Page 123 - Swatantrata to Atmanirbharta : Lokmanya Tilak’s legacy

nationaL

conSciouSneSS

Smt. Swapna Chaudhari

1. Introduction
Bal Gangadhar Tilak (1856 – 1920) was a pioneer in India’s
history and a beloved leader, a patriot, a thinker, educator
and one who has given us the iconic war cry of “swaraj” and
“swadeshi”. In a country as diverse as India with a long history
of foreign rule, it is still a pertinent and thought-provoking
concept to invoke nationalism and national identity. This
essay seeks to understand Tilak’s rich and powerful legacy
in contemporary India. His three-point program of Swaraj,
Swadeshi and Nationalist Education was a strong foundation
to the idea of India as an independent vibrant nation. He was
the first generation of leaders in our quest for freedom from
colonial rule. A century later India still needs such a powerful
and nationalist leadership to achieve our rightful destiny.
We were introduced by Tilak to the concept of mass
mobilization which became a template for our freedom
struggle. Mass mobilization in which Indian middle class was
an important pressure point. Unity in diversity is an oft repeated
term. However, it has the potential to become our greatest
weakness. Tilak wanted to harness this energy and give it focus
and direction through engaging the masses. He united all classes
of the time the educated, the merchant/ trader, peasantry, for
121 Swatantrata to Atmanirbharata