Question

Assertion(A)- East India Association in London was organised by Dadabhai Naroji
Reason(R)- He wanted to influence the British public opinion
A) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.
B) Both A and R are true and R is not the correct explanation of A.
C) A is true but R is false.
D) A is false but R is true.

Answer 1

Hint: The East India Association superseded the ‘London Indian Society’. It provided a platform to discuss matters and ideas regarding India and to provide representation for Indians to the Government. ‘Lord Lyveden’ became the First President of the Association.

Complete answer:
Dadabhai Naroji founded the East India Association in the year 1866, in association with Indians and retired British officials in London. It superseded the ‘London Indian Society’, which was founded by Pherozeshah Mehta, Badruddin Tyabji, W. C. Bonnerjee and Manmohan Ghose.

It provided a platform to discuss matters and ideas regarding India and to provide representation for
Indians to the Government. The objective of the Association was to put forward the viewpoints of the Indians to the British public. On May 2, 1867, Naoroji delivered the first lecture to the Association. ‘Lord Lyveden’ became the First President of the Association.

The East India Association had approximately 600 members in 1868, which increased to 1,000 in 1878. Female members were accepted from 1912. The Association created a journal, namely “Journal of the East India Association”, from its start that included the papers that were delivered before their meetings. The lectures were generally delivered in the regular meeting place of the Association i.e., Caxton Hall, Westminster (i.e., Westminster Town Hall). Over the course of its existence, the Association would listen to lectures from an array of Indian as well as British men and women on matters ranging from India’s economic development to literature to suffrage.

The Assertion is true as Dadabhai Naroji was the founder of the East India Association in London. But the reason is false as he does not want to influence the British public opinion but his main motive was to put forward the viewpoints of the Indians to the British public.

Thus the correct answer is option ‘C’.

Note: In 1949, the East India Association and the National Indian Association got integrated and became the Britain, India and Pakistan Association. In 1966 it merged with the former India Society, now Royal India, Pakistan and Ceylon Society, to become the Royal Society for India, Pakistan and Ceylon.