168th Birth Anniversary of Bal Gangadhar Tilak | 25 Jul 2024

Source: PIB

On 23rd July, India commemorated the birth anniversary of Bal Gangadhar Tilak honouring his legacy as a freedom fighter and educationist.

  • Personal Life And Ideology: 
    • Bal Gangadhar Tilak was born in July 1856 in Ratnagiri, Maharashtra, and revered as the father of Indian unrest.
    • He was one of the earliest and the most vocal proponents of complete independence or swarajya (self-rule).
    • Along with Lala Lajpat Rai and Bipin Chandra Pal, he was part of the Lal-Bal-Pal trio of leaders with extremist ideology.
  • The Surat Split of 1907: 
    • The Surat Split of 1907 in the Indian National Congress (INC) marked a division into Extremist and Moderate factions. Extremists, primarily from the Bombay Presidency, supported Tilak or Lajpat Rai for the presidency. 
      • But the split took place when Rasbehari Ghose was elected.
  • Contribution In Education:
    • Along with his associate Gopal Ganesh Agarkar and others, he co-founded the Deccan Education Society in 1884.
    • Through this society, Tilak played a pivotal role in establishing Fergusson College in Pune in 1885.

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