Topics Covered: Modern Indian history from about the middle of the eighteenth century until the present- significant events, personalities, issues.
Bal Gangadhar Tilak
Context:
23rd July- Birth Anniversary.
Key points:
- His famous declaration “Swaraj is my birthright, and I shall have it” served as an inspiration for future revolutionaries during India’s struggle for freedom.
- The British Government termed him as the “Father of Indian Unrest” and his followers bequeathed upon him the title of ‘Lokmanya’meaning he who is revered by the people.
Ideology:
- Tilak joined the Indian National Congress in 1890. He soon started vocalizing his strong opposition to the moderate views of the party on self-rule.
- He maintained that simple constitutional agitation in itself was futile against the British. This subsequently made him stand against the prominent Congress leader, Gopal Krishna Gokhale.
- He wanted an armed revolt to broom-away the British. Following the partition of Bengal by Lord Curzon, Tilak wholeheartedly supported the Swadeshi (Indigenous) movement and Boycott of British goods.
- Due to this fundamental difference in outlook, Tilak and his supporters came to be known as the extremist wing of INC.
- Tilak’s endeavours were supported by fellow nationalists Bipin Chandra Pal of Bengal and Lala Lajpat Rai of Punjab.
- He was a great reformer and throughout his life he advocated the cause of women education and women empowerment.
- Tilak proposed Grand celebrations on ‘Ganesh Chaturthi’ and ‘Shivaji Jayanti’. He envisioned these celebrations inciting a sense of unity and inspiring nationalist sentiment among Indians.
Protests and Imprisonment:
- Tilak protested against the oppressive nature of the British efforts and wrote provocative articles on it in his newspapers on the epidemic of Plague in Pune and adjacent regions.
- His article inspired the Chapekar brothers and they carried out assassination of Commissioner Rand and Lt. Ayerst on June 22, 1897. As a result of this, Tilak was imprisoned for 18 months on Sedition charges for inciting murder.
- He openly supported the revolutionaries Khudiram Bose and Prafulla Chaki’s efforts to assassinate Chief Presidency Magistrate in 1908. He continued to write during his years of imprisonment and the most prominent of which is Gita Rahasya.
Tilak and All India Home Rule League:
- Deciding to re-unite with his fellow nationalists, Tilak founded the All India Home Rule League in 1916with Joseph Baptista, Annie Besant and Muhammad Ali Jinnah.
- He rejoined the INC but could not bring about reconciliation between the two opposite-minded factions.
Newspapers:
- Towards his nationalistic goals, Bal Gangadhar Tilak published two newspapers –‘Mahratta’ (English) and ‘Kesari’ (Marathi).
- Tilak fearlessly published reports about the havoc caused by famine and plague and the government’s utter irresponsibility and indifference about ‘Famine Relief fund’.
Education:
- As a founding father of the Deccan Education Society created in 1884.
- The Society established the Fergusson College in 1885 for post-secondary studies. Tilak taught mathematics at Fergusson College.
Sources: pib.
