The Indian National Congress was founded on December 28th, 1885 at Gokuldas Tejpal Sanskrit College in Bombay with Womesh Chunder Bonnerjee as the first president. The Indian National Congress formed a major part of the movement for Indian independence from Great Britain. At first, the Congress was focused primarily on moderate reforms, but continued British Imperialism radicalized the party, and by the early 20th century, members were endorsing boycotts of imported British goods and were appealing to diverse social classes in favor of independence. The party advocated nonviolent noncooperation and civil disobedience in reaction to British imperial rule. The Indian National Congress is still a major political party in India to this day. Haimabati Sen’s life overlapped with many major events in the party’s history and their fight for independence. The party aimed to reach out to much of the Indian population in order to gain support, trying to reach all types of people and make their movements as major as possible, attracting British attention and publicizing the fight for independence. As a result, Sen would likely have been aware not only of the party, but of their many movements and their beliefs, as most people at the time were familiar with them. Though it is unknown exactly how Sen responded to these political parties and movements, they must have touched her life in many ways, and the opinions she must have formed on this group as worth considering.
Sources:
“Indian National Congress.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., www.britannica.com/topic/Indian-National-Congress.
“INC Timeline.” Indian National Congress, www.inc.in/brief-history-of-congress.