One of the most popular names in the Indian freedom struggle is Bal Gangadhar Tilak. He was an Indian freedom fighter who played an important role in Indian Independence. He was also a scholar, mathematician, philosopher, and ardent nationalist. Tilak served as the president of Indian Home Rule League.
Bal Gangadhar Tilak was born in Maharashtra state of Ratnagiri on 23 July 1856. His father and mother were GangadharTilak and Parvatibai. His father was a school teacher. Tilak full name was Keshav Gangadhar Tilak and his nick name was Lokmanya Tilak. He got graduated in Sanskrit and Mathematics from Deccan College, Pune, in 1877. Later on 1979, Tilak finished L.L.B. at the Government Law College, Bombay. Then he received his degree in law in 1879.
On 1871, Bal Gangadhar Tilak got married with Tapibai who is renamed to Satyabhamabai. And they had 6 children. They are Ramabai Vaidya, Parvatibai Kelkar, Vishwanath Balwant Tilak, Rambhau Balwant Tilak, Shridhar Balwant Tilak, and Ramabai Sane.
On 1880, he begins to teach English and Mathematics in a private school of Poona. Then on 1884, he established Deccan Education Society. That is to educate people especially in English language. Because he believes English is one of the powerful forces of liberal and democratic ideals. Bal Gangadhar Tilak organized two important festivals on 1893 Ganesh and 1895 Shivaji.
Bal Gangadhar Tilak entered politics on 1890 by participating in Indian National Congress. After that he gave voice for the opposition of moderate views of the party on self-rule. He was also against Age of Consent Act of 1891. After getting inspired by his article Chapekar brothers carried out the assassination of Commissioner Rand and Lt. Ayerst on June 22, 1897. Tilak generated a split in split in moderates and extremist in Surat Session by generating a mass movement that is completely different from the opinion of moderates.
Because of this event, British make use of the situation to send Tilak to Mandalay jail in Burma on 1908. Then on 1914 he got released from jail. Soon after he got released he reconciled with Indian National Congress to gear up the freedom movement. Then on 1919, he attended the meeting of Congress Party at Amritsar. On April 1920, he established the Congress Democratic Party.
Lord Curzon created a strategy called partition of Bengal to weaken the national movement. To oppose that Bal Gangadhar Tilak encouraged Swadeshi movement and the Boycott movement. It is to boycott all the foreign goods. Tilak used to say the movements Swadeshi movement and the Boycott movement are the two sides of a single coin. By the Swadeshi movement, the foreign goods were boycotted. So the gap was created in India to produce them which encourage the sellers and producers in India itself. The usage of natively produced products increased. Also the income helped the poor farmers and sellers of our country itself.
Bal Gangadhar Tilak joined the Indian National Congress on 1890 and he was the most eminent politician at that time. But he opposed its concept of moderate mindset and fight for self government. Then he formed closed contact with leaders like Bipin Chandra Pal, Lala Lajpat Rai, Aurobindo Ghose, V O Chidambaram Pillai and Muhammad Ali Jinnah.
Bipin Chandra Pal in Bengal and Lala Lajpat Rai in Punjab supported Bal Gangadhar Tilak. He was referred as Lal-Bal-Pal triumvirate. Annual session of the Congress Party was held at Surat in Gujarat on 1907. Between the moderate and radical section a trouble broke out on the selection of new president. So the party was splitted and led by Lajpat Rai, Tilak, Pal and the the moderate faction.
Bal Gangadhar Tilak was very must disturbed and disappointed by the incident called Jallianwala Bagh massacre. After that his health begins to decline. On his last days, Tilak suffered from diabetes and became very weak. He died at the age of 64 on August 1, 1920 due to Pneumonia. His funeral takes place in Mumbai’s Girgaum Chowpatty. It is one of the largest funerals in Indian History. Gandhi when heard about Tilak death told that “My greatest bulwark is gone”.
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