News: The 100th Anniversary of the historic 1924 Belagavi Session is being celebrated in Belagavi, Karnataka.
About the Belagavi Session
- It was the 39th session of the INC which took place on December 26-27, 1924, in Belagavi, Karnataka.
- The session was presided over by Mahatma Gandhi, marking the only time he served as the Congress President.
- The session saw participation by several Congress leaders including Jawaharlal Nehru, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Sarojini Naidu, and Khilafat movement leaders Muhammad Ali Jauhar and Shaukat Ali, among others.
Significance
- Focus on Self Reliance: The use of Khadi symbolised Gandhi’s vision for a self-reliant India. Khadi was a means for India to break free from her economic dependence on British textiles. Thus, he urged the masses to take up spinning and weaving Khadi.
- Communal Harmony: Gandhi considered communal harmony to be pre-requisite for freedom and unity of India. He believed that all human beings deserve equal respect, irrespective of religion.
- Organisational Reforms: Gandhi attempted to widen the base of the movement by reducing the membership fees by 90%, paving the way for greater participation of the masses.
