorandum and delegations to present their demands to the British government. Their only notable achievements were expansion of the legislative council by the Indian Councils Act of 1892. This created dissatisfaction among the people. The 1907 INC meeting was to be held in Nagpur. The Extremists wanted Lala Lajpat Rai and Bal Gangadhar Tilak as president. The Moderates supported Rash Bihari Ghosh. Gopal Krishna Gokhale moved the meeting place from Nagpur to Surat fearing that in Nagpur, Bal Gangadhar Tilak would win. The partition of Bengal drove the rise of extremism in INC.

Surat was in Bombay Presidency/Province, Tilak's birthplace. Nagpur Province was the province of British India that covered parts of the present-day states of Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh, with Nagpur city as the capital. Since Surat was the home province of Tilak, he could not preside over the meeting. Hence it was decided that Ghosh would be president. Extremists protested in the INC meeting as Tilak was not given permission even to speak by pundit Madan Mohan Malviya. Extremists reacted by throwing eggs and footwear, and called for the meeting to be cancelled. The Moderates held a secret meeting and decided to expel the Extremists.

The Moderates and the Extremists patched up their differences for a year, but in 1907 the two groups permanently split. When they met at Surat for their annual session, they shouted at each other and threw chairs and shoes. The police had to come and stop the meeting.

A further split occurred between the Hindus and Muslims due to the militant nationalism that had long existed, set in place due to the multifaceted culture and tradition. Extremists such as Tilak, advocated for the Hindu culture that was prevalent in the country. While he succeeded in creating a strong political identity, he also used Shivaji and Abkar to stimulate religious beliefs as a unifier. To this day, there is a perception that the Tilak was against Muslims, but he developed good rapport with Jinnah before he joined Muslim League. Jinnah was Tilak's lawyer when the British charged him with sedition.

The reason for the split between Hindus and Muslims was promoted by the British after the 1857 revolution. They were aware that if these two communities united, it could be difficult for them to rule in India. Their early support for the foundation of the Muslim League and separate electorates for Muslims in 1909 are examples.

In the light of the split, The Moderates restated the goal of Congress to be the attainment of self-government within the British Empire.

Moderates believed in the policy of settlement of minor issues with the government by deliberations. But the extremists believed in agitation, strikes, and boycotts. Nationalists led by Lokmanya Tilak agitated against the Moderates. The split between these two sections became visible at the end of Congress' Banaras Session (1905). Lokmanya Tilak and his followers held a separate conference and formed the Extremist Party.[1] However they decided to work as a part of the INC. The difference between moderates and extremists widened in Congress' Calcutta Session of (1906) and attempts were made to elect one of them as the president. The moderates opposed the resolutions on Swaraj, Swadeshi, Boycott of foreign goods and National Education and requested to withdraw from the policy laid down in the Calcutta session. But the extremists were not ready to do so.[2]

In Surat Session (1907), Extremists wanted Rai or Tilak as a presidential candidate and Moderates supported Ghosh to be the President.[3] But Rai stepped down and Ghosh became the President. The British Government immediately attacked the extremists and Extremist newspapers were suppressed. Lokmanya Tilak, their main leader, was sent to Mandalay jail for six years.[4]

• Early Nationalists