1) Bal Gangadhar Tilak was an Indian nationalist and independence activist who was one of the first to advocate for 'Swaraj' or self-rule. 2) He joined the Indian National Congress in 1890 and opposed their moderate views, instead calling for stronger opposition to British rule. 3) Tilak is considered the "Father of Indian Unrest" by the British and "Lokmanya" or respected by the people. He was the first leader of the Indian independence movement.

1. AN UNSUNG FREEDOM FIGHTER
KESHAV GANGADHAR TILAK
[BAL GANGADHAR TILAK]
1856-1920
By:-Radhika Joshi

2. SHORT STORY
Gangadhar Tilak joined the Indian National Congress in 1890. He soon started
vocalizing his strong opposition to the moderate views of the party on self-rule. He
maintained that simple constitutional agitation in itself was futile against the British. This
subsequently made him stand against the prominent Congress leader, Gopal Krishna
Gokhale.

3. BIOGRAPHY:-
• Keshav Gangadhar Tilak was born on July 23, 1856, in a middle-class Chitpavan
Brahmin family in Ratnagiri, a small coastal town in south-western Maharashtra.
• His father, Gangadhar Shastri was a noted Sanskrit scholar and school teacher at
Ratnagiri. His mother's name was Parvati Bai Gangadhar.
• Following his father's transfer, the family shifted to Poona (now Pune).
• In 1871 Tilak was married to Tapibai who was later rechristened as
Satyabhamabai.

4. • He has written many slogans like “Swaraj is my birthright and l shall have it’’ AND ‘’ I did not eat the
groundnuts, I will not pick up the peels.’’
• He was the first leader of the Indian Independence Movement. Bal Gangadhar Tilak joined the INC in
1890 and led to the rise of Indian nationalism.
• In 1916, he founded the All India Home Rule League, along with Annie Besant.
• He was one of the first activists to come up with the idea of ‘Swaraj’ and the first to begin the Swadeshi
movement in India.
• He founded the Deccan Education Society in 1884, to educate people, especially in the English
language.

5. FUN FACTS:-
• The British Government termed him the "Father of Indian Unrest" and his
followers gave upon him the title of ‘Lokmanya’ meaning he who is revered by
the people.
• Tilak was a brilliant politician as well as a profound scholar who believed that
independence is the foremost necessity for the well-being of a nation.

6. Here are some facts that you should know about Bal Gangadhar Tilak:
1. Bal Gangadhar Tilak was the first leader of the Indian Independence Movement which led to the rise of Indian
nationalism.
2. The Britishers called Bal Gangadhar Tilak, ‘The Father of the Indian unrest.’
3. He was also given the honorary title of ‘Lokmanya’, which means admired (or accepted) by the people.
4. Tilak is known as the ‘Father of Swarajya’ as he was one of the first independence activists to advocate ‘Swaraj’ and
make it a part of the independence movement.
5. Bal Gangadhar Tilak joined the Indian National Congress (INC) in the year 1890 and started the fight for self-rule.
6. He was one of the first activists who came up with the concept of ‘Swaraj.’
7. In 1880, Bal Gangadhar Tilak started his own newspaper, Kesari, which is still published to this day.

7. 8. Bal Gangadhar Tilak started the Swadeshi movement in India. Jamshed Tata and Tilak found
Bombay Swadeshi Co-op Stores to promote the movement.
9. Tilak had a political regime with Bipin Chandra Pal and Lala Lajpat Rai and they have referred as to
the ‘Lal-Bal-Pal triumvirate.’
10. Bal Gangadhar Tilak was against the Age of Consent Act, 1891. He opposed and protested at
every level so that the government would regulate the Act.
11. In 2007, the Government of India released a coin to commemorate Tilak on his 150th birth
anniversary.
12. Om Raut directed the film Lokmanya: Ek Yug Purush, which was released on January 2, 2015.
13. Tilak also started another weekly called Mahratta, which was an English weekly.
14. He was also jailed during his struggle for freedom. During this time, Tilak wrote a book titled ‘Gita-
Rahasya’.

8. SOME QUESTIONS LIKE:-
o Tilak was an Indian nationalist, teacher, social reformer, lawyer, and independence
activist.
o He became the first popular leader of the Indian freedom struggle.
o Also called the father of nationalism, Bal Gangadhar Tilak is considered one of the first
and strongest advocates of Swaraj during the British Raj.
Why is Bal Gangadhar Tilak called the father of nationalism?

9. WHAT DID TILAK DO AFTER HIS FATHER DIED?
o His father Gangadhar Tilak was a school teacher who died when Tilak was 16
years old.
o Just months before his father’s death, Tilak married Satyabhamabai.
o After his father’s death, Tilak obtained a B.A. degree in Mathematics from Deccan
College of Pune in 1877.

10. QUESTION TIME FROM YOU

11. Thank
You