Bal Gangadhar Tilak
(23 Jul 1856 ~ 1 Aug 1920)
Bal Gangadhar Tilak was born at Mumbai and grew up in Ratnagiri until age 10, when his father, educator and noted grammarian, took a job in Pune. At Deccan College he earned bachelor’s degrees in mathematics and Sanskrit. He then studied law, receiving degree in 1879 from University of Bombay.
He started teaching mathematics in a private school in Pune. He developed the institution into a university college after founding Deccan Education Society in 1884, which aimed at educating the masses, especially in English language. He and his associates considered English to be a powerful force for dissemination of liberal & democratic ideals.
The life members of the society were expected to follow an ideal of selfless service, but when he learned that some members were keeping outside earnings for themselves, he resigned. He turned to task of awakening political consciousness through two weekly newspapers he owned and edited: "Kesari" published in Marathi and "The Mahratta", published in English
Through those newspapers he became widely known for bitter criticisms of British rule and of those moderate nationalists who advocated social reforms along Western lines and political reforms along constitutional lines. He believed that social reform would only divert energy away from political struggle for independence.
He sought to widen popularity of the nationalist movement by introducing Hindu religious symbolism and by invoking popular traditions of Maratha struggle against Muslim rule. He organised two important festivals, Ganesh Chaturthi in 1893 and Shivaji Jayanti in 1895.
His activities brought conflict with British government, which prosecuted him for sedition and sent him to jail in 1897. The trial and sentence earned him the title Lokamanya. He was released after 18 months.
When Lord Curzon, viceroy of India, partitioned Bengal in 1905, Tilak strongly supported Bengali demand for annulment of partition and advocated a boycott of British goods, which soon became a movement that swept the nation. The following year he set forth a program of passive resistance, known as the Tenets of the New Party, that he hoped would destroy British rule and prepare the people for sacrifice in order to gain independence.
His approach was strong fare for the moderate Indian National Congress. He aimed at swarajya (independence), not piecemeal reforms & attempted to persuade Congress to adopt his militant program. He clashed with the moderates during the party’s session at Surat in 1907 that resulted in the party split.
Taking advantage of the division, the government again prosecuted Tilak on a charge of sedition and inciting terrorism and deported him to Mandalay, Burma, to serve a 6-year prison sentence. Here he wrote his magnum opus: Gita Rahasya.
Earlier, in 1893, he had published The Orion; or, Researches into the Antiquity of the Vedas and a decade later, The Arctic Home in the Vedas. Both works were intended to promote Hindu culture as the successor to Vedic religion.
On release in 1914, on eve of World War I, he again plunged into politics. He launched Home Rule League with rousing slogan 'Swarajya is my birthright and I shall have it' (Annie Besant also established an organisation with the same name at same time).
In 1916 he rejoined Congress and signed historic Lucknow Pact, a Hindu-Muslim accord, with Mohammed Ali Jinnah. He visited England in 1918 as president of Indian Home Rule League. He realised that Labour Party was a growing force in British politics, and established firm relationships with its leaders.
He returned home in late 1919 to attend the meeting of Congress Party at Amritsar. He advised delegates to follow policy of 'responsive cooperation' in carrying out the reforms, which introduced a certain degree of Indian participation in regional government.
He and Lala Lajpat Rai were instrumental in founding of All India Trade Union Congress. AITUC itself was part of the workmen struggle to demand a 10-hour working day and dearness allowance that brought together a wide spectrum of workers.
He died before he could give the new reforms a decisive direction. In tributes, Gandhi called him 'Maker of Modern India' and Nehru described him as 'Father of the Indian Revolution'.
Lokamanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak will be always remembered as a scholar, mathematician, writer, editor, journalist, and most important as a freedom fighter.
