“Bal Gangadhar Tilak (23 July 1856–1 Aug 1920) was a teacher. The man who turned to journalist for bringing the awareness of freedom in India. His pen was more than any sword and his paper was a carrier of fire of independence and reminders to every individual. He called as the father of the first independence movement.”
The man who brought the fire of independence to India. In case of Swaraj, he had left his easy-going life of teacher and became a journalist. However, his famous publication were Kesari and Maratha (newspaper). The main objective of his life was to bring consciousness among the people. Everyone must get their independence and free from the British rules.
Further, He was the first man who had started celebrating Ganesh Chaturthi of ten days of celebration publicly. And thus his followers had also started celebrating in every nook and corner of Maharashtra. The motive behind celebrating Idol Ganesha was to bring the people together irrespective of caste, colour and religions and in addition to this, every day of the ten days at the end of the day started giving speeches of freedom and spreading the awareness.
Tilak, The maker of modern India
Mahatma Gandhi
Tilak Was The Reason of Ganesh Chaturthi Celebrations
Moreover, This (people celebrating Ganesha) was also helped him to eliminate the caste system from the society. Before Gandhi, Tilak was the first person in India who had begun and spread the flak of independence movement of India. Bal Gandharv Tilak is called as The Father of India’s Revolution. Swami Vivekanand was a Religious nationalist at that time and on the other hand Tilak was Political. Both met accidentally in the year 1892 and had the great regards for each-other and in their motives.
Swaraj is my birthright and I shall get it.
Bal Gandharv Tilak
In his newspaper, Maratha (English daily newspaper), he could write about British presidency, current affairs and sedition about the government of British India. Tilak had a great potential, self-confidence and abundance courage to bring the people together. The brave heart brought millions of people close together and had set the disapproval of British. The unrest soul since then called “Lokmanya Tilak” when he earned the pride and hearts from the people (his supporters) of India.
There is an old saying that God helps those who help themselves.
Lokmanya Tilak
However, in Oct 1916, when Lokmanya Tilak visited Ahmedabad, more than 40 thousand people welcomed him. During that period, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and Tilak first time came closer. Patel was very much influenced by his warm welcome, spirit and looking at his enthusiasm of activism of self-rule.
Lal Bal Pal (Lala Lajpat Ray, Bal Gangadhar Tilak and Bipin Chandra Pal, they called as Triumvirate) had started the first biggest Swadeshi movement in the year 1906–1918, with the power of these three and the entire nation had boycott of all imported items and goods and switched to India made goods in 1907. All the Indian leaders were supporting Swadeshi strongly when Anti-partition distress of Bengal which began in 1905.
Many times over the Cold War between the British government of India and Tilak for which he was arrested many times. In the year 1897 for the first time, followed by 1909, and 1916.
He was jailed mostly for the sedition or lectures on self-rules, and increasing of racial animosity between Indians and British In the year 1908, Tilak was impressment for the long-run (six years) under the changes of sedition in Mandalay (due to one of his published articles that defend the suspects, showing rebellious behaviour of British Raj).
Muhammad Ali Jinnah was his lawyer at that time, and Jinnah was also sentenced to six years of jail due to defending Tilak.
Upon asking by the judge if Tilak had anything to say.
Tilak said,
“All that I wish to say is that, despite the verdict of the jury, I still maintain that I am innocent. There are higher powers that rule the destinies of men and nations. And I think, it may be the will of Providence that the cause I represent may be benefited more by my suffering than by my pen and tongue.”
The court,
“You hail the advent of the bomb in India as if something had come to India for its good. I say, such journalism is a curse to the country”.
While Tilak was in jail he wrote, Gita Rahasya.
When Patel was mayor of Ahmedabad, he went against opposition. And without caring about losing his position, he established a statue of Tilak in Victoria Garden in 28 Feb 1929 (nine years later when Tilak was died). In addition to this it was inaugurated by M K Gandhi.
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