The core of the safety-valve thesis rests on the assumption that

The 'safety-valve' thesis, popularized by extremist leaders like Lala Lajpat Rai and later by Marxist historians like R.P. Dutt, posits that the Indian National Congress (INC) was founded by A.O. Hume to prevent a violent anti-colonial revolution [3]. The core assumption is that growing mass discontent and the potential for a repeat of the 1857 revolt necessitated a peaceful, constitutional outlet [t1]. Hume believed that providing a platform for educated Indians to voice their grievances would 'nip the revolutionary potential in the bud' and prevent a popular uprising [c1][t1]. While the theory is debated, its central premise rests on the idea that without such a constitutional platform, a violent explosion of Indian anger against British rule was inevitable [c3][t2]. Thus, the Congress was intended to act as a 'safety valve' to release political pressure safely [c1][t6].

Sources

1. [1] Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 11: Indian National Congress: Foundation and the Moderate Phase > Was It a Safety Valve? > p. 248
2. [3] Modern India ,Bipin Chandra, History class XII (NCERT 1982 ed.)[Old NCERT] > Chapter 12: Growth of New India—The Nationalist Movement 1858—1905 > THE INDIAN NATIONAL CONGRESS > p. 207