Glimpses of the Untold History of the Indian Freedom Struggle - Part 25
मराठी हिंदी ગુજરાતી বাংলা తెలుగు ಕನ್ನಡ தமிழ்
Having secured the L.L.B. degree from the Government Law College of Bombay, Bal Gangadhar Tilak returned to Pune in 1879. Then on, not only did his mission gather increasing momentum, it even began to expand its footprint, spreading through various channels.
In 1880, Tilak began by founding the ‘New English School for Secondary Education’. Vishnushastry Chiplunkar, Mahadev Namjoshi and Gopal Agarkar were his associates, who helped establish this school.
Lokmanya’s intent behind founding the school was not restricted to merely establishing schools and colleges and educating people. He wanted to change the education system instituted by the British. The British imparted to the Bharatiya students, a distorted version of the real history and kept disparaging and assailing the Bharatiya cultural principles and values. Tilak was of the firm opinion that unless this was stopped, Bharat was never going to free itself from the clutches of the British.
The school met with resounding success and so with the help of many of his colleagues, Tilak established the ‘Deccan Education Society’ in 1884 and within the following year, he established the famous ‘Fergusson College’ in Pune.
However, in merely four years Tilak began to feel that devoting himself solely to the field of education was restricting him and in 1890, he handed over charge of the school, of the college and of the education society to his colleagues, in the year 1890 he took up more extensive work with great zeal. He was now free to move around at will. Because of his profound study, his in-depth knowledge of the Bharatiya and the world history, his powerful and eloquent oratory skills and his soul stirring writings, Tilak’s speeches drew large crowds. Although Pune was his base, his headquarters, scholars from various places, patriotic organizations began inviting him for lectures and without giving himself a moment’s rest, Tilak began travelling across the nation.
In 1890 Tilak joined the ‘Indian National Congress’. But the work of the Indian National Congress disillusioned Lokmanya Tilak very much and he began lending voice to his disgruntlement, “The Indian National Congress founded by Sir Hume, a British officer functions to please the British or in a way that does not meet with their disapproval. Besides, the activities are limited to corresponding with the government, sending petitions to the government and holding annual conventions. Such indecisive and soft treatment is never going to cure the disease called ‘the British rule’. What is required is that every Bharatiya prepare to confront, to square up to the British government for his rights and confrontation must necessarily be of hardliners. Tilak’s pre-eminence and influence in the congress increased with every passing day. Those who sought to maintain friendship with the British and keep up pretence of work by merely dishing out hollow speeches without actually engaging in the mission came to be known as softliners and found themselves alienated from the public. Lokmanya Tilak’s faction of hardliners was very active and grew rapidly and its strength by way of membership was five times greater than that of the softliners.
Namdar Gokhale and other moderate leaders gradually began to oppose Tilak. At the same time, Tilak’s old colleague and friend Gopalrao, who upheld the principle that ‘social reform must precede freedom’ distanced himself from Tilak and began openly opposing him.
Initially, Tilak did give both the opposing factions befitting replies but he eventually realized that he was wasting tremendous time doing so. He found it totally pointless and futile and steered his focus of opposition completely and solely on the British government.
Tilak delivered his speeches in Marathi, in English and at some places even in Hindi. In southern Bharat, a chief activist translated Tilak’s speeches in English into the local regional language and so a huge gathering could receive Tilak’s speech in their own language while Tilak himself stood delivering the speech before them.
‘Kesari’ (Marathi) and ‘Maratha’ (English), Tilak’s two newspapers spread far and wide. The British government considered these two newspapers to be ‘Tilak’s cannons’ and the then Viceroy sent a letter to London saying ‘Bal Gangadhar Tilak was the one and only Father of Indian unrest and freedom fight’.
As a result many a British spy was always on Tilak’s trail. Tilak resorted to several ways and means to dodge them and succeeded in meeting people he needed to.
For the purpose, he decided to make arrangements to ensure that there was a rush of people both in the office of the newspaper and at his residence. But Tilak’s colleague informed in a straightforward manner, “We do not really need to make any effort to ensure influx of crowds. Huge masses of people from every state of Bharat keep asking for permission to meet Tilak or atleast to have a look at the office of the newspapers. All we have to do, is give them the nod.”
So it happened as expected. People thronged Lokmanya’s offices and work centres which enabled Tilak to meet with whoever he wanted. Meetings with the youth who were eager to help realize the revolutionary plans in Tilak’s mind and ready for sacrifice, began in full swing.
The epidemic of plague that broke out in Bombay in 1895-96, spread to Pune and under the pretext of its prevention, the British government and its Bharatiya agents began exercising force in every affected region. People, especially Tilak’s supporters were forcibly driven out of their villages. The British police force and the military were given a free hand and were authorized to enter houses illegally, cause destruction and even assault people. Besides, those who complained against these incidents were promptly arrested and jailed after a court hearing of about an hour.
The people’s predicament and the merciless manner of the British enraged Tilak. The epidemic was not limited to Bombay and Pune, it had spread to other regions in Bharat and the British meted out the very same treatment to people in those regions too.
Consequently Tilak’s two canons, ‘Kesari’ and ‘The Maratha’ boomed and thundered
And referring to the BhagvadGeeta in his writings, Tilak clearly communicated to the people – ‘Acts of opposing or killing oppressive and unjust rulers does not fetch the doer of these acts any blame or sin.’
Due to his continuous touring of the country, Tilak’s party and ideology spread all across Bharat and on the day of the Gudhi Padwa of 1897, three siblings by the names of Damodar, Balkrishna and Vasudev Hari Chaphekar came to see Tilak. The very first meeting with Tilak left the Chaphekar brothers profoundly impressed and the spark of the armed revolution that had died down in 1858 was re-kindled. This path of the armed revolution was now being forged anew
….to be continued