Page 154 - Swatantrata to Atmanirbharta : Lokmanya Tilak’s legacy

this idea. He emphasized on the fact that Indian money should
be circulated within the country instead of going abroad. He
emphasized on the youth to take up small scale businesses.
Rastriya Shikshan was his brainchild. He said the youth in
India should be given a curriculum about our Indian culture
rather than teaching foreign culture in schools and colleges.
According to him this would develop a sense of patriotism
at an early age. The best example of ‘Rastriya Shikshan’ was
‘Samarth Vidyalaya’ started at Talegaon near Pune. He also
insisted on increasing primary schools in villages and providing
free basic education to the downtrodden people.
Lokmanya Tilak was the first leader to include international
politics into mainstream freedom movement. He had a keen
eye towards the political, social, and financial happenings in
the international scenario. ‘Ireland freedom struggle’ was his
favourite example which he used to quote in his speeches and
writings. He was the first to congratulate Japan on their victory
over Russia. Russian revolution was widely publicized in
‘Kesari’. In 1881, he wrote articles about Karl Marx in Maratha
and in 1918 about Lenin in Kesari.
He also believed that the Indian youths are more effective and
efficient than the British youth who are imported from England
and hence Indian youths need to be given administrative
positions instead of merely engaging them in clerical activities.
This idea suggested by him was revolutionary in those days.

Lokmanya Tilak will no doubt be remembered in the annals
of history as the greatest statesman and architect of modern
India. Even today, there is so much that we can learn from
his life’s journey. His greatest strength was his bonding with
common man, understanding their needs and putting it across to
the highest authority with aggression, urgency, and conviction.
He was the ‘Voice of the Common Man’. Lokmanya Tilak will
always be remembered not merely as a selfless patriot but also as
a profound scholar who devoted his whole life to bring freedom
to our country.

Swatantrata to Atmanirbharata 152