Who is most commonly associated with the 'safety valve' theory regarding the formation of the Indian National Congress?

Correct option is A

The correct answer is (a) AO Hume

• The 'safety valve' theory suggests that the British government allowed the formation of the Indian National Congress (INC) to provide a platform for Indian grievances, aiming to prevent potential unrest or revolutionary movements.

• AO Hume, a British civil servant, is most commonly associated with this theory. He played a pivotal role in the establishment of the INC in 1885 with the idea of "venting the political pressure" in a controlled, non-revolutionary manner.

• Hume believed that creating the INC would serve as a safety outlet for the growing political discontent, thus preventing more radical and violent movements against the British.

Information Booster:

• Indian National Congress (INC):

• The INC was founded in 1885 by AO Hume, along with WC Bannerji and several other Indian leaders.

• The Congress initially sought reforms within the British colonial system and hoped for greater representation for Indians in the British government.

• The INC was seen by the British as a moderate body to channel the political aspirations of the Indian elite while preventing more radical movements.

• Additional Information : 

• The first president of the Indian National Congress was WC Bannerji in 1885.

• He presided over the first session of the Congress, held in Bombay (now Mumbai).

• The first Indian woman president of the INC was Sarojini Naidu, also known as the Nightingale of India.

• She became the president of the INC in 1925 at the Kanpur session.

• While Sarojini Naidu was the first Indian woman president of the INC, the woman president was Annie Besant (1917).

• Annie Besant was a prominent figure in the Indian Home Rule Movement and was elected as the president of the INC at the Calcutta session in 1917.