Bal Gangadhar Tilak, whose real name was Keshav Gangadhar Tilak, was a freedom fighter, social thinker, philosopher, teacher and journalist par excellence. He was popularly known as Lokmanya Tilak. The word Lokmanya is a Marathi term that loosely translates into “one who is held in high regard by the people” or respected by the masses. Bal Gangadhar Tilak was born on July 23, 1856, in Maharashtra's Ratnagiri. Therefore, Bal Gangadhar Tilak Jayanti or his birth anniversary is observed on July 23 every year. Tilak Death Centenary: 25-day Blood Donation Camp in Mumbai.

Bal Gangadhar Tilak was one the first and most staunch supporter of Swarajya or self-rule during the independence movement against the British rule in India. He is known for his quote in Marathi: "Swarajya is my birthright and I shall have it!". On the occasion of Bal Gangadhar Tilak Jayanti, here are some facts about the nationalist leader.

Bal Gangadhar Tilak completed his Bachelor of Arts degrees in first-class in Mathematics from Deccan College of Pune in 1877. He left post-graduation course midway to join the LL.B course instead, and in 1879 he obtained his LL.B degree from Government Law College. In 1884, Tilak along with his friends set up the Deccan Education Society to teach India's youth nationalist ideas.

Bal Gangadhar Tilak formed a close alliance with many Indian National Congress leaders including Bipin Chandra Pal, Lala Lajpat Rai, and the trio was called Lal Bal Pal. He formally joined the Congress party in 1890. Considered as a radical nationalist but a social conservative by political analysts, Tilak once said that he seeks to form a genuine federal system for Free India where everyone was an equal partner.

Tilak was imprisoned on a number of occasions that included a six-year-long stint at Mandalay for publishing articles in support of Bengali revolutionaries Prafulla Chaki and Khudiram Bose who threw bomb on a carriage at Muzzafarpur, to kill the Chief Presidency Magistrate Douglas Kingsford of Calcutta. In 1914 when he was released, Tilak launched the Home Rule League with the rousing slogan “Swarajya is my birthright and I will have it.

In 1916, Tilak rejoined the Congress party and signed the accord with Jinnah. It was Bal Gangadhar Tilak who transformed the household worshipping of Ganesha into a grand public event, now known as Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav. Mahatma Gandhi called him "the Maker of Modern India", and first Prime Minister of independent India Jawaharlal Nehru described him as "the Father of the Indian Revolution".

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 23, 2020 08:00 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).