Lapdog in White Khadi: How the British Created Congress to Serve the Raj

In the aftermath of the 1857 revolt, the British devised a dual strategy: repression on one side and the creation of institutional “safety valves” on the other to contain nationalist aspirations.

The formation of the INC in 1885 under A.O. Hume was part of this political design, offering limited avenues for participation while reinforcing the colonial “civilizing mission.”

Early Congress leaders framed their demands within the boundaries of British approval, focusing on incremental reforms and dominion status rather than independence.
Although the death of Lala Lajpat Rai in 1928 and subsequent agitations radicalized segments of the nationalist movement, the Congress largely remained tethered to its moderate, constitutionalist roots.

After 1947, the party assumed power but continued to operate within inherited colonial frameworks, perpetuating centralization, Anglicized political culture, and bureaucratic dominance.