The Father of Indian Unrest: Tilak Maharaj

Tilak Maharaj

"Swaraj is my birthright and I shall have it" -- these are the words from a fearless crusader of India's Independence, Bal Gangadhar Tilak.

Bal Gangadhar Tilak's contribution to modern India stands on par with that of Mahatma Gandhi's. His role in Congress and advocating Home Rule for India were enormous. His newspaper (Kesari) founded in 1881 is going strong even today. Hundreds of schools in India were result of his vision. We owe the mass celebration of the Ganesh festival (see: Ganesh Chaturthi) only to Tilak.

Tilak Maharaj was the inspiration to Savarkar and thousands of nationalists like V.O.Chidambaram and crores of Indians. Although Gandhi accepted Gokhale as his mentor, in practice, he adopted all of Tilak's ideas of Swadeshi and of social reform. He may have passed away in 1920. But, his vision and seeds are giving fruits even today.

A good leader is a one who creates next ring of leaders and a great leader is a one who inspires others. Tilak was a great leader. When Tilak passed away, 200,000 mourners assembled on Chowpati beach of Bombay, without a single untoward incident. It is very hard to condense the great man's contribution to our country.

He didn't believe in feeding fish for the hungry, but he taught them fishing.

"Swaraj is my birthright and I shall have it!" were the fiery words of Tilak which roused the sleeping nation to action, making Indian people aware of their political plight under a foreign rule. Tilak did not question the British Sovereignty nor his demands rebellious or revolutionary. All he was asking was favorable conditions in India, to enable people to learn to govern themselves. May be all over the world, the separatist forces should follow his vision and define freedom as ability to govern one's land. But the handful rulers who ruled India's millions thought otherwise. They thought that Tilak was whipping a rebellion and he was imprisoned twice; two years for the first and six during the second. They said, he had committed treason.

Tilak's mother wished for a son, and undertook strenuous fasting and and strict religious observances in worship of the Sun God. Tilak was born on 23.07.1856 in Ratnagiri, a small coastal town in 1856 in a middle class family. The boy who was born by the grace of the Sun God, was instrumental in making the sunset in the British Empire!

At an early age he was convinced that the educational system the British provided for the Indians was not at all adequate. After graduation and a law degree, he helped found a school which laid emphasis on nationalism. He started a news paper 'Kesari' which tried to teach Indians of their glorious past and reminded them to be self reliant.

The concept of Swaraj had yet to blossom in the minds of the people. They had to be made to feel that thirst for independence. Patriotism had to be nurtured. To lay a strong foundation for a new way of life, an educational institution reflecting Indian culture had to be estab lished. EveryIndian had to be taught about Indian culture and national ideals. Good citizens can be moulded only through good education.

The British used all the native raw materials to run their factories in England and sold the finished products to India, keeping the India an ever dependant country. In the process, all the self-employing industries of India like spinning, weaving, glass making, sugar ,dyeing, paper making were destroyed. People became destitute for no fault of theirs to help an empire become richer and stronger. The people's blind faith that British rule was God's gift to India had to be wiped out.

The educational institution planned and founded by Tilak is like a banyan tree. The little seedling planted by him, has grown into a gigantic tree with many branches.

Tilak tried to inpart life into the nation through four mantras.
(1) Boycott of foreign goods
(2) National Education
(3) Self Government
(4) Swadeshi or self reliance

He realized that mere protest against British rule was not going to help and insisted on native production and reliance. He roared, "We have no arms, but there is no necessity. But our strong political weapon is boycott (of foreign goods) Organize your powers and then go to work so that they cannot refuse you what you demand"

He founded Deccan Education Society to give better education as per the country's needs. He wrote scathing articles over inhuman punishment meted out to the nationalist youth who protested the division of Bengal (VangaBhanga). Indian newspapers were not to criticize the British policy in those days and two articles titled "Has the Government lost its head ?" and "To Rule is not to wreak vengeance" appearing in Kesari landed him in jail, after a namesake trial. For the first time in British history, intellectuals in England (including the great orientalist, Max Muller) were able to convince the Government that the trial was unfair.

But the second time (1908) was no different. Tilak advocated his own case and when the judgment of six years of black-waters (kalapani) imprisonment was pronounced, he gave the famous statement : " All I wish to say is that in spite of the verdict of the jury, I maintain my innocence. There are higher powers that rule the destiny of men and nations. It may be the will of Providence that the cause I represent may prosper by suffering than by remaining free"

Tilak was immensely popular through writing and through social work. His idea of national festivals took shape in Shivaji Utsav and Ganesh Utsav which were instrumental in bringing people together culturally - irrespective of their caste and creed. His trial and punishment led to national upheaval. But the British were careful enough to arrange everything in secret and the judgment was delivered at midnight and Tilak was taken under military vigil to be deported to Burma (present Myanmar, which was also under British control)

Tilak wrote his famous commentary on Bhagavad-Gita, the sacred book of Hindus. He stressed that Gita taught action (karma), nothing but action. Religion or spiritual message were secondary and the need of the hour was to arise and fight. This was Lord Krishna's message to Arjuna. Tilak's wife, his companion of 45 years died at Pune and the news reached him in Madalay prison Burma only after a week. He had sacrificed his personal life, his profession, name and fame for the sake of the country.

By the time Tilak completed his six year prison term, he was the unquestioned leader of the Indians - the uncrowned king. He was known as the Tilak Maharaj.

There was unprecedented jubilation after Tilak was free and back in India. Civil resistance, the concept of Swaraj, and nationalism had taken deep roots. Tilak's suffering did not go in vain. A band of leaders, full of zeal for nationalism and self-sacrifice was coming up. National schools were coming up in all corners of India. He paved the way for Khadi (hand woven cloth), picketing against foreign goods and alcoholism. His death in 1920 brought Mahatma Gandhi on the scene and Gandhiji gave a concrete shape to Tilak's ideas of Swadeshi.

The court which convicted Tilak bears a plaque that says, " The action of Tilak has been justified as the right of every individual to fight for his country. Those two convictions have gone into oblivion- oblivion reserved by history for all unworthy deeds".

We seem have a very short memory. We usually remember the last thing that happens in life. That's the reason why politicians get rid of the 5 horrible years with a small good work at the end of their term. The list of those who got us freedom is so long. Tilak is one who has done impeccable work, silently.

Gandhi might be the "Father of the nation", but British described Tilak as "The Father of Indian Unrest". He was the one who sowed the seeds of nationalism.

Let us not forget the root cause and not forget that we are one as a nation because of all these great souls.

P.S: courtesy http://www.kamat.com/