Who were the Moderates in the Indian National Congress, and what were their demands?

 

The Moderates were the early leaders of the Indian National Congress, active between 1885 and 1905. They believed in achieving political reforms through peaceful and constitutional means like petitions, meetings, speeches, and negotiations with the British government. They had complete faith in the sense of justice and fairness of the British rulers.

Key Leaders of the Moderates

Some important leaders were:

• Dadabhai Naoroji (also called the "Grand Old Man of India")

• Gopal Krishna Gokhale

• Surendranath Banerjee

• Pherozeshah Mehta

• Justice Ranade

Methods of the Moderates

• They followed a policy of “Prayers and Petitions” instead of confrontation.

• They believed reforms could be achieved by loyal cooperation with the British.

• They sent representations and delegations to England to put forward their demands.

Demands of the Moderates

The Moderates wanted gradual reforms, not immediate independence. Their major demands were:

Political Reforms

• More Indians in the Legislative Councils.

• Greater participation of Indians in the administration

• Reduction of the power of the Viceroy

Administrative Reforms

• Recruitment of Indians into the Indian Civil Services through simultaneous exams in England and India.

• Separation of the judiciary from the executive.

Economic Reforms

• Reduction in land revenue and protection of peasants from exploitation.

• Cut in military expenditure and use of funds for development.

• Promotion of Indian industries and trade.

Social Reforms

• Spread of education.

• Improvement in the conditions of the working class.

Significance of the Moderates

Although they were criticized for being too soft and relying heavily on British goodwill, the Moderates played an important role. They created national political awareness, trained future leaders, and exposed the exploitative nature of British rule (e.g., Dadabhai Naoroji’s Drain Theory).