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Tilak,
born on July23 1856,was one of the earliest architect of the edifice
of nationalist movement in India. He received formal and collage
education mainly in Poona. He passed B.A. in first class and it was
during this time he was highly influenced by western Thinkers like
Hegel, Kant, Spencer, Mill and Bentham. The studies made him realise
the state in which his motherland existed under British Rule.
After graduation he spurned the Government service and devoted his
time in national awakening. He joined fellow activists like Agarkar,
Chiplunkar and Namjoshi to set up New English School. He joined the
Indian National Congress, which acquired a new dimension because of
his stature. He opposed the 'Age of Consent Bill' strongly. It was
at this time he emerged as a strong-voiced politician. In 1896,
Bombay was hit by a deadly Plague. Tilak, who edited the newspapers,
'Kesari' and 'Marattha', hit back strongly at the administrative
system charging them of taking inadequate measures and ignoring
responsibilities. The British lawmakers didn't find it amusing and
he was jailed for 18 months. In1907, he formed a radicalist faction
inside the Congress and started the
home-Rule League along with an
Irish lady, Ms. Annie Besant. Though a conservatist towards social
reforms, he was a pioneer to foresee that mass support was needed to
make his motherland free from imperialistic clutches. In order to
bring the Maratha people together on the same platform, he started
the celebration of Shivaji Festival. In 1908 he aimed at militant
mass movement and expressed his views on Swarajya at the Calcutta
session of I.N.C. In the same year he was arrested for conspiring
against the Queen when he raised his voice against the partition of
Bengal. He was jailed for 6 years. When the 'Indian Reforms Act' was
introduced in 1919, he rejected it describing it as inadequate,
disappointing and unsatisfactory. He launched the Congress
Democratic Party in 1920 but before he could take up the action, he
suddenly died on 1st August, leaving behind millions of mourners.
A champion of the downtrodden people, Tilak was given the sobriquet
"Lokmanya". He also authored books such as 'Geeta Rahasya" and
"Arctic
home of Vedas". |
