Indian National Congress The Csr Of British Government

Indan National Congress THE CSR OF BRITISH GOVERNMENT Indian National Congress was formed by a British Civil Servant Mr A O Hume in 1885. The stated objectives were greater participation of educated Indians in Government. It never envisaged anything rebellious. It was merely a hollow Corporate Social Responsibility activity of the British Government. We have been hearing about workers participation in Corporate Managemnent since time ad nauseam. Indian National Congress was something similar. Corporate social responsibility is the continuing commitment by corporate to behave ethically and contribute to economic development while improving the quality of life of the workforce and their families as well as of the local community and society at large. Fresh after the first battle of independence or mutiny (depending upon point of view) and aware of the atrocities committed by British soldiers and vice versa, Government wanted to do something to allow the LOCALS to vent their feelings. Hence on suggestion of the British civil servant Mr Humes an organization principally a debating society under the name and style of Indian National Congress was set up in 1885. However Britishers cunningly got Muslims to despise it. The Muslims boycotted it. Sir Syed Ahmed was in the forefront opposing Congress. The Tragedy was that the muslims and the rich Hindus were not comfortable with any other perception of rulers. They were comfortable with feudal system of governance. The British system of governance was comfortable with most of them. Muslims were made to believe that INC was a Hindu party and would not take care of their interests. To counter congress British Government promoted Muslim League another debating drawing room organization. Yet the CSR efforts went astray with the arrival of nationalist leaders like, Lal-Bal-Pal, Mahatma Gandhi etc., They realized it too late that the education being provided under the CSR efforts had opened the vistas of the world to these persons.A British officer remarked that “we were trying to build administrators , by teaching revolutionary literature.” Once the elite Hindus had had English education the Vista of the whole world was opened to them. That included revolutionary literature of Roussau Voltaire and the likes.