First session of the Indian National Congress in Bombay in December 1885.  Vijayaraghavachariar is standing in the third row on the right.

The early years of the Congress were marked by the gradual development of National Consciousness. The First Congress of December 1885 in Bombay demanded Parliamentary safeguards against the high-handed actions of the bureaucracy. The Second Session of December 1886 at Calcutta outlined the programme of Council Reform for Increased Representation of Elected Members. The sixth session of the Congress held at Calcutta in December 1890, supported the Bill to amend the Indian Council’s Act which was brought in by Charles Bradlaugh (1833-1891). The seventh session of the Congress told the British Statesmen that the Indians should have a commanding voice in the Legislative bodies, with the result that Lord Cross’s Act of Council Reform was passed in 1892. In this formative period of the Congress, the Counsels of Sir William Wedderburn (1838-1918), Dadabhai Naoroji, Surendranath Bannerji (1848-1925), Pheroze Shah Mehta, and Vijayaraghavachariar prevailed in all matters of higher policy formulation and their collective efforts laid and formed the corner-stone of the Indian National Congress from 1885 to 1900. Vijayaraghavachariar played a very key role during this period in making the Indian National Congress an effective political organization with focus on national consciousness, national unity and national development.

The fifteenth session of the Congress was held at Lucknow in December 1899. At this session the Indian Congress Propaganda Committee was created and Vijayaraghavachariar was appointed as a member of this Committee. The Propaganda Committee commanded a wide national influence and played a very key role in spreading the message of the Congress throughout the length and breadth of the country. It was as a result of their work that multitudes were brought within the fold of the Congress. Vijayaraghavachariar played a key and very catalytic role as a member of this Propaganda Committee.

The twenty-second session of the Congress came off at Calcutta in 1906 and Dadabhai Naoroji became President for the third time. I can testify from my field experience of Ryotwari Settlement and Inam Settlement that Vijayaraghavachariar was an authority on matters connected with Revenue Administration, Land Tenures, Survey and Settlement. At this session of the Congress Vijiaraghavachariar moved the Resolution relating to the Permanent Settlement of Land Tenures.

There was a split between the Extremists and the Moderates at the 23^rd session of the Congress held at Surat in 1907. The Moderates were in an overwhelming majority, and the Nationalists led by Bal Gangadhar Tilak were in a minority.  There was tremendous political confusion and after two days, the President Dr Rashgehary Ghose, adjourned the Congress sine die to the disappointment of the assembled delegates.  The Moderates wanted to revive the Congress under the name of a Convention and they met at Allahabad next year only to decide upon Madras as the venue for the next session of the Congress (24^th Session).  Vijiaraghavachariar was a Nationalist and the Moderate Congress policy did not appeal to his judgement.  He, therefore, stood aloof from the Congress after the Surat split.

One of the most important reforms that were brought in by the Government during this period was the Minto-Morley Reforms of 1909. In order to appease the Muslims in keeping with the British policy of Divide and Rule following the mass Swadeshi Movement against the partition of Bengal, the British Government brought in a scheme for separate communal electorates for the Muslims.  The Congress strongly disapproved of the scheme for separate electorates. Vijiaraghavachariar issued a statement to this effect: ‘I condemn the scheme for separate communal electorates.  It will cut at the root of the Nation’s unity and endanger its Constitutional progress.’

I have dealt with the dynamic role played by Vijiaraghavachariar in the evolution and growth of the Indian National Congress ever since its inception in 1885 till the year of Minto-Morley Reforms in 1909.

Let me now turn to the role that he played as a legislator and parliamentarian from 1895.  In 1895, Vijiaraghavachariar was elected a Member of the Madras Legislative Council.  Those were the days when the legislative bodies in India were dominated by Official and nominated members.  Elected representatives were few but they were men of singular ability.  Under the guise of reforms anti-people and unpopular measures were rushed through the House and seldom did the opinions of the Elected Representatives of the people prevail as they were in a minority.  But they held their own and fearlessly voiced their opposition to every anti-people legislation in a bold and selfless manner. Vijiaraghavachariar was one of those who immortalized himself by fighting relentlessly for the rights of the people.  Among his colleagues in the Madras Legislative Council were Sir V Bashyam Iyengar, Sir C Sankaran Nair, Dr. David Duncan, Dewan Bahadur Srinivasaraghava Iyengar, N Subbarao Pantulu, K Kalyanarama Iyer, P Rangayya Naidu, C Jambulinga Mudaliar, and others.

Vijiaraghavachariar took an active part in every controversial debate in the Madras Legislative Council.  One particular striking instance deserves a detailed mention.  Government proposed the introduction of a Bill to amend the District Municipalities Act.  Vijiaraghavachariar proposed elected Chairmen for Municipalities to which the Government did not agree advancing the reason of communal rivalry.  Vijiaraghavachariar stated with passion during the debate: ‘If the argument of Muslims against Hindus is once brought in, there is at once a deathblow to local self-Government.  The local Self-Government can never be enjoyed until India ceases to contain at once Hindus, Muslims, Christians and Parsis. I cannot understand the force of the fallacious argument ‘we cannot give you the privilege of election because Hindus and Muslims will come to logger heads’.  Are we to wait until Hindus become Muslims or Muslims Hindus?  I emphatically protests against any such argument being used in enacting such a law as this.  The Municipal council being a school for training men and women for local Self-Government should have the right to elect its own Chairman.” Vijiaraghavachariar functioned as a legislator in the Madras Legislative Council with extraordinary distinction from 1895 to 1901.

The next stage as a legislator was the historic part played by Vijiaraghavachariar in the imperial Legislative Council during the years 1913-1916.  He earned universal praise throughout the country and was hailed as a doughty champion of people’s rights.  The press all over the country was loud in acclaiming his services. Vijiaraghavachariar distinguished himself by his thorough grasp of all aspects of the public questions which were brought up for discussion, by his unrivalled debating powers and by his fearless and patriotic vote.  As a speaker he stood in the front rank of his time.  There was a quality about his rhetoric which arrested attention.  He loved the pageantry as well as the distinction of words, and I have enjoyed reading some of them. His gifts of intellect and character were admired on all sides. He pleaded for unpopular causes with courage and sincerity which commanded the respect of the Imperial Legislative Council which was presided over by Lord Hardinge, the then Viceroy of India.

(To be contd...)
(The writer is a retired IAS officer)
e-mail the writer at
vsundaram@newstodaynet.com