Sunday, 2 November 2014

Bal Gangadhar Tilak

Keshav Gangadhar Tilak also known as Bal Gangadhar Tilak aka Lokamanya Tilak, was an Indian nationalist, independence activist, journalist, lawyer, social reformer, teacher. He was the first leader of the Indian Independence Movement. The British colonial authorities called him "Father of the Indian unrest". He was also conferred with the honorary title of "Lokamanya", which literally means "accepted by the people as their leader". Tilak was on of the first and strongest advocates if "Swaraj" and a strong radical in Indian consiousness. He is known for his quote, "Swaraj is my birth-right, and I shall have it" in India. He formed close alliance eith Muhammad Ali Jinnah, later the founder of Pakistan, during the Indian Home Rule Movement.

Tilak joined the Indian National Congress in 1890. He opposed its moderate attitude, especially towards the fight for self-government. He was one of the most eminent radicals at the time. Despite being personally opposed to early marriage, Tilak was against the 1890 Age of Consent bill, seeing it as interference with Hinduism and a dangerous precedent.

Tilak encouraged the Swadeshi movement and the Boycott movement. The movement consisted of the boycott of forigen goods and also the social boycott of any Indian who used foreign goods. The Swadeshi movement consisted of the usage of natively produced goods. Once foreign goods were boycotted, there was a gap which had to be filled by the production of those goods in India itself. Tilak said that Swadeshi and Boycott movements are two sides of the same coin.

Tilak opposed the moderate views of Gopal Krishna Gokhale and was supported by fellow Indian nationalist Bipin Chandra Pal in Bengal and Lala Lajpat Rai in Punjab. They were referred to as the "Lal-Bal-Pal triumvirate" In 1907 the annual session of the Indian National Congress was held at Surat. Trouble broke out over the selections pf the party. The party split into the "Jahal Matwadi" led by the Tilak, Pal and Lajpat Rai and the "Maval Matwadi".

When World War-I started in August, Tilak cabled the King-Emperor in Britain of his support and turned his oratory to find new recruits for war efforts. He welcomed The Indian Council Act (1909), popularly known as Morley-Minto Reforms, which had been passed by British Parliament in May 1909, terming it as "a marked increase of confidence between the Rulers and the Ruled".

In 1916 Tilak re-unites with his fellow natinalist and re-joined the Indian National Congress. He also helped found the All India Home Rule League in 1916-18, with G S Khaparde and Muhammad Ali Jinnah and Annie Beseant. After years of trying to reunite the moderate and radical factions, he gave up and focused on the Home Rule League, which sought self-rule. Tilak started his Home Rule League in Maharashtra, Central Provinces and Karnataka and Berar region.

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