5. RISE OF EXTREMISTS & THE SURAT SPLIT (1907)

5. RISE OF EXTREMISTS & THE SURAT SPLIT (1907)

5.1 Rise of Extremism (Assertive/Militant Nationalism)

• Younger, more radical nationalists — the "Extremists" or "Assertive Nationalists" — grew impatient with Moderate methods after limited results and the Partition of Bengal.
• Leaders: Tilak, Bipin Chandra Pal, Lala Lajpat Rai, Aurobindo Ghosh.
• Believed in self-reliance (swaraj), mass mobilisation, boycott, passive resistance, and were willing to accept, or at least not condemn, revolutionary/violent methods by some sections.
• Tilak's slogan: "Swaraj is my birthright and I shall have it."

5.2 Surat Split (1907)

• At the INC Surat session, 1907, tensions between Moderates and Extremists over the choice of session president and the pace/nature of the movement led to a split in the Congress.
• Moderates (led by Pherozeshah Mehta, backed by Gokhale) retained control of the official Congress organisation.
• Extremists (led by Tilak) were sidelined; the party effectively divided into two factions for nearly a decade.
• Reunification happened at the Lucknow Session, 1916 (same session as the Lucknow Pact) — engineered partly by Annie Besant's efforts.

Key Facts / Quick Revision Points — Extremists & Surat Split

• Surat Split — 1907 INC session; Moderates vs Extremists.
• Congress reunited at Lucknow Session, 1916.
• Tilak's famous quote: "Swaraj is my birthright..."