Pre-Congress Campaigns

The associations organised various campaigns before the Indian National Congress appeared on the scene. These campaigns were—

(i) for imposition of import duty on cotton (1875)

(ii) for Indianisation of government service (1878-79)

(iii) against Lytton’s Afghan adventure

(iv) against Arms Act (1878)

(v) against Vernacular Press Act (1878)

(vi) for right to join volunteer corps

(vii) against plantation labour and against Inland Emigration Act

(viii) in support of Ilbert Bill

(ix) for an All India Fund for Political Agitation

(x) campaign in Britain to vote for pro-India party

(xi) against reduction in maximum age for appearing in Indian Civil Service; the Indian Association took up this question and organised an all-India agitation against it, popularly known as the Indian Civil Service agitation.