Why did Viceroy Dufferin describe the Indian National Congress as a microscopic minority?

Viceroy Dufferin described the Indian National Congress as a "microscopic minority" to dismiss the political significance of the organization, characterizing it as representing only a tiny, elite fraction of India’s vast and diverse population rather than the broader public interest.12

This dismissive stance reflected the broader attitude of many British officials in India at the time, who viewed the early Congress movement—composed primarily of Western-educated, middle-class intellectuals such as lawyers, journalists, and professors—as an unrepresentative group of agitators. By labeling the party "microscopic," Dufferin and other colonial administrators sought to undermine the legitimacy of the Congress's demands for political and economic reforms, such as increased Indian representation in legislative councils and the reduction of military and administrative expenditures.12

Despite this official hostility, the Congress continued to grow rapidly, attracting 1,248 delegates to its annual meeting by 1888, the same year Dufferin made his disparaging remark.12