Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Bala Gangadhara Tilak - A short History

Bala Gangadhara Tilak

The most outstanding representative of the militant school was Bal Gangadhara Tilak popularly known as Lokamanya. He was born in 1856. From the day of his graduation from the Bombay university, he devoted his entire life to the service of his country. He helped to found during the 1880s the New English School, which later became the Fergussion College. He started two newspapers; the Mahratta in English and the Kesari in Marathi. He preached nationalism and taught the people to become courageous and selfless fighters in the cause of India’s indeperndence. In 1863, he started using the traditional Ganapathi festival to propagate nationalist ideas and in 1895 he started the Shivaji festival to stimulate nationalism among young Maharashtrians by holding the example of Shivaji for emulation.

During 1896-97 he initiated a no-tax campaign in Maharashtra. He set a real example of boldness and sacrifice when the authorities arrested him in 1897. He refused to apologise to the government and was sentenced to 18 months rigorous imprisonment. In 1916, Tilak started the Home Rule League. Tilak declared, “Swaraj is my birth right; I shall have it”. He explained the demand for Home Rule.

He wanted all regional languages and cultures to develop. He argued for education imparted through vernaculars. He opposed untouchability. He declared, “If a God were to tolerate untouchability, Iwould not recognize him as God at all”. He was died in 1920.

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