The Indian National Congress is a political party in India that was founded in 1885 with a meeting of 72 delegates interested in cooperating with the British government for more autonomy, but not independence. However, beginning in the early 1900s, the Indian National Congress launched campaigns for independence from Britain. Having gained mass support and popularity in the 1920s, the Indian National Congress negotiated with the British government for Indian independence in the 1930s and 1940s, becoming the country’s ruling party in 1947. The party remains operational today and claims on its website that “The object of the Indian National Congress is the well-being and advancement of the people of India and the establishment in India, by peaceful and constitutional means, of a Socialist State based on Parliamentary Democracy in which there is equality of opportunity and of political, economic and social rights and which aims at world peace and fellowship.”
While Sen does not directly mention the creation or growth of the Indian National Congress, her involvement with British medical institutions and her residency in India while the party gained popularity suggest that the events surrounding the Indian National Congress during her lifetime may have impacted her.
Sources
“Indian National Congress.” The Open University, https://www5.open.ac.uk/research-projects/making-britain/content/indian-national-congress. Accessed 22 May 2024.
“Our Values.” Indian National Congress, https://www.inc.in/our-values/object-of-the-indian-national-congress-article-i-inc-constitution. Accessed 22 May 2024.
“Overview: Indian National Congress.” Oxford Reference, https://www.oxfordreference.com/display/10.1093/oi/authority.20110803100001250. Accessed 22 May 2024.