“Our nation is like a tree of which the original trunk is swaraj and the branches are swadeshi and
boycott.”
- Bal Gangadhar Tilak
Most of us know that our nation, India, was under British rule for nearly two centuries, but surprisingly, hundreds of people are not aware of the struggle that the Indians faced during that time and the people who played a major role in making India independent. I am talking about the resolute and unwavering Freedom fighters of India.
There were millions of people who fought for our country, but one of the most prominent leaders was Bal Gangadhar Tilak. He played an extremely crucial role in helping India gain independence.
Who was he? He was a scholar, a mathematician, a philosopher, and an ardent nationalist who
helped lay the foundation for India’s independence by building his own defiance of British rule into a national movement. He played a leading role in popularising the cult of patriotism. He was an inspiring leader with a strong will to achieve his goals. He was an Assertive Nationalist and wanted nothing short of Swaraj, or complete independence. In fact, he was the first to openly declare the demand for Swaraj. He said, “ Swaraj is my birthright and I shall have it.”
What did he do? He started using the traditional religious Ganpati festival to propagate nationalist ideas through songs and speeches. He glorifies courageous people like Shivaji and started the Shivaji festival. It intrigues me and maybe you too, about how he used these traditional festivals to spread nationalism and patriotism. He was also responsible for starting the Home Rule League at Pune.
Why was he considered to be a prominent leader? How did he help in freeing India from the
British? The Early nationalists had been naive in thinking that the British were going to give them justice and show equality between the British and the Indians. Therefore, the Early nationalists only strove for self government within the British Empire and not for complete independence. When assertive nationalists like Bal Gangadhar Tilak entered India's political scene, they did not agree with such methods and ideology of the Early Nationalists. They opened the eyes of the masses and showed them that British rule was responsible for the downfall of India, that they were the ones responsible for the poverty of the Indian people. This realisation and awakening helped them to unite everyone to fight against British rule and to show active resistance to British imperialism.
Bal Gangadhar Tilak is one of the greatest Freedom Fighters, who left his mark in India. His courage and knowledge helped in keeping India afloat during the perplexing times of the Freedom struggle.
Shree Bal Gangadhar Tilak
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