Faizpur Congress 1936

The Faizpur Session of the Indian National Congress (INC) held in December 1936 remains a landmark event in the history of the Indian national movement. This session represented two critical shifts: it was the first time an annual Congress session was organized in a rural village instead of a major urban center, and it marked the formal integration of agrarian socialist principles into the core political agenda of the national movement. Coming shortly after the Government of India Act 1935, the session acted as a platform to formulate the electoral strategy of the Congress for the upcoming provincial legislative elections of 1937.

Core Organizational Framework and Rural Logistics

Venue and the Shift to Rural Mobilization

The session was convened at Faizpur, a small village located in the Yawal Taluka of East Khandesh District in the Bombay Presidency (now in Maharashtra). Mahatma Gandhi strongly advocated for this shift to rural areas to bridge the gap between the elite nationalist intelligentsia and the rural peasantry, who formed the true base of the anti-colonial resistance.

Presidential Leadership and Socialist Ideology

Jawaharlal Nehru was elected to preside over the Faizpur session, continuing his presidential tenure directly from the Lucknow Session held earlier in April 1936. Nehru’s successive presidencies highlighted the growing influence of left-wing and socialist ideologies within the party apparatus, supported by the Congress Socialist Party (CSP) leaders like Jayaprakash Narayan and Achyut Patwardhan.

Key Institutional Fact-Sheet

The Provisional Agrarian Programme

To directly address the extreme distress of the peasantry caused by the Great Depression, the Faizpur Congress adopted a historic 13-point Agrarian Programme. This document aimed to mobilize the rural masses by explicitly outlining the socioeconomic benefits of Swaraj.

Core Economic and Land Reforms

• Reduction in Revenue and Rent: Demanded an immediate and substantial reduction in land revenue assessments and rents paid by cultivators to landlords or the state.
• Exemption of Uneconomic Holdings: Proposed a total exemption from rent and land tax for uneconomic agricultural holdings.
• Agricultural Debt Relief: Called for a comprehensive moratorium on agricultural debts and a formal liquidation of old usurious debts.
• Fixity of Tenure: Demanded statutory fixity of tenure for tenants to protect them from arbitrary eviction by Zamindars and landlords.
• Abolition of Forced Labor: Called for the absolute eradication of Begar (forced unpaid labor) and other illegal exactions imposed on peasants.
• Living Wage for Laborers: Mandated the introduction of a statutory living wage and improved working conditions for agricultural laborers.
• Famine and Flood Relief: Demanded structured mechanisms for rent remission in areas affected by droughts, famines, or floods.

Electoral Strategy and the Government of India Act 1935

The session served as the final launching pad for the Congress campaign for the provincial elections scheduled for February 1937 under the Government of India Act 1935.

Rejection of the 1935 Constitutional Scheme

The Congress passed an explicit resolution completely rejecting the Government of India Act 1935, describing it as a “charter of bondage” designed to strengthen British imperialist control while offering a facade of democratic provincial autonomy.

Dual Policy on Council Entry

Despite rejecting the Act, the Faizpur session confirmed that the Congress would contest the upcoming elections. The strategic objective was not to cooperate with the colonial administration, but to capture legislative positions to combat the Act from within and prevent reactionary elements from seizing power. The final decision regarding whether Congress should accept ministerial offices after winning was deliberately postponed until after the election results.

International Relations and Anti-Imperialist Policy

Under Jawaharlal Nehru’s guidance, the Faizpur Congress expanded its focus to align the Indian freedom struggle with global anti-fascist movements.

Opposition to Global Fascism

The Congress passed formal resolutions condemning the rise of Fascism and Nazism in Europe. It expressed structural solidarity with democratic forces in the Spanish Civil War and condemned Italian aggression in Abyssinia (Ethiopia).

War Preparedness and Non-Cooperation

The session made it clear that India would refuse to be automatically drafted into any imperialist war launched by Great Britain. It declared that any attempt to involve Indian resources or troops in a European conflict without the explicit consent of the Indian people would be resisted through non-cooperation.

Crucial Trivia and Prelims-Oriented Facts

Nandalal Bose’s Rural Architecture

Mahatma Gandhi entrusted the structural design of the entire Faizpur session site to the famous artist Nandalal Bose. Eschewing expensive urban materials, Bose constructed the grand entrance gates, exhibition stalls, and meeting halls exclusively using locally sourced rural materials like bamboo, thatch, and local khadi prints, establishing an organic rustic aesthetic.

First Swaraj Troop Parade

The Faizpur session witnessed the first organized parade of the Congress Volunteers (Sena Dal), where thousands of rural youths marched in uniform under the tricolor flag, showcasing the grassroots organizational strength of the party in rural Maharashtra.

The Khadi Mandate for Volunteers

All logistics, cooking, and sanitary services at Faizpur were handled by volunteers who wore hand-spun Khadi. To break deep-seated caste prejudices, volunteers from diverse backgrounds worked together in community kitchens.

Alignment with the All India Kisan Sabha

The All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS), which was founded in April 1936 under Swami Sahajanand Saraswati, held a massive parallel peasant rally at Faizpur. This mobilization directly influenced the Congress leadership to adopt the 13-point Agrarian Programme during the main session.