Essay on bal ganghadar tilak's saying swaraj is my birth right and i shall have it
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what does swaraj mean according to tilak
Answers
Explanation:
Politically
speaking, Swaraj according to Tilak meant ‘self-rule’, meaning establishing an
Indian rule. The first word itself was anti-establishment as was Tilak’s
contention of having a right to it. He was very clear in setting the right
expectations. No amount of compromise would suffice. He would settle for
nothing short of complete self-rule. The
last part of the slogan ‘…I shall have it.’ showcases his sense of
determination. There are no clauses, excuses or any scope for reaching a
compromise. It is a brave effort to openly take on the British forces, for he
asserts that he ‘will have it’ irrespective of how the government feel about
it. He was arrested many times for his patriotic activities, but each time he
emerged a stronger leader.
Tilak
enjoyed tremendous popularity as a leader of the masses. Therefore, when he
uttered this sentence with conviction, he managed to trigger a strong wave of
patriotism across the masses. They now had a clear picture of the goals. Prior
to this, no leader had attempted a stronger definition of what independence actually
meant to them. With Tilak’s slogan, people and the freedom movement found a
direction with refreshed vigour.
Though the
slogan was adopted much later in his life, he had already been working towards
achieving Swaraj. Realising that
effective governance was possible only when educated Indians were at the helm
of affairs, he worked towards the spread of education. He was of the view that society,
education and efficiency went hand in hand.
As
suggested by the slogan, despite having joined the Indian National Congress to
help free India, he did not agree with the moderate faction of the party. While
the moderates advocated more peaceful methods of communication, Tilak strongly
opposed their stance. He was more in favour of using force if necessary. His
radical thoughts were responsible for the formation of the radical wing of the Congress.
Though many of his party members denounced him, it did not deter him. He found
support from Lala Lajpat Rai and Bipin Chandra Pal.
Together they were known as Lal-Bal-Pal. His
ideology was in keeping with the times, for the nation needed a strong leader
with clear ideals.