Sunday, 17 July 2016

17 JUL 1893 LOKMANYA TILAK ARRESTED FOR 18 MONTHS

FIRST TILAK TRIAL - 1897

  
See Judgment

During the hot weather of 1897, from to June, the bubonic plague raged in Poona in a severe epidemic form; and the Government of Bombay had to adopt drastic measures to meet the situation.  The military, mostly British soldiers, were employed to visit the houses of the inhabitants, to discover concealed cases of plague, and enforce disinfectant and other hygienic measures.  This caused intense discontent and resentment in the native population of Poona.  On June 15th 1897, the "Kesari", a paper edited by B.G. Tilak, published a report of the festival held in commemoration of the Rajyabhishek (coronation) of Shivaji at Raygad in 1674.  The issue also contained an article justifying the killing of Afzal Khan by Shivaji.  Speeches were made by Tilak at the festival, justifying Shivaji in the affair.  "Did Shivaji commit a sin in killing Afzal Khan or not ?  The answer to that question can be found in the Mahabharat itself.  Srimat Krishna's advice in the Gita is to kill even our own teachers and kinsmen. No blame attaches to any person if he is doing deeds without being actuated by a desire to reap the fruits of his deeds.  Shri Shivaji did nothing with a view to fill the void of his own stomach.  With benevolent intentions he murdered Afzal Khan, for the good of others.  If thieves enter our house and we have not  sufficient strength t drive them out, we should without hesitation shut them up and burn them alive.  God has not conferred upon the foreigners the grant, inscribed on a copperplate, of the Kingdom of Hindustan.  The Maharaja (Shivaji) strove to drive them away from the land of his birth.  He did not thereby commit the sin of coveting what belonged to others.  Do not circumscribed  your vision, like a frog in a well; get out of the Penal Code, and enter the extremely high atmosphere of the Srimat Bhagavad Gita, and consider the actions of great men."  The paper also contained certain verses in Marathi, in which Shivaji is shown as waking up from his sleep of ages, and lamenting the oppression which he found prevailing in his native land.
 
A week later, on 22nd of June, the Collector of Poona, Mr. Rand, who was responsible for the plague measures, and a young military officer, Lt. Ayerst, were shot dead by some Brahmin youths, while they were driving back from the Government House at night along the Ganeshkhind Road.  These murders caused intense indignation among the Europeans and in the Government; and all Poona and Bombay were in a state of great agitation.  It was pointed out that the murders of the two officers were the direct result of the incitement caused by Tilak's speeches and articles.  Government decided to prosecute Tilak for sedition under Sec. 124-A of the Indian Penal Code.  Tilak was tried before Justice Strachey and a special jury.  He had applied to be released on bail.  Twice the bail was refused.  On the third occasion,  his counsel, D.D. Davar (afterwards Mr. Justice Davar) succeeded in obtaining bail from the High Court; and Tilak was granted bail in the sum of Rs.50,000, a rather large amount, to be produced within 24 hours.  In the meanwhile, Tilak was kept under surveillance in the Prothonotary's office.  Dwarkadas Dharamsey, a leading merchant and public man of Bombay (afterwards Sheriff of Bombay), produced the sum of Rs.50,000 in about 4 hours.  The Advocate-General, Lang, with Strangman, appeared for the prosecution; and Tilak was defended by two Calcutta barristers, L.P. Evans Pugh and Garth, with D.D.Davar of Bombay. On the face of the article, the offense with which Tilak was charged appeared to have been made out.  The article was an attempt to bring the Government into hatred and contempt. Strachey, who was a most conscientious and painstaking judge, delivered a very long and laborious charge to the jury; but the committed a slip in telling the jury that "disaffection" meant "absence of affection", instead of saying that it meant "contrary of affection", or hatred.  Some point was made of this "slip" by Tilak's counsel; but Strachey was merely quoting the Calcutta High Court in a previous case of sedition.  Tilak was found guilty by the jury and sentenced to 18 months' imprisonment.  He applied to the High Court for leave to appeal to the Privy Council; but leave was refused.  He then made a petition to the Privy Council for special leave to appeal; and Mr. Asquith (Afterwards Prime Minister of England) appeared for him before the Privy Council; but the special leave was also refused.



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July 3 1908 - Bal Gangadhar Tilak Is Arrested for Sedition by the British


On July 3rd 1908, Bal Gangadhar Tilak was arrested for sedition by the British. Bal Gangadhar Tilak, born Keshav Gangadhar Tilak and popularly known as Lokmanya Tilak, was a popular Indian nationalist and Independence activist who was one of the first popular leaders of the freedom movement.
Tilak was born on July 23rd 1856 in the Ratnagiri district of Maharashtra. His father Gangadhar Tilak was a school teacher and Sanskrit scholar who died when Tilak was sixteen. Tilak later went on to graduate from the Deccan College in Pune in 1877. After graduating from college Tilak became a mathematics teacher in a private school in Pune. He later left the job when he had certain ideological differences with his colleagues. Following his resignation, Tilak formed the Deccan Education Society along with a few of his college friends whose aim it was to improve the quality of education for India’s youth. The Deccan Education Society taught its students nationalist ideas along with an emphasis on Indian culture.
In 1890, Tilak joined the Indian National Congress and was critical of their lukewarm attitude towards the fight for self-governance. Tilak gradually emerged as one of the most important revolutionaries of his time. Towards the end of 1896, a severe plague epidemic had spread from Mumbai (then Bombay) to Pune. By January 1897, the diseases had taken on a worrying proportion. It was then that British troops were brought in to deal with the emergency. The measures taken by the troops included entering private houses, inspecting the occupants and evacuating the diseased to hospitals and destroying people’s personal possessions to prevent the plague from entering or leaving the city. The epidemic was finally brought under control by May 1897.
Even though the actions of the British were well meant, they were perceived as acts of dictatorship and oppression. Following this, Tilak published fiery articles in his Marathi newspaper Kesari against the British. This eventually led to the murders of British officers W.C Rand and Lt. Ayester, who were heading the Special Plague Committee at that time. The British charged Tilak with “incitement to murder” and sentenced him to 18 months in prison. Upon his release from prison, Tilak was regarded a national hero. By then he had also coined the famous slogan “Swaraj [self-rule] is my birthright and I shall have it”.
In 1905, the state of Bengal was portioned, which was a strategy by Lord Curzon who wanted to weaken the nationalist movement which was at its peak then. Tilak then pushed the swadeshi movement and the movement to boycott British goods. The boycott movement involved boycotting foreign-made goods and also the social boycott of Indians who used foreign goods. The swadeshi movement comprised of using goods made by oneself or produced in India. Once the foreign goods were boycotted, the gap created would then be filled by goods produced in India. Hence, Tilak considered the boycott movement and the swadeshi movement as two sides of the same coin.
Tilak was a staunch supporter of nationalism and swaraj and opposed the moderate views of Gopal Krishna Gokhale and was supported by fellow nationalists Bipin Chandra Pal in Bengal and Lala Lajpat Rai in Punjab. This trio was popularly known as: "Lal - Bal - Pal”. In 1907, during the annual session of the Congress in Surat, tension erupted between the moderate and radical ends of the party over the selection of the new President of the Congress. The party was then split into the Jahal Matavadi led by Tilak, Bipin Chandra Pal and Lajpat Rai and Maval Matavadi.
On April 30th 1908, two young revolutionaries Prafulla Chaki and Khudiram Bose threw a bomb onto a carriage in Muzzafarpur in order to kill the Chief Prisidency Magistrate Douglas Kingsford, but by mistake killed two women in the carriage instead. Chaki commited suicide before he was caught, while Bose was hanged.
In his newspaper Kesari, Tilak defended the two young men and called for immediate swaraj. This was followed by the immediate arrest of Tilak by the British on charges of sedition. The Parsi judge, Dinshaw. D Davar trying the case, termed Tilak’s articles in Kesari as “seething with sedition” and accused him of glorifying violence and approving of murder. By the end of the case, Tilak was sentenced to a jail term from 1908 to 1914 in Mandalay in Burma. While in prison, Tilak read and wrote extensively and developed his ideas on the Indian nationalism movement. During his time in prison, Tilak wrote Shrimad Bhagvat Gita Rahasya which went on to become very popular. Many copies of this book were sold and the money was put towards freedom fighting.
By the end of his jail term in June 1914, Tilak had quieted down considerable due to diabetes and the hardships he had undergone in prison. At the outbreak of World War I in August 1914, Tilak contacted the King Emperor of Britain and assured him of his support and used the power of his oration to get new recruits for war efforts. He also embraced the Morley-Minto Reform passed by the British and thought this was a good way to increase the trust between the British and the Indians. Tilak also tried to convince Mahatma Gandhi to leave the idea of complete non-violence and attain swaraj by all means possible. Though Gandhi had immense respect for Tilak, he did not change his mind and stuck to his path of non-violence. 
Tilak is remembered for books penned by him which include The Arctic Home in the Vedas and Shrimad Bhagvad Gita Rahasya. The Kesari newspaper started by him is still published as a daily newspaper in Marathi. In 2007, the government of India released a coin to celebrate the 150th birth anniversary of Bal Gangadhar Tilak.

Also On This Day:
1350 - Saint Namdev passes away.
1941 - Adoor Gopalakrishnan, cinematographer, is born.
1972 - Shimla Non-Arm Agreement on Kashmir is signed between Indira Gandhi and Zulfikar Ali Bhutto
1979 - Construction of the main second Howrah Bridge (Vidyasagar Setu) starts. 

BAL GANGADHAR TILAK
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Bal Gangadhar Tilak (or Lokmanya Tilak, About this sound pronunciation (help·info); 23 July 1856 – 1 August 1920), born as Keshav Gangadhar Tilak, was an Indian nationalist, journalist, teacher, social reformer, lawyer and an independence activist.
Bal Gangadhar Tilak
He was the first leader of the Indian Independence Movement. The British colonial authorities called him "Father of the Indian unrest." He was also conferred with the honorary title of "Lokmanya", which literally means "accepted by the people (as their leader)".
Tilak was one of the first and strongest advocates of "Swaraj" (self-rule) and a strong radical in Indian consciousness. He is known for his quote in Marathi, "स्वराज्य हा माझा जन्मसिद्ध हक्क आहे आणि तो मी मिळवणारच" ("Swarajya is my birthright, and I shall have it!") in India. He formed a close alliance with many Indian National Congress leaders including Bipin Chandra Pal, Lala Lajpat Rai, Aurobindo Ghose and Muhammad Ali Jinnah. As a strong advocate of Swaraj, he was against Gandhi's policy of Total-ahimsa (non-violence) , satyagraha and advocated the use of force where necessary.
Tilak was born in a Chitpavan Brahmin family in Ratnagiri, headquarters of the eponymous district of present day Maharashtra (then British India) on 23 July 1856. His ancestral village was Chikhali. His father, Gangadhar Tilak was a school teacher and a Sanskrit scholar who died when Tilak was sixteen. Tilak graduated from Deccan College, Pune in 1877. Tilak was amongst one of the first generation of Indians to receive a college education.[citation needed] In 1871 Tilak was married to Tapibai (a women belonging to Bal family) when he was sixteen before few months of his father's death. After marriage, her name was changed to Satyabhamabai. He obtained his matriculation in 1872. He obtained his Bachelor of Arts in first class in Mathematics from Deccan College of Pune in 1877. In 1879 he obtained his LL.B degree from Government Law College of University of Mumbai. Despite two attempts he did not succeed in qualifying in his M. A.
After graduating, Tilak started teaching mathematics at a private school in Pune. Later due to ideological differences with the colleagues in the new school, he withdrew and became a journalist later. Tilak actively participated in public affairs. He stated:
"Religion and practical life are not different. To take Sanyasa (renunciation) is not to abandon life. The real spirit is to make the country your family work together instead of working only for your own. The step beyond is to serve humanity and the next step is to serve God."
He organised the Deccan Education Society with a few of his college friends, including Gopal Ganesh Agarkar, Mahadev Ballal Namjoshi and Vishnushastri Chiplunkar. Their goal was to improve the quality of education for India's youth. The Deccan Education Society was set up to create a new system that taught young Indians nationalist ideas through an emphasis on Indian culture. The Society established the New English School for secondary education and Fergusson College in 1885 for post-secondary studies. Tilak taught mathematics at Fergusson College. He began a mass movement towards independence by an emphasis on a religious and cultural revival.
Tilak joined the Indian National Congress in 1890. He opposed its moderate attitude, especially towards the fight for self-government. He was one of the most-eminent radicals at the time. Despite being personally opposed to early marriage, Tilak was against the 1891 Age of Consent bill, seeing it as interference with Hinduism and a dangerous precedent. The act raised the age at which a girl could get married from 10 to 12 years. During late 1896, a Bubonic plague spread from Bombay to Pune, and by January 1897, it reached epidemic proportions. British troops were brought in to deal with the emergency and harsh measures were employed including forced entry into private houses, examination of occupants, evacuation to hospitals and segregation camps, removing and destroying personal possessions, and preventing patients from entering or leaving the city. By the end of May, the epidemic was under control.
Even if, though the British authorities' measures were well-meant, they were widely regarded as acts of tyranny and oppression. Tilak took up this issue by publishing inflammatory articles in his paper Kesari (Kesari was written in Marathi, and Mahratta was written in English), quoting the Hindu scripture, the Bhagavad Gita, to say that no blame could be attached to anyone who killed an oppressor without any thought of reward. Following this, on 22 June 1897, Commissioner Rand and another British officer, Lt. Ayerst were shot and killed by the Chapekar brothers and their other associates. According to Barbara and Thomas R. Metcalf, Tilak "almost surely concealed the identities of the perpetrators". Tilak was charged with incitement to murder and sentenced to 18 months imprisonment. When he emerged from prison in present-day Mumbai, he was revered as a martyr and a national hero. He adopted a new slogan coined by his associate Kaka Baptista, "Swaraj (self-rule) is my birthright and I shall have it."
Following the Partition of Bengal, which was a strategy set out by Lord Curzon to weaken the nationalist movement, Tilak encouraged the Swadeshi movement and the Boycott movement. The movement consisted of the boycott of foreign goods and also the social boycott of any Indian who used foreign goods. The Swadeshi movement consisted of the usage of natively produced goods. Once foreign goods were boycotted, there was a gap which had to be filled by the production of those goods in India itself. Tilak said that the Swadeshi and Boycott movements are two sides of the same coin.
Tilak opposed the moderate views of Gopal Krishna Gokhale, and was supported by fellow Indian nationalists Bipin Chandra Pal in Bengal and Lala Lajpat Rai in Punjab. They were referred to as the "Lal-Bal-Pal triumvirate". In 1907, the annual session of the Congress Party was held at Surat, Gujarat. Trouble broke out over the selection of the new president of the Congress between the moderate and the radical sections of the party . The party split into the radicals faction, led by Tilak, Pal and Lajpat Rai, and the moderate faction. Nationalists like Aurobindo Ghose, V. O. Chidambaram Pillai were Tilak supporters.
On 30 April 1908, two Bengali youths, Prafulla Chaki and Khudiram Bose, threw a bomb on a carriage at Muzzafarpur, to kill the Chief Presidency Magistrate Douglas Kingsford of Calcutta fame, but erroneously killed two women travelling in it. While Chaki committed suicide when caught, Bose was hanged. Tilak, in his paper Kesari, defended the revolutionaries and called for immediate Swaraj or self-rule. The Government swiftly arrested him for sedition. But a special jury convicted him, and the judge Dinshaw D. Davar gave him the controversial sentence of six years' transportation and a fine of Rs 1,000. The jury by a majority of 7:2 convicted him. On being asked by the judge whether he had anything to say, Tilak said:
All that I wish to say is that, in spite of the verdict of the jury, I still maintain that I am innocent. There are higher powers that rule the destinies of men and nations; and I think, it may be the will of Providence that the cause I represent may be benefited more by my suffering than by my pen and tongue.
In passing sentence, the judge indulged in some scathing strictures against Tilak's conduct. He threw off the judicial restraint which, to some extent, was observable in his charge to the jury. He condemned the articles as "seething with sedition", as preaching violence, speaking of murders with approval. "You hail the advent of the bomb in India as if something had come to India for its good. I say, such journalism is a curse to the country". Tilak was sent to Mandalay, Burma from 1908 to 1914. While imprisoned, he continued to read and write, further developing his ideas on the Indian nationalist movement. While in the prison he wrote the Gita Rahasya. Many copies of which were sold, and the money was donated for the Indian Independence movement.
Tilak had mellowed after his release on 16 June 1914, because of having diabetes and also the ordeals faced in Mandalay prison. When World War I started in August, Tilak cabled the King-Emperor in Britain of his support and turned his oratory to find new recruits for war efforts. He welcomed The Indian Councils Act, popularly known as Minto-Morley Reforms, which had been passed by British Parliament in May 1909, terming it as "a marked increase of confidence between the Rulers and the Ruled". Acts of violence actually retarded, than hastened, the pace of political reforms, he felt. He was eager for reconciliation with Congress and had abandoned his demand for direct action and settled for agitations "strictly by constitutional means" – a line advocated by his rival Gokhale.
Tilak tried to convince Mohandas Gandhi to leave the idea of Total non-violence ("Total Ahimsa") and try to get Selfrule ("Swarajya") by all means. Gandhi, though respected him as his guru, did not change his mind.
Later, Tilak re-united with his fellow nationalists and re-joined the Indian National Congress in 1916. He also helped found the All India Home Rule League in 1916–18, with G. S. Khaparde and Muhammad Ali Jinnah and Annie Besant. After years of trying to reunite the moderate and radical factions, he gave up and focused on the Home Rule League, which sought self-rule. Tilak travelled from village to village for support from farmers and locals to join the movement towards self-rule. Tilak was impressed by the Russian Revolution, and expressed his admiration for Vladimir Lenin. There were total of 1400 members in April 1916 and in 1917 there were approximately of about 32,000 members in the league. 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.
Tilak, who started his political life as a Maratha propagandist, progressed into a prominent nationalist after his close association with Indian nationalists following the partition of Bengal. When asked in Calcutta whether he envisioned a Maratha-type of government for independent India, Tilak replied that the Maratha-dominated governments of 17th and 18th centuries were outmoded in the 20th century, and he wanted a genuine federal system for Free India where every religion and race was an equal partner. He added that only such a form of government would be able to safeguard India's freedom. He was the first Congress leader to suggest that Hindi written in the Devanagari script be accepted as the sole national language of India.
Tilak started two weeklies, Kesari ("The Lion") in Marathi and Mahratta in English in 1880–81 with Gopal Ganesh Agarkar as the first editor. By this he was recognized as 'awakener of India'. As Kesari later became a daily and continues publication to this day.
In 1894, Tilak transformed the household worshipping of Ganesha into a grand public event (Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav) in that house. The celebrations consisted of several days of processions, music and food. They were organized by the means of subscriptions by neighbourhood, caste, or occupation. Students often would celebrate Hindu and national glory and address political issues; including patronage of Swadeshi goods.
In 1895, Tilak founded the Shri Shivaji Fund Committee for celebration of "Shiv Jayanti", the birth anniversary of Chhatrapati Shivaji, the founder of 17th century Maratha Empire. The project also had the objective of funding the reconstruction of the tomb (Samadhi) of Shivaji at Raigad Fort. For this second objective, Tilak established the Shri Shivaji Raigad Smarak Mandal along with Senapati Khanderao Dabhade II of Talegaon Dabhade, who became the founder President of the Mandal.
The events like the Ganapati festival and Shiv Jayanti were used by Tilak to build a national spirit beyond the circle of educated elite in opposition to colonial rule. But it also exacerbated Hindu-Muslim differences. The festival organizers would urge Hindus to protect cows and boycott the Muharram celebrations organized by Shi'a Muslims, in which Hindus had formerly often participated. Thus, although the celebrations were meant to be a way to oppose colonial rule, they also contributed to religious tensions. Contemporary Marathi Hindu nationalist parties like the Shivsena took up his reverence for Shivaji.
The Deccan Education Society that Tilak founded with others in the 1880s still runs Institutions in Pune like the Fergusson College.
The Swadeshi movement started by Tilak at the beginning of the 20th century became part of the Independence movement until that goal was achieved in 1947. One can even say Swadeshi remained part of Indian Government policy until the 1990s when the Congress Government liberalised the economy.
Tilak Smarak Ranga Mandir, a theatre auditorium in Pune is dedicated to him. In 2007, the Government of India released a coin to commemorate the 150th birth anniversary of Tilak.
Tilak said, "I regard India as my Motherland and my Goddess, the people in India are my kith and kin, and loyal and steadfast work for their political and social emancipation is my highest religion and duty".
Swami Vivekananda reached Pune by train during September 1892. Tilak happened to be his fellow passenger. Vivekananda stayed in his house "Vinchurkar Wada" in Pune.
Lokmanya: Ek Yug Purush is a film released on January 2, 2015 based on his life. Directed by Om Raut, Tilak is played by actor Subodh Bhave.
In 1903, he wrote the book The Arctic Home in the Vedas. In it, he argued that the Vedas could only have been composed in the Arctics, and the Aryan bards brought them south after the onset of the last ice age. He proposed a new way to determine the exact time of the Vedas. He tried to calculate the time of Vedas by using the position of different Nakshatras. Positions of Nakshtras were described in different Vedas.
Tilak authored "Shrimadh Bhagvad Gita Rahasya" in prison at Mandalay – the analysis of 'Karma Yoga' in the Bhagavad Gita, which is known to be gift of the Vedas and the Upanishads.
Being a devotee of Gajanan Maharaj of Shegaon, many reference texts of his are available in the epic.
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लोकमान्य बाळ गंगाधर टिळक (23 जुलै १८५६ - १ ऑगस्ट १९२० )
GlobalMarathi
Saturday, July 31, 2010 AT 12:15 AM (IST)
टिळकांचा जन्म २३ जुलै १८५६ मध्ये रत्नागिरीमधील मधल्या आळीत, एका मध्यमवर्गीय कुटुंबात झाला. टिळकांच्या वडिलांचे नाव गंगाधर आणि आईचे नाव पार्वतीबाई होते. ते जातीने चित्पावन कोकणस्थ ब्राह्मण होते. टिळकांचे पूर्वज सात-आठ पिढ्यांपासून रत्नागिरीजवळील चिखलगावाचे खोत होते. गंगाधरपंतांचे ते तीन मुलींनंतरचे चौथे अपत्य होते. त्यांचे खरे नाव केशव ठेवले असले तरी सर्वजण त्यांना बाळ या टोपणनावानेच ओळखत असत.

त्यांचे वडील गंगाधर रामचंद्र टिळक प्रसिद्ध शिक्षक आणि संस्कृत पंडित होते. लहानपणापासूनच टिळक अत्यंत हुशार विद्यार्थी होते आणि त्यांना गणितामध्ये विशेष गती होती. टिळकांना लहानपणापासूनच अन्यायाबद्दल चीड होती. वयाच्या दहाव्या वर्षी गंगाधर टिळकांची बदली पुण्याला झाली. पु्ण्यातील वास्तव्याचा मोठा परिणाम टिळकांच्या आयुष्यावर झाला. त्यांनी पुण्यात एका ऍंग्लो-व्हर्न्याक्युलर शाळेत प्रवेश घेतला. तेथे त्यांना अनेक प्रसिद्ध शिक्षकांच्या हाताखाली शिकण्याची संधी मिळाली. पुण्याला आल्यावर लवकरच त्यांच्या आई मरण पावल्या आणि वयाच्या सोळाव्या वर्षी त्यांच्या वडिलांचा पण स्वर्गवास झाला. त्यानंतर त्यांचा सांभाळ त्यांचे काका गोविंदपंत यांनी केला. गोविंदपंत स्वतः अशिक्षित असले तरी त्यांनी टिळकांना नेहमी प्रोत्साहन दिले. मृत्युपूर्वी गंगाधरपंतानी त्यांचा विवाह दहा वर्षाच्या तापीबाई बरोबर करून दिला.

शेंगांची गोष्ट
ते शाळेत असतांनाची एक घटना प्रसिद्ध आहे. एकदा वर्गात शिक्षक नसतांना काही मुलांनी शेंगा खाऊन त्यांची टरफले वर्गातच टाकली होती. हा कचरा पाहून अपेक्षेप्रमाणे शिक्षक रागावले आणि कचरा करणार्‍यांची नावे विचारली. पण जेव्हा कुणीच स्वतःहून पुढे आले नाही, तेव्हा त्यांनी पूर्ण वर्गाला शिक्षा देण्याचे ठरवले. पण टिळकांनी हात पुढे करण्यास नकार दिला. ते म्हणाले, "मी कचरा केला नाही आणि म्हणून तुम्ही मला मारू शकत नाही." तसेच शिक्षकांनी त्यांना कचरा करणार्‍या मुलाचे नाव विचारले असता त्यांनी नाव सांगण्यास नकार दिला.

कसरतीचे महत्त्व
१८७२ मध्ये मॅट्रीक उत्तीर्ण झाल्यावर त्यांनी डेक्कन कॉलेजमध्ये प्रवेश घेतला. लहानपणापासूनच टिळक अत्यंत कृष होते. त्यांच्या पत्नी तापीबाईपण त्यांच्यापेक्षा दणकट होत्या. यावरून त्यांचे मित्र अनेकदा त्यांना चिडवत असत. त्यांनी हे आव्हान स्विकारले आणि एक वर्ष आपले लक्ष पूर्णपणे शारिरिक सामर्थ्य संपादन करण्यावर केंद्रित केले. त्यांनी व्यायामशाळेला जाणे चालू केले आणि नियमित कसरती व व्यायाम करणे चालू केले. कुस्ती, पोहणे व नौका चालविणे  हे त्यांचे आवडते खेळ होते. यासोबतच त्यांनी परिपूर्ण आहार पण चालू ठेवला. एका वर्षाअंती त्यांची शरीरयष्टी जोमदार बनली. परंतु या काळात त्यांचे अभ्यासाकडे दुर्लक्ष झाले व ते प्रथम वर्षाच्या परिक्षेमध्ये नापास झाले. पण त्यांच्या मते, ते एक वर्ष व्यर्थ गेले नव्हते व त्याचा त्यांना पुढील आयुष्यात अनेक शारिरीक व मानसिक कष्टांना सामोरे जाताना उपयोग झाला.

कॉलेज जीवन
डेक्कन कॉलेजमध्ये असतांना त्यांना अनेक मान्यवर शिक्षकांच्या हाताखाली शिकता आले. प्रोफेसर वर्ड्सवर्थ आणि प्रोफेसर शूट यांनी त्यांची अभिजात इंग्रजी साहित्यातील रूची वाढवली तर गणित शिकवणार्‍या प्रोफेसर केरूअण्णा छत्रे यांनी त्यांच्यावर विशेष छाप टाकली. कॉलेजच्या दिवसात त्यांचे वाचनपण प्रचंड होते. त्यांनी संस्कृत धर्मग्रंथ, इंग्रजीमधील राजनीती आणि अतिभौतिकी (मेटा-फिजिक्स) वरील पुस्तके (विशेषतः हेगेल, कांट, स्पेंसर, मिल, बेंथम, व्हॉल्तेअर आणि रूसो) तसेच मराठीमधील संतसाहित्याचे वाचन केले. कॉलेजमधील मित्रांमध्ये ते स्पष्टवक्ते आणि बेधडक म्हणून प्रसिद्ध होते. १८७७ मध्ये, गणितामध्ये प्रथम वर्गात उत्तीर्ण होऊन ते बी.ए. झाले. बी.ए.ची पदवी मिळाल्यावर त्यांनी एल.एल.बी. करण्याचे ठरवले. त्यांची गणितातील रूची आणि संशोधनाची आवड पाहता एल.एल.बी. करण्याचा त्यांचा निर्णय त्यांच्या मित्रांसाठी धक्कादायक होता. त्यांनी टिळकांना याबद्दल विचारले असता ते म्हणाले, " ज्या अर्थी, मी माझे आयुष्य राष्ट्रसेवेसाठी अर्पण करण्याचे ठरवले आहे, त्या अर्थी मला असे वाटते की, कायद्याचे ज्ञान मला उपयोगीच पडेल. मला वाटत नाही की माझे आयुष्य ब्रिटिश साम्राज्याविरोधात संघर्षाशिवाय व्यतित होईल."

टिळक-आगरकर मैत्री व वाद
डेक्कन कॉलेजमध्ये असतांना त्यांची मैत्री आगरकरांबरोबर झाली. दोघेही त्या काळात राष्ट्रप्रेमाने भारलेले होते. ते दोघे मिळून युरोपियन लेखकांची राजनीती, अर्थशास्त्र आणि सामाजिक परिवर्तनावरील पुस्तके वाचत आणि त्यावर चर्चा करत. जेव्हा त्यांनी डेक्कन कॉलेज सोडले, तेव्हा त्यांनी दोन निश्वय केले होते. एक म्हणजे सरकारी नोकरी करायची नाही आणि दुसरे म्हणजे आपले जीवन राष्ट्रसेवेसाठी अर्पण करायचे. टिळक, आगरकर हे एकेकाळी खूप जवळचे मित्र होते पण देशाला स्वातंत्र्य मिळवण्याच्या मतांतरामुळे दोन परममित्रांमध्ये वादाची दरी उभी राहिली. स्वातंत्र्याआधी समाज सुधारला पाहिजे, तसे झाले तरच स्वातंत्र्याला अर्थ उरेल असे आगरकरांचे मत होते तर समाजसुधारणेला बराच वेळ लागेल, स्वातंत्र्यासाठी इतके दिवस थांबणे शक्य नाही असे टिळकांचे म्हणणे होते. या वादामुळेच या द्वयीने एकत्र काम करणे सोडलं. मूळच्या गरीब घराण्यातल्या आगरकरांनी प्रचंड दारिद्रय अनुभवून वयाच्या अवघ्या चाळिशीत देह ठेवला.

न्यू इंग्लिश स्कूल व डेक्कन एज्यूकेशन सोसायटी
समाजपरिवर्तन शिक्षणाशिवाय अशक्य आहे असे टिळक व आगरकर दोघांचेही मत होते. त्या काळात विष्णुशास्त्री चिपळूणकर, जे सरकारी शाळेत शिक्षक होते, यांचाही स्वतःची शाळा काढण्याचा मानस होता. कॉलेज संपल्यावर टिळक, आगरकर तसेच त्यांचे मित्र नामजोशी, करंदीकर यांनी चिपळूणकरांना मदत करण्याचे ठरवले व १ जानेवारी १८८० रोजी न्यू इंग्लिश स्कूलची स्थापना झाली. शालेय शिक्षण जितके स्वस्त करता येईल तितके स्वस्त करण्याचा संस्थापकांचा उद्देश होता. पण तसे करतांना शाळेचा दर्जा ढासळणार नाही याचीपण काळजी त्यांनी घेतली. न्यू इंग्लिश स्कूल तात्काळ प्रसिद्ध झाले. महाराष्ट्राच्या कानाकोपर्‍यातून पालक आपल्या मुलांना त्या शाळेत पाठवू लागले. १८८०-१८८६ दरम्यानची जगन्नाथ शंकरशेठ शिष्यवृत्ती याच शाळेच्या विद्यार्थ्यांनी मिळवली.

त्यांच्या कामाला भक्कम पाया आणि सातत्य देण्यासाठी त्यांनी डेक्कन एज्यूकेशन सोसायटी या नावाची सार्वजनिक संस्था उभारण्याचे ठरविले. १८८३ च्या सुमारस त्यांनी या कामाला सु्रुवात केली. संस्थेच्या विश्वस्त समितीमध्ये अनेक महत्त्वाच्या व्यक्ती होत्या. यामध्ये सर. विल्यम वेडरबर्न, भारतीय राष्ट्रीय कॉंग्रेसच्या संस्थापकांपैकी एक महादेव गोविंद रानडे, इतिहासकार रामकृष्ण गोपाळ भांडारकर, शिक्षणतज्ञ एम. एम. कुंटे तसेच प्रख्यात वकील के. पी. गाडगीळ यांचा समावेश होता. तेव्हाचे मुंबईचे गव्हर्नर सर जेम्स फर्गसन हे संस्थेचे पहिले देणगीदार होते. त्यांनी संस्थेसाठी १२५० रूपयांची देणगी दिली. सर जेम्स फर्गसन यांच्या कार्याची दखल घेण्यासाठी संस्थेच्या कॉलेजचे नाव फर्गसन महाविद्यालय ठेवण्याचे एकमताने ठरवण्यात आले. यामागे एक व्यवहारिक उद्देशपण होता. गव्हर्नरचे नाव कॉलेजला दिल्यामुळे अनेक भारतीय संस्थाने स्वतःहून देणगी देण्यासाठी पुढे आले आणि २ जानेवारी १८८५ ला फर्गसन कॉलेज अस्तित्वात आले. फर्गसन कॉलेजच्या संस्थापकांचे स्पष्ट मत होते की पाश्विमात्य शिक्षणाचा भारतात प्रसार होणे अत्यंत निकडीचे आहे. चिपळूणकर आणि टिळक तर इंग्रजी भाषेला वाघिणीचे दूध म्हणत. संस्थेच्या कामाने प्रभावित होऊन सरकारने डेक्कन कॉलेजचे व्यवस्थापन संस्थेला सुपुर्त करण्याचा प्रस्ताव मांडला. पण संस्थेच्या आजीवन सदस्यांनी याला नकार दिला. याला अनेक कारणे असली तरी मूळ कारण सरकारची दोन युरोपियन शिक्षक ठेवण्याची अट हे होते.

पण संस्थेच्या अन्य सभासदांसमवेत बाह्य-उत्पन्नाच्या विषयावरून झालेल्या वादामुळे डिसेंबर १८९० मध्ये टिळकांनी संस्थेचा राजीनामा दिला आणि स्वतः पूर्णवेळ केसरी व मराठा या वृत्तपत्रांमध्ये संपादन करू लागले.

याच काळात भारतीयांना दोन भयानक आपत्तींना सामोरे जावे लागले. ते म्हणजे १८९६ चा दुष्काळ आणि १८९७ ची गाठीच्या प्लेगची (Bubonic Plague) साथ. दुष्काळ भारतीय शेतकर्‍यांसाठी नवीन नव्हता. पण यावेळी टिळकांनी त्यांना संघटित होण्याचे आवाहन केले तसेच त्यांच्या हक्कांबद्दल जागरूक केले. केसरी द्वारे त्यांनी सरकारला त्यांच्या कर्तव्याची जाणीव करून दिली. ब्रिटिश सरकार 'दुष्काळ विमा निधी' अतंर्गत लोकांकडून पैसा गोळा करत असे. त्याचा वापर लोकांसाठी करण्यात यावा असे त्यांनी सरकारला ठणकावून सांगितले. तसेच सरकारच्या 'Famine Relief Code' नुसार दुष्काळ पडला असतांना शेतकर्‍यांना कर भरण्याची आवश्यकता नव्हती. तरी काही भागात सक्तीने करवसुली करण्यात येत असे. याविरूद्ध लोकांना जागरूक करण्याचे काम त्यांनी केसरी द्वारे केले. त्यांच्या स्वयंसेवकांनी महाराष्ट्रभर गावागावात फिरून लोकांना 'Famine Relief Code' बद्दल माहिती देणारी पत्रके वाटली. याबरोबरच धनिक व दुकानदारांना अन्न व पैसा दान करण्याचे आवाहन केले व यातून अनेक ठिकाणी सार्वजनिक खानावळी चालवल्या.

त्याच वर्षी ऑक्टोबरमध्ये मुंबईत गाठीच्या प्लेगची साथ पसरली व १८९७ येईपर्यंत ही साथ पुण्यापर्यंत पोहोचली. हा रोग अत्यंत संसर्गजन्य असल्यामुळे सरकारने त्याचा प्रसार रोखण्याचे प्रयत्न चालू केले व त्यासाठी रॅंड नावाच्या एका अधिकार्‍याची नियुक्ती केली. त्याच्या आदेशानुसार ब्रिटिश सैन्याने रोगग्रस्त लोकांना वेगळे करणे चालू केले. पण या काळात अनिर्बंध सैन्याकडून लोकांवर अनेक अत्याचार झाले. रोगग्रस्त लोकांसोबतच अनेक निरोगी लोकांनापण केवळ संशयावरून रोग्यांच्या छावणीत हलविण्यात आले. तसेच घराच्या निर्जंतुकीकरणात घरातील देव, देवघरांचा मान ठेवला गेला नाही. घरातील वृद्ध तसेच स्त्रीयांवर अत्याचार केले गेले. लोकांना प्लेगपेक्षा रॅंड आणि ब्रिटिश सैनिकांची जास्त भिती वाटायला लागली. टिळकांनी केसरी व मराठाच्या माध्यमातून यावर तोफ डागली. ते निर्जंतुकीकरण व सार्वजनिक स्वच्छतेच्या विरोधात नव्हते, पण रॅंडने वापरलेल्या कार्यपद्धतीला त्यांचा विरोध होता.
२३ जून १८९७ ला दामोदर चाफेकरांनी रॅंड व त्याचा सहकारी आयरेस्ट याची गोळ्या घालून ह्त्या केली. सरकारने पुण्यात कर्फ्यू लावला व संशयितांची धरपकड चालू केली. चाफेकरांना अटक करून फासावर चढवण्यात आले. टिळकांवरपण रॅंडच्या हत्येच्या कटात सामिल असल्याचा आरोप करण्यात आला होता. पण त्यासंदर्भात काहीच पुरावा सरकारला मिळाला नाही. यादरम्यान टिळकांनी केसरीमध्ये "सरकारचे डोके ठिकाणावर आहे काय?" व 'राज्य करणे' म्हणजे 'सूड उगवणे नव्हे' हे दोन अग्रलेख लिहिले.

पहिला राजद्रोहाचा खटला व तुरूंगवास
रँडच्या खुनानंतर अनेक अँग्लो-इंडियन वृत्तपत्रांनी टिळकांवर टिकेची झोड उठविली. याचाच परिणाम म्हणजे, रँडच्या खुनाचा संबंध टिळकांशी जोडण्यात अपयश आल्यानंतरही ब्रिटिश सरकारने टिळकांवर दोन राजद्रोहात्मक लेख केसरीमधून लिहिल्याच्या आरोपाखाली खटला भरला. या दोन लेखांमध्ये 'भवानी तलवार' या टोपणनावाखाली लिहिलेली दृष्टांतरूपी कविता व शिवाजी महाराजांनी अफजल खानाचा केलेला वध योग्य होता असे मत मांडणार्‍या टिळकांच्या वक्तव्यावरील वृत्त यांचा समावेश होता. या खटल्याची सुरुवात सप्टेंबर ८ , १८९७ रोजी मुंबईच्या उच्च न्यायालयात झाली. एकूण नऊ पंचांमध्ये सहा युरोपीय पंच व तीन भारतीय पंच होते. टिळकांच्या बचावासाठी पूर्ण देशभरातून जवळपास ४०,००० रूपये इतका निधी गोळा करण्यात आला. यामध्ये डब्ल्यू.सी. बॅनर्जी, मोतीलाल घोष (अमर बाझार पत्रिकाचे संपादक) व रविंद्रनाथ टागोर या बंगालच्या नेत्यांचा तसेच जनतेचा वाटा उल्लेखनीय होता. यासोबतच बंगालमधून टिळकांची बाजू मांडण्यासाठी वकीलसुद्धा पाठविण्यात आले. हा खटला सहा दिवस चालला व खटल्याच्या शेवटी तीन भारतीय पंचांनी टिळकांच्या बाजूने निकाल दिला तर सहा युरोपीय पंचांनी टिळकांविरुद्ध. न्यायाधीश जस्टिस स्ट्रॅची यांनी बहुमतानुसार टिळकांना दोषी घोषित केले व १८ महिन्यांच्या सश्रम कारावासाची शिक्षा सुनावली. निकालादरम्यान "Disaffection" (सरकारबद्द्ल अप्रीती) म्हणजे "want of affection" (प्रीतीचा अभाव) या न्यायाधीशांनी केलेल्या व्याख्येवर भारतात तसेच इंग्लंडमध्ये अनेक कायदा-अभ्यासकांनी प्रखर टिका केली.

टि़ळकांना तीन महिन्यांसाठी डोंगरी तुरूंगात ठेवण्यात आले व नंतर भायखळ्याच्या तुरूंगात हलविण्यात आले. तुरूंगवासादरम्यान टिळकांना राजकीय कैद्याप्रमाणे न वागवता सामान्य कैद्याची वागणूक दिली जात असे. याचा संस्कृत विद्वान व टिळकांचे परिचित मॅक्स म्यूलर यांनी तसेच इंग्लंडमधील काही नेत्यांनी विरोध केला. याचा परिणाम म्हणजे सरकारने टिळकांना पुण्याच्या येरवडा तुरुंगात हलविले तसेच त्यांना तुरूंगात काही काळ वाचनाची व लिखाणाची मुभा दिली. तुरूंगवासादरम्यान टिळकांनी 'आर्क्टिक होम ऑफ वेदाज' या त्यांच्या पुस्तकासाठी टिपणे बनविली. जेव्हा बारा महिन्याच्या तुरूंगवासानंतर सप्टेंबर ७, १८९८ रोजी टिळकांची सुटका करण्यात आली तेव्हा त्यांचे शारिरिक स्वास्थ्य खूप ढासळले होते.

इंग्रजांचे अंध अनुकरण करणार्‍या भारतीयांबद्दल टिळकांना अत्यंत चीड होती. ते म्हणत, "आपले काही तथाकथित शिक्षित देशबांधव साहेबांची पिण्यात बरोबरी करू शकतात, पण साहेबांची भारताच्या राज्यकारभारातील जागा मिळविण्याची महत्त्वाकांक्षा ते बाळगू शकतात का?" त्यांच्या मते भारतीयांच्या दुर्बलतेची कारणे त्यांचा हरवलेला आत्मविश्वास आणि एकीची भावना ही होती आणि जोपर्यंत लोकांचा त्यांच्या धर्म, संस्कृती आणि इतिहासाबद्दलचा आदर परत वृद्धिंगत होत नाही तोपर्यंत राजकीय आणि सामाजिक स्वातंत्र्याच्या गप्पा मारणे व्यर्थ आहे. त्यांच्या ग्रीक संस्कृतीच्या अभ्यासातून त्यांना असे जाणवले की, ज्युपिटर देवाच्या स्मरणार्थ दर चार वर्षांनी साजरे होणारे ऑलिंपिक खेळ विविध ग्रीक राज्यांना एकत्र आणण्यात यशस्वी ठरले होते. याच धर्तीवर १८९३ मध्ये त्यांनी जुन्या काळापासून प्रस्थापित गणेशोत्सवाचे नव्या स्वरूपात पुनरूज्जीवन केले. हिंदूंमध्ये घराघरांत गणेशोत्सव अनेक शतकांपासून साजरा केला जात असे. पण टिळकांनी त्याला एका दहा दिवस चालणार्‍या सामाजिक महोत्सवाचे स्वरूप दिले. यामागे त्यांचे दोन उद्देश होते. एक म्हणजे या उत्सवाने ब्रिटिश-विरोधी मतप्रचारासाठी एक व्यासपीठ उपलब्ध करून द्यावे आणि दुसरे म्हणजे याद्वारे हिंदू समाज जवळ येऊन त्यांच्यातील एकोपा वाढीस लागावा. १८९३च्या मुंबई आणि पुण्यातील हिंदू-मुस्लिम दंगलींमध्ये सरकारने मुस्लिमांची बाजू घेतली असे त्यांचे स्पष्ट मत होते व त्या पार्श्वभूमीवर हिंदूंना एकत्र करणे त्यांना गरजेचे वाटत होते. अनेक साम्राज्यांप्रमाणे इंग्रजाचा राजकीय बैठकींना विरोध होता पण धर्माच्या बाबतीत ते एक हात दूर राहणेच पसंत करत. याचा फायदा टिळकांनी गणेशोत्सवाच्या पुनरूज्जीवनासाठी करून घेतला. थोड्याच अवधीत गणेशोत्सव सर्वदूर पोहोचला आणि अनेक लहान-मोठी सार्वजनिक गणेशोत्सव मंडळे स्थापित झाली. अशा रीतीने धार्मिक पातळीवर लोकांना यशस्वीरित्या एकत्र आणल्यानंतर टिळकांनी ऎहिक (secular) विषयांवर लोकांना एकत्रित करण्याचे प्रयत्न चालू केले. शिवाजी महाराजांच्या स्वरूपात त्यांना अशी आदर्श व्यक्ती मिळाली जिच्या अनुकरणाने लोकांमधील आत्मविश्वास परत येऊ शकेल असा त्यांचा विश्वास होता. शिवाजी महाराज फक्त ब्राह्मणांचे नव्हते किंवा फक्त ब्राह्मणेतरांचे पण नव्हते तर ते संपूर्ण महाराष्ट्राचे आदर्श होते. या कारणांनी त्यांनी शिव जयंतीची सुरुवात केली. तसेच त्यांनी भारतभर दौरे करून लोकांना शिव जयंती साजरी करण्याचे आवाहन केले. त्यानंतर विशेषतः बंगालमध्ये शिवजयंतीचा उत्सव जोराने सुरु झाला.

केसरीतील अग्रलेख
टिळकांनी आगरकर, चिपळुणकर आणि इतर सहकार्‍यांच्या मदतीने १८८१ साली केसरी व मराठा ही वृत्तपत्रे सुरू केली. यापैकी केसरी मराठीतून प्रसिद्ध होत होते तर मराठा हे इंग्रजीमधून. केसरीचा मुख्य उद्देश अलिप्त भारतीय समाजाला भोवताली घडणार्‍या घटनांचा निरपेक्ष अहवाल देणे हा होता. केसरीमधून त्या काळातील राजकीय आणि सामाजिक विषयांवर भाष्य तसेच समकालीन मराठी साहित्याची परिक्षणे प्रकाशित होत असत. मराठा वृत्तपत्र हे मुख्यत: शिक्षित भारतीय समाजासाठी होते. त्यामध्ये देश-विदेशातील घटना व त्यावरील भाष्य छापून येत असे. दोन्ही वर्तमानपत्रे भारतीयांमध्ये तात्काळ प्रसिद्ध झाली. १८८२ च्या शेवटापर्यंत केसरी हे भारतातील सर्वाधिक खप असलेले प्रादेशिक वर्तमानपत्र बनले.

सुरुवातीला आगरकरांकडे 'केसरी' चे संपादकपद तर टिळकांकडे 'मराठा' या इंग्रजी नियतकालिकाची संपादकीय जबाबदारी होती. तरीही टिळकांचे अग्रलेख या काळातही 'केसरी' त प्रसिद्ध होत होतेच. पुढे दोघांत तात्त्विक मतभेद झाले आणि टिळकांनी कर्जासह 'केसरी' चे संपादकपद स्वत:कडे घेतले. तेव्हापासून त्यांच्या मृत्यूपर्यंत टिळकांचे अग्रलेख हाच 'केसरी' चा आत्मा होता. १८८१ ते १९२० या चाळीस वर्षांच्या काळात टिळकांनी ५१३ अग्रलेख लिहिले. 'सरकारचे डोके ठिकाणावर आहे काय', ' उजाडले पण सूर्य कुठे आहे', 'टिळक सुटले पुढे काय', 'प्रिन्सिपॉल , शिशुपाल की पशुपाल', 'टोणग्याचे आचळ', 'हे आमचे गुरुच नव्हेत', 'बादशहा ब्राह्मण झाले' हे त्यांचे काही प्रसिद्ध अग्रलेख आहेत.

साहित्य आणि संशोधन
टिळक फक्त चांगले संपादकच नव्हते तर संस्कृत, गणित, खगोलशास्त्र या विषयांचे मान्यताप्राप्त अभ्यासकपण होते. त्यांची दोन पुस्तके 'ओरायन' (Orion) आणि 'आर्क्टिक होम ऑफ वेदाज' (Arctic home of vedas) त्यांच्या, अत्यंत क्लिष्ट विषय अभिनव व नाविन्यपूर्ण प्रकारे हाताळण्याच्या क्षमतेची उत्तम उदाहरणे आहेत. आर्क्टिक हे आर्यांचे मूळ वसतीस्थान आहे असा निष्कर्ष यामध्ये त्यांनी मांडला आहे. त्यांचे तिसरे पुस्तक 'गीतारहस्य' यात त्यांनी भगवद्‌गीतेतील कर्मयोगाची समीक्षा मांडली आहे.

त्यांच्या लिखाणाचे इतर संग्रह -

    * The Hindu philosophy of life, ethics and religion (१८८७ मध्ये प्रकाशित).
    * वेदांचा काळ व वेदांग ज्योतिष (Vedic Chronology and Vedang Jyotish)
    * टिळक पंचांग पद्धती. (ही आज कित्येक ठिकाणी विशेषतः कोकण, पश्चिम महाराष्ट्र भागात वापरली जाते.)
    * टिळकांची पत्रे, एम. डी. विद्वांस यांनी संपादित.
    * Selected documents of Lokamanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak, 1880-1920, रविंद्र कुमार यांनी संपादित.

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