LOKMANYA TILAK
FIREBRAND NATIONALIST
The
1857 War of Independence ended in disaster. The British succeeded in
putting down the uprising and the people of India accepted British rule a
fact of life. While on the one hand, the erstwhile Hindi and Muslim
rulers, feudal landowners, the peasantry and the working classes were
crushed by the imperialistic British administration, on the other, a
large section of the intelligentsia was so awed by the transformation
wrought by the railways and the posts and telegraphs that they began to
consider the alien rule as a blessing. It was at this critical juncture
that Lokmanya Tilak dedicated himself to the cause of the nation with
the avowed object of throwing off the British yoke. He stirred
the people to fight injustice and foreign rule. He directed them towards
the four-fold programme of Swaraj, Swadeshi, boycott of foreign goods
and national education. Long years of imprisonment did not dampen his
enthusiasm and the fire of patriotism kindled by him began to burn more
and more fiercely. His denigrators labelled him as the leader of the
lowly classes, whereas the British called him 'the Father of Indian
unrest'. In the end however, the brickbats became bouquets and he was
hailed as the uncrowned king of India.
Swaraj
is my birthright and I shall have it', this clarion call was given by
Bal Gangadhar Tilak. He was a towering figure in the Indian Independence
movement. A nationalist to the core, he believed strongly that modern
education would inculcate patriotism and self-respect in the people. His
inspiring speeches and writing landed Tilak in jail several times. But
this did not dampen his spirit or will to cast off the yoke of foreign
rule from his motherland.
Read Offline (Official Digital) : 83 mb - Title : Lokmanya Tilak
- Volume/Serial No.(new) : 645
- Volume/Serial No. (old) : 219
- Pages : 36
- Language : Marathi
- Published in Year : 1980
