 "Bal Gangadhar Tilak's 100th death anniversary: Modi, Shah, other political leaders hail 'prime architect' of freedom struggle")
Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak’s 100th death anniversary is being observed on 1 August. An iconic leader and one of the strongest proponents of purna swaraj or total self-rule, Bal Gangadhar Tilak died on this day in 1920, in Mumbai. A part of the Lal-Bal-Pal (Lala Lajpat Rai, Bal Gangadhar Tilak and Bipin Chandra Pal) group, he was often called the “ father of the Indian unrest" by the British Raj. Tilak’s ideas of Swaraj were not confined to the political realm only. Acutely aware of the need for cultural and economic independence, his two initiatives gained a lot of momentum. One was the public celebration of Ganesh festival and the other was the Shivaji Jayanti, both aimed at a cultural coming-together of all caste and community groups. The firebrand leader’s funeral was held at Chowpatty Beach in a rented room in a guest house called Sardar Griha and was attended by over a million people. Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru and Maulana Shaukat Ali, a prominent leader of the Khilafat Movement, were a few who were in attendance. On Tilak’s death anniversary, Vice President Venkaiah Naidu tweeted a picture of the social reformer and wrote, “He was one of the prime architects of India’s freedom movement with his slogan- “SWARAJ IS MY BIRTHRIGHT”.
I join the nation in remembering the great freedom fighter & social reformer Bal Gangadhar Tilak on his 100th death anniversary today. He was one of the prime architects of India’s freedom movement with his slogan- “SWARAJ IS MY BIRTHRIGHT". #BalGangadharTilak pic.twitter.com/ztvBod1HDD
— Vice-President of India (@VPIndia) August 1, 2020
The Vice President said that Tilak’s contributions to the nation will always be remembered. Prime Minister Narendra Modi shared a video recorded in his voice with images of Tilak, sharing some facets of the freedom fighter’s life. “India bows to Lokmanya Tilak on his 100th Punya Tithi. His intellect, courage, sense of justice and idea of Swaraj continue to inspire,” said Modi.
India bows to Lokmanya Tilak on his 100th Punya Tithi.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 1, 2020
His intellect, courage, sense of justice and idea of Swaraj continue to inspire.
Here are some facets of Lokmanya Tilak’s life... pic.twitter.com/9RzKkKxkpP
Union Home Minister Amit Shah too remembered the freedom fighter on his 100th death anniversary. “Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak ji has an incomparable contribution to the freedom movement, dedicating every moment of his life to the nation and creating an ideological generation of revolutionaries,” Shah tweeted in Hindi. Amit Shah also addressed a webinar organised by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) as a tribute to Tilak.
लोकमान्य बाल गंगाधर तिलक जी का स्वतंत्रता आन्दोलन में अतुलनीय योगदान है, उन्होंने अपने जीवन का क्षण-क्षण राष्ट्र को समर्पित कर क्रांतिकारियों की एक वैचारिक पीढ़ी तैयार की।अंग्रेजों के विरुद्ध आवाज बुलंद कर उन्होंने स्वराज का जो नारा दिया उसने देश में नया साहस और विश्वास जगाया। pic.twitter.com/erty8D7ENs
— Amit Shah (@AmitShah) August 1, 2020
“Swaraj is my birthright and I shall have it, saying this in the 19th century and spending whole life to achieve it cannot be done by many. This sentence will always be associated with Lokmanya Tilak as golden letters in the history of our freedom struggle,” Shah said in his address. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in his message said that Lokmanya Tilak continues to inspire people of the country even today.
लोकमान्य बाल गंगाधर तिलक भारतीय स्वतंत्रता संग्राम के अग्रणी सेनानी थे।देश में स्वराज लाने का उनका स्वप्न स्वतंत्र भारत की आधारशिला है जो आज भी करोड़ों भारतीयों को प्रेरित करता है। आज लोकमान्य तिलक की सौवीं पुण्यतिथि पर मैं उन्हें स्मरण एवं नमन करता हूँ।
— Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) August 1, 2020
Tripura chief minister Biplab Kumar Deb wrote, “His life stands an inspiration for all of us even today. Bal Gangadhar Tilak ji’s thoughts and vision will continue to guide the generations to come.” Indian National Congress (INC) tweeted tributes to the freedom fighter on his death anniversary.
स्वराज्य को अपना जन्मसिद्ध अधिकार मानने और उसे हर कीमत पर हासिल करने के लिए संकल्पबद्ध साम्प्रदायिक सद्भाव के पुरोधा और सही मायनों में राष्ट्रवाद के अगुआ श्रद्धेय बाल गंगाधर तिलक की पुण्यतिथि पर सादर नमन। pic.twitter.com/xEo7FfQL47
— Congress (@INCIndia) August 1, 2020
Author of the books Conundrum: Subhas Bose’s Life after Death and Your Prime Minister is Dead, Anuj Dhar remembered Tilak in a series of tweets highlighting that the leader was, in the words of Subhas Chandra Bose, “The only possible rival of Mr Gandhi.” Indian Forest Service officer Parveen Kaswan, popular on social media for his sharing interesting photos and videos, shared the last words of Tilak at his historical trial of 1908. Filmmaker Ashoke Pandit wrote that Tilak will “always be remembered as a true nationalist and for his immense contribution to the freedom movement.” The Tilak Archives Twitter page shared number of black and white images of the leader’s funeral processions which took place over the course of 10 days.
Today is the 100th Death Anniversary of Lokmanya Tilak.
— The Tilak Archives (@tilakarchives) August 1, 2020
Let us all pay our tributes to the Maker of Modern India.
Some of the glimpses of the funeral processions which took place over the course of the 10 days. pic.twitter.com/sLEXGW9x2A
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