Soon after the formation of Indian National Congress, the British became suspicious of nationalists. Who among the following called Congress representing only the elite — ‘a microscopic minority’ ?
[amp_mcq option1=”Lord Napier” option2=”Lord Dufferin” option3=”Lord Ripon” option4=”Lord Lytton” correct=”option2″]
This question was previously asked in
UPSC NDA-1 – 2015
The Indian National Congress was founded in 1885 during the tenure of Lord Dufferin as the Viceroy of India (1884-1888). Initially, the Viceroy viewed the Congress positively, seeing it as a potential ‘safety valve’. However, as the demands of the Congress grew and it gained popularity, Dufferin became critical of it. He famously ridiculed the Congress, stating it represented only a “microscopic minority” of the Indian population, suggesting it did not speak for the masses.
Lord Dufferin’s description of the INC as a “microscopic minority” reflects the early British imperial stance of dismissing the representative character and political significance of the nascent nationalist movement.