Page 99 - Swatantrata to Atmanirbharta : Lokmanya Tilak’s legacy

creating socio-political, economic, and legal awareness in
the society. Lokmanya’s awakening editorials and articles on
burning contemporary issues not only awakened people at large
but also became a guiding light for the editors and journalists of
the day. In those days, Kesari proved to be like the roar of a lion
and the voice of a common man.
Lokmanya is remembered by his famous and popular
quote, “Swarajya is my birth right and I will strive to get it”; this
later became the slogan of every movement undertaken for
independence. He was the source of inspiration for martyrs like
Chaphekar brothers who sacrificed their lives in revolutionary
work. His contribution in the work of Indian National Congress
was so exemplary that he could ignite the minds of people
and create a political vibe to fight for freedom and struggle
for independence. In this process he propagated and practised
Hindutva, a thought expounded later by Swatantryaveer
Savarkar, his disciple and political successor.

Sanatana Dharma and Hindutva

Tilak was known as Sanatani in its true sense. He was never
a rebel and always in tune with normal and common public
sentiment. He never preferred to challenge rituals, customs and
thought processes of the society and probably because of this
comfort a huge public support was received by him in social
activities initiated by him. His indiscriminate treatment invited
a phenomenal participation of people from every corner of the
nation and that is the reason why he was called as “leader of
telis and tambolis’. A staunch bramhin and sanatani by his beliefs,
he, at times accepted ‘Prayshchitta,’ redemption, a punishment
given by the then bramhin community for drinking tea in a
meeting held with Christian fathers. Owing to the sentimental
nature of the public, he preferred prayschitta for the religious
wrongs he had committed. Nonetheless he never sabotaged
religious beliefs of the society thereby did not go far away from
the people. He was always with people, probably few steps ahead
of them and always trying to get the society and people with
him by steering their thought process for reforms and rebuilding
of the society. His clear, unambiguous, and visionary thought
process and practical, grounded yet reformative religious beliefs
97 Swatantrata to Atmanirbharata