Page 56 - Swatantrata to Atmanirbharta : Lokmanya Tilak’s legacy

people to collaborate through the Ganesh festival (1893) and
Shivaji utsav (1895) and slowly started inculcating the value
and importance of Independence through various plays, acts
and cultural events during these times. These not only let
people unite, gave them an identity. He was the first leader to
understand and promote IDENTITY as a tool to galvanize the
people to look beyond the aspects of caste, creed, and other
standard factors.
This identity is an important factor that motivated the people.
The identity of being One’s Own Self an Indian led them to
collaborate and work towards a common goal. People became
self-motivated. The belief of ME/ Self (Swa) was inculcated,
and this led them to have the desire for own Own Rule and thus
Swaraj.

This cultural confluence through the festivals led people
to think beyond one’s daily routine work, made them come
together and celebrate. This led to cohesiveness amongst
society and other standard barriers amongst certain groups or
individuals were broken. The society as such amalgamated as
one. This made it easier for an idea of SWARAJ to be accepted
by all.

He can be called a MASS MOVER and really had a control
on the Masses. It is said that almost half of Pune would turn in
to listen whenever he was to deliver a lecture on some occasion
or other. That is why he was also known as LOKMANYA.

A true leader at the top is loved and regarded as their messiah
by all. Some people think that since he started the Ganesh
festivals and Shivaji Jayanti festivals, this might have alienated
the MUSLIMS (Britishers tried to use this tactic to divide and
rule), but contrary to the belief the Muslim community used
to seek his intervention and go with their inner community
problems to resolve the dispute. His best friend turned out to
be Mohammed Ali Jinnah, who even went on defending him
in the Sedition case. A noted poet even wrote a Ghazal praising
him when he was sentenced.

He was quoted as the “Father of Unrest in India” by British
Media, He was the prime catalyst for converting the Indian

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