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Question
In what sense was the Congress an ideological coalition? Mention the various ideological currents present within the Congress.
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Solution
The Congress Party became a social and ideological coalition for it merged different social groups alongwith their identity holding different beliefs :-
1. It accommodated the revolutionary, conservative, pacifist, radical, extremist and moderates and the rights and the left with all other shades of the centre.
2. Congress became a platform for numerous groups, interests and even political parties to take part in the national movement.
Ideological currents present within the Congress :-
(a) In pre-independence days, many organisations and parties with their own constitutions and organisational structures were allowed to exist within the Congress.
(b) Some of these like “Congress Socialist Party” later seperated from the Congress and became on opposition party.
RELATED QUESTIONS
Describe the organization of the Congress party as a social and ideological coalition.
Which characteristics made the Congress an ideological coalition during the freedom movement of India?
Read the following passage and answer the questions below :
" Patel, the organisational man of the congress, wanted to purge the congress of other political groups and sought to make of it a cohesive and disciplined political party . He ... sought to take the Congress away from its all-embracing character and turn it into a close-knit party of disciplined cadres . Being a 'realist' he looked more for discipline than for comprehension . while Gandhi took too romantic view of "carrying on the movement," Patel's idea of transforming the congress into strictly political party with a single ideology and tight discipline showed an equal lack of understanding of the eclectic role that the congress, as a government, was to be called upon to perform in the decades to follow." - Rajni Kothari
(a) Why does the author think that Congress should not have been a cohesive and disciplined party?
(b) Give some examples of the eclectic role of the Congress party in the early years.
(c) Why does the author say that Gandhi’s view about Congress future was romantic?
