Page 124 - Swatantrata to Atmanirbharta : Lokmanya Tilak’s legacy

a common purpose. He was an astute politician, a fighter by
nature, strong willed and a man of action but he understood
that he needed to incorporate the will of the people into his
ideas and plans. That makes him a truly democratic leader.
Tilak was said to be the father of Indian renaissance. To invoke
the national consciousness he used culture, education and
media. These are still powerful tools to invoke nationalism and
strengthen the democratic fabric. Today when India is fighting
a battle to find its rightful place in the new world order and
simultaneously overcome its inherent fissures, Tilak’s forceful
and unapologetic approach to achieving the goals and message
delivery seems to be the need of the hour.
Indians for all their dynamism and intellect have never been
a revolutionary society. Except for career agitators, through
most of our history our short bursts of passion are easily
appeased. This awakening of national consciousness is more
so required in today’s environment where we should not
become a nation of missed chances. The aspirational Indian
of today must understand that to achieve those very aspirations
one still needs, among other things, good governance, a robust
domestic economy, a very aware and participative society. All
these are reflective of Swaraj, Swadeshi and Nationalism. Tilak
understood the need for a rallying point for awakening the
national consciousness for a sustained movement.

Fortunately, today once again these issues have become a part
of public discourse. We can draw inspiration from his ideology,
his strengths, his action-oriented approach and fighting spirit
to give our future generations the true form of Swaraj, the goal
of Swadeshi and unifying our diverse society in a nationalistic
fervour so that our future generations do not once again suffer
the consequences of missed chances. Apathy is a silent killer. It
has surreptitiously entered the system and our dream of being
a strong healthy and prosperous nation has escaped us. The
spirit of Tilak is still alive in many of us. The quiet majority
who works with sincerity, honesty and diligently can be very
effective influencers to evoke national consciousness. Each one
of us, as products of a modernised global world, can be foot
soldiers to distil and convey the true meaning of Tilak’s legacy.

Swatantrata to Atmanirbharata 122