Lokmanya Tilak National Award

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About Lokmanya Tilak National Award:

The award was instituted in 1983 by the Tilak Smarak Mandir Trust.
This award is given every year on 1st August, the death anniversary of Lokmanya Tilak, to persons who have made remarkable and extraordinary contributions, working for the progress and development of the nation.

Who was Lokmanya Tilak?

Bal Gangadhar Tilak, commonly known as Lokmanya Tilak, was a prominent Indian nationalist, freedom fighter, social reformer, and political leader during the Indian independence movement.
He was one of the prime architects of modern India and probably the strongest advocate of Swaraj or Self Rule for India.
He is known for his slogan, “Swaraj is my birthright and I shall have it.”
He was born as Keshav Gangadhar Tilak and his followers bequeathed upon him the title of ‘Lokmanya’, meaning he who is revered by the people.
Extremist:
- He was considered a radical Nationalist.
- The British Government termed him the “Father of Indian Unrest”.
Organisations:
- He joined the Indian National Congress Party in the year 1890.
- He also helped found the All India Home Rule League in 1916–18 with G. S. Khaparde and Annie Besant.
- Tilak started his Home Rule League in Maharashtra, Central Provinces, and Karnataka and Berar region. Besant’s League was active in the rest part of India. It aimed to advocate for self-rule and raise public awareness about India’s right to govern itself.
Literary works:
- Tilak was a prolific writer and journalist. He used his newspaper, “Kesari” (meaning Lion) in Marathi and later “Maratha” in English to disseminate nationalist ideas.
- Some of his notable literary works include “The Arctic Home in the Vedas,” where he presented his theory that the Vedas originated in the Arctic region, and “Shrimad Bhagavad Gita Rahasya,” an interpretation of the Bhagavad Gita from a nationalist perspective.
Educationist:
- Tilak believed in the power of education and established the Deccan Education Society in Pune in 1884.
- The society founded Fergusson College and the New English School, which played crucial roles in promoting modern education in Maharashtra.
- Tilak taught mathematics at Fergusson College.
Social Reform: Lokmanya Tilak was also an advocate of social reform. He actively supported the eradication of social evils like untouchability and child marriage and promoted education for women.
Lal-Bal-Pal: He had popular leaders such as Bipin Chandra Pal and Lala Lajpat Rai as his political companions, and the three were popularly known as the ‘Lal-Bal-Pal triumvirate.’
Imprisonments: He was arrested for sedition on multiple occasions. His most prolonged incarceration lasted from 1908 to 1914, during which he wrote the famous book “Gita Rahasya” (The Secret of the Bhagavad Gita).
In 1916 he concluded the Lucknow Pact with Mohammed Ali Jinnah, which provided for Hindu-Muslim unity in the nationalist struggle.

Q1) What is the Home Rule League?

The Home Rule League was a political movement in British India that campaigned for self-government for India. It was founded in 1916 by Bal Gangadhar Tilak and Annie Besant. The Home Rule League was the first mass-based political movement in India, and it played a significant role in the Indian independence movement. The Home Rule League was modeled on the Irish Home Rule League, which had campaigned for self-government for Ireland. The Home Rule League was successful in mobilising Indian public opinion in favour of self-government. The Home Rule League was dissolved in 1920, but its legacy continued to inspire the Indian independence movement.