Bal Gangadhar Tilak
You and I were born in a free India - so it’s easy to take that freedom for granted. But over a century ago, one man sparked the idea that Swarajya - self-rule - is our birthright.
That man was Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak. Here’s his story.
Born in 1856 in Ratnagiri, Tilak lost both parents young but pushed through as a brilliant student. He earned degrees in Mathematics and Law, but instead of chasing a career in law, he dedicated himself to education.
He co-founded many institutions, believing that schools could instil national pride and Hindu values. That legacy still lives through Pune’s Fergusson College.
Tilak also launched two nationalist newspapers - Kesari in Marathi and The Mahratta in English. These weren’t just papers - they were weapons.
Through fiery editorials, he exposed British oppression and inspired everyday Indians to rise up - turning the freedom struggle from an elite affair into a mass movement.
The British hated him for it. He was arrested and sent to Mandalay jail in Burma. But Tilak didn’t waste time - he used those years to write Gita Rahasya, a revolutionary take on the Bhagavad Gita. In it, he argued that Krishna preached karma-yoga - not renunciation, but fierce, selfless action. Protecting your land and people, he said, is Dharma.
Tilak also wrote on the Vedas and ancient Indian texts, reviving Sanatan Dharma and connecting cultural identity with political awakening.
And one of his smartest moves to spread the fire was turning Ganesh Chaturthi into a public festival. Inspired by Bhausaheb Laxman Javel’s first attempts in Pune, Tilak popularised it across Maharashtra.
Because it was religious, it bypassed British laws on public gatherings - giving Indians a safe space to meet, organise, and assert their identity. He did the same with Shiv Jayanti, inspiring people to take up the fight for “Swarajya” like Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.
As part of the extremist Lal-Bal-Pal trio in the Congress, Tilak pushed for Swaraj and a Dharma-rooted Hindu Rashtra. He wasn’t afraid to challenge the British - or his own lax party - when needed.
Thanks to his bold leadership, fearless writing, and unshakable conviction, India’s freedom movement became a fire that couldn’t be put out even after his death.
He inspired so many, which was evident by the 200,000 mourners who showed up at his funeral on Chowpatty beach in 1920.