Page 53 - Swatantrata to Atmanirbharta : Lokmanya Tilak’s legacy

He founded trusts and patronized colleges, labs, libraries,
gymnasia etc. he was honoured by nomination as the Sheriff of
Mumbai in 1959. He was on the advisory boards of the State
Bank of India, Bank of Maharashtra. He received the Padma
Bhushan in 1971 and was awarded the D. Litt degree by the
University of Puna in 1989.
TILAK PROMOTED LOCAL INDUSTRIES

Tilak promoted local industries in cities, towns, and villages,
by his editorials in Kesari. Businessmen like Baburao Paranjape,
a jeweller from Vile Parle, in Mumbai, who was also a follower
of Tilak, started Parle Tilak Vidyalaya and was pioneer of low-
cost housing affordable to the poor and lower middle class
Marathi citizens of Mumbai.
The Gogate’s of Belgaum were followers of Tilak and started
the mining industry. Later, the head of the group became
the President of the Maratha Chamber. Ganpule’s of Morvi,
Gujarat started chinaware and and sanitaryware industry.
Vishnupant Velankar started Gajanan Textile Mills in Sangli.
Bhausaheb Dhamankar, who was a student of Talegaon &
Wai Rastriya schools, started handloom and power loom
industry in Bhiwandi and later he entered dredging industry
which used to deepen water level in creeks in Kalyan, Thane
districts by extracting the mud and sand formation, which used
to be demanded by construction industry of growing Greater
Bombay Region. Raobahadur Shembekar started agro- industry
and lathe industry in Chakan, Chinchwad and Pimpri Aras.

Tilak encouraged and promoted the entertainment industry
of Maharashtra by appreciating talent of young adolescent,
Narayan Rajhans and gave him the honourable title of
‘Balgandharva’. Shri Dhundiraj Phalke alias Dadasaheb was
influenced by his Swadeshi Mantra and went to England
and studied the technique of filming and cinematography.
He returned and started to produce ‘silent movies’ like
Gangavataran. Later, he developed the ‘talkies’ and made a first
feature film in India. Today he is known as the ‘Father of Indian
Film Industry’.

51 Swatantrata to Atmanirbharata