(i) People began discovering their unity in the process of their struggle with colonialism.

(ii) The sense of being oppressed under colonialism provided a shared bond that tied many different groups together.

(iii) But each class and group felt the effects of colonialism differently. Their experiences were varied and their notions of freedom were not always the same. The Congress under Mahatma Gandhi tried to forge these groups together within one movement. But the unity did not emerge without conflict.

Thus, in spite of differences and conflicts, different groups and communities came under the banner of Indian National Congress and took part in various movements which were anti-colonial or against the British.