The Congress session being held today in Ahmedabad has the potential to redefine the party’s direction and identity. Ahmedabad has historically played a pivotal role in shaping the Congress, and the 1921 session still offers valuable lessons for the party’s renewal.
A key milestone of the 1921 session was the Congress’s decision to focus on mass mobilization and engage people in the freedom movement. The principle adopted then was to “take the movement from pen and paper to a people’s movement.”
This led to the launch of the Civil Disobedience Movement, empowering citizens and underscoring the belief that every Indian had a role in shaping the nation’s destiny. Today, the emphasis on infusing fresh primary membership, expanding the party’s base, and ensuring meaningful mass connection remains a critical takeaway.
Following the 1921 session, the Congress Constitution and its functioning underwent significant changes. From 1887 until then, annual sessions mainly aimed at petitioning the government. Post-1921, however, the party embraced ongoing mass movements that included all sections of society.
Gandhiji breathed new life into the Congress, reshaping its identity through efforts like promoting economic self-reliance via the boycott of foreign goods and the promotion of khadi, remobilizing cadres, instilling pride through initiatives like the Tilak Fund, and encouraging women’s participation — a groundbreaking step at the time.
The 1921 session also focused on reorganizing Provincial Congress Committees and volunteer corps to better engage with local communities. Symbolic changes were also introduced, such as doing away with chairs and benches, with all attendees sitting on the ground — a gesture reflecting Congress’s commitment to simplicity and egalitarianism.
These “Amdavadi lessons,” if remembered and implemented as Congress reconvenes in Ahmedabad today, could go a long way in reinvigorating the party and reconnecting it with its foundational spirit.
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