Sh. Bal Gangadhar Tilak as one of the prime architects of Modern India
Poem or Essay
Answers
Bal Gangadhar Tilak, also known as ‘Lokmanya Tilak’, is one of the most prominent faces of the Indian Freedom Struggle, which in turn established the foundation of modern India. Being a mathematician and a scholar, Tilak was both modern and traditional in his approach. He was not only quick to understand the importance of education but also laid emphasis on India’s cultural heritage. He established an educational society which underlined the pointers that modern India’s educational system required. Being the traditional nation that India still continues to be, he gave due weightage to the cultural as well as modern aspects of learning, thus finding a balance between the two worlds.
Tilak’s views affected the economics of the nation as well. At a time when the nation was undergoing tumultuous times, Tilak urged people to brace themselves for hard times. To him, shifting to ‘Swadeshi’, meaning products that are locally grown and manufactured, seemed to be the shield against British economic supremacy. He shunned the use of imported goods and strongly advocated the use of Swadeshi products. His line of thought in this regard was later towed by Mahatma Gandhi as well. Incidentally, the current Indian government is also promoting the ‘Make in India’ campaign, which further shows that Tilak’s ideas were extremely modern, so much so that they are applicable even today.
On the cultural front, Tilak aimed at involving the common man in the national movement for freedom. He mobilized the masses at the grass root level. Tilak has been credited for establishing certain festivals, like the Ganesh Chaturthi. The festival is a 10 day long celebration in which the Hindus come together to offer obeisance to Lord Ganesha. He used cultural gatherings as a starting point to bring a sense of unity amongst the people. It also gave him the platform to air patriotic thoughts.
Being a leader of the masses, Tilak was a radical leader. He did not see eye to eye with the moderate faction of the Congress. He had little faith in Gandhi’s philosophy of non-violence and was in favour of harsher methods. To him, self rule was the ultimate goal, something that the Indians deserved. His contribution to the freedom struggle was immense, for he managed to become a cause of concern in the British camp. The rulers began to fear his increasing popularity. So determined was he in his efforts to overthrow the British regime that he openly resisted them. Tilak ended up being arrested and deported to Mandalay, modern day Burma. He believed, “Swaraj is my birthright and I shall have it.” The slogan found its way to the lips and hearts of the masses, and was often used as a war cry in times of strife.
Bal Gangadhar Tilak was thus an accomplished man, who had a tremendous influence on the political, social, cultural, economic and educational scenarios of pre-independence India. The efforts that he put in during the struggle for independence played an important role in shaping the future of free and modern India. He can thus be called as one of the prime architects of modern India.