Write a note on Surat Split.

The Surat Split of 1907 (सूरत विभाजन - भारतीय राष्ट्रीय कांग्रेस में फूट):

Occurred at the 23rd Annual Session of the Indian National Congress held on the banks of the Tapti River in Surat in December 1907, resulting in an open rupture between the Moderates (नरमपंथी) and the Extremists (गरमपंथी):

• 1. Core Ideological and Strategic Differences:
  • Presidentship Dispute: Extremists proposed Lala Lajpat Rai or Bal Gangadhar Tilak; Moderates manipulated the venue from Nagpur to Surat to disqualify Tilak (home province rule) and elected Rash Behari Ghosh.
  • Scope of Swadeshi & Boycott: Extremists wanted all-India expansion of boycott (including British schools, courts, and councils) to achieve Swaraj; Moderates wanted boycott confined only to foreign goods in Bengal.
• 2. The Physical Clash & Disastrous Outcome:
  • The session broke up in chaos and hurling of shoes; Moderates expelled the Extremists.
  • British exploited the split through harsh repression—Tilak was sentenced to 6 years imprisonment in Mandalay Jail (Burma), Aurobindo retired to Puducherry, paralyzing the national movement until the 1916 Lucknow Pact.