INDIA led by PM Narendra Modi pays rich tributes to Bal Gangadhar Tilak

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday paid tributes to Bal Gangadhar Tilak, one of the pioneers of India’s freedom struggle on his 100th death anniversary, saying his intellect, courage and idea of “swaraj” continue to inspire people. He also shared a brief video of one of his ‘Mann Ki Baat’ programmes in which he had referred to Tilak’s efforts to unite people against the British rule. “India bows to Lokmanya Tilak on his 100th punya tithi (death anniversary). His intellect, courage, sense of justice and the idea of Swaraj (self-rule) continue to inspire,” Modi tweeted. The prime minister recalled how Tilak evoked self-confidence among people and gave the slogan ‘Swaraj is our birthright and I shall have it’. Mumbai born Bal Gangadhar Tilak, born as Keshav Gangadhar Tilak, (1865 -1920), was one-third of the Lal Bal Pal triumvirate and played an inspiring role as an independence activist. Tilak, according to many historians, was the first leader of the Indian Independence Movement. The British colonial authorities called him “The father of the Indian unrest. Mahatma Gandhi called him the Maker of Modern India