British Indian Association 1851

British Indian Association was created after amalgamating the “Landholders Society” and “British India Society” on 31 October 1851. This was the first political organization that brought the Indians together. The President of the first committee of this organization was Raja Radhakanta Deb, while Debendranath Tagore was its secretary.

The newspaper of this society was “Hindu patriot” which adopted a strongly critical political tone. Its editor Harish Chandra Mukherjee wrote in the Hindu Patriot on 14 January 1858, the following lines:

“Can a revolution in the Indian government be authorized by Parliament without consulting the wishes of vast millions of men for whose benefit it is proposed to made? The reply must be in the negative. The time has nearly come when all Indian questions must be solved by Indians”

In the wake of the upcoming charter act (of 1853) in 1852, this organization sent a delegation to England, pleading for separation of Judiciary with executive, higher posts and pays for Indians, abolition of salt duty and inclusion of Indians in the legislative councils. But all expectations were negated by the Charter Act of 1853.