Page 78 - Swatantrata to Atmanirbharta : Lokmanya Tilak’s legacy

in the second sedition case he said “In spite of the verdict of the
jury, I maintain I am innocent. There are higher powers that rule
the destiny of things and it may be the will of the Providence
that the cause I represent is to prosper more by my sufferings
than my remaining free”

Style of Articles
“The pen is mightier than the Sword “. Tilak intelligently and
creatively changed the newspaper to mission paper. Hence it
is important to study Tilak’s lead articles. The Indians could
withstand the British colonialism due to the strength given by
Tilak through his writings. What better use of media and public
communication can one think of!

Blowing reality out of proportion and drawing attention to
trivia have become a common strategy of today’s media, merely
to increase the TRP or readership. Our media needs to revisit the
spirit of journalism in the true sense and compare themselves to
the then media regarding integrity to the profession and a larger
national objective. It has become all the more important to
educate the masses considering the complexities of the modern
world.

What was so different about Tilak’s Lead Articles ?
Lead articles are written urgently about a topic of current
interest and requires an in-depth study of the subject. Lokmanya
Tilak was a skilled mathematician and an expert in law, so the
content of every article was presented logically. He quoted
something appropriate for the topic from the Bhartruhari,
Mahabharata or Upanishads at the beginning of his articles.
He then explained the background or history of the topic and
would refer to western or ancient Indian Sages. To read the
Mahabharata was a common practice then, so he would refer it
many a times. He would then provide an analysis of the topic
and explain every point with an appropriate reference. Next, he
would demolish the opposing viewpoints and arguments like
a lawyer does. This was the point at which his words would
become fiery, intense and sharp. These arguments would break
down the opposing view and then he would summarize in the
most simple language the right path that should be followed. He

Swatantrata to Atmanirbharata 76