The Ganesh Festival and Lokmanya Tilak
·
Bringing Hindus
together does not mean fostering enmity against the Muslims
·
The religious festivals were initiated to give ethical,
social and political education
Dr.Hari Desai writes weekly column “Heritage History” for “Asian Voice”,
the Newsweekly of ABPL Group, London.24-30 August 2019 You may visit www.haridesai.com or https://bit.ly/2Ztxxtr or https://gzipurl.com/pOhYD7 to read the full text and comment.
Lokmanya Bal (Keshav) Gangadhar Tilak (23 July
1856-1 August 1920), a mathematician turned political activist and Indian mass
leader, was known for his forthright views expressed against the British
regime. Even while facing sedition cases, he was never afraid of going to jail.
Even before Mahatma Gandhi rose in the political arena of Indian freedom
movement, Tilak, though to somewhat orthodox, became acceptable all over India
as mass leader. He would join hands with Barrister M.A. Jinnah in 1916 Congress
Session at Lucknow and address him as the Messiah of Hindu-Muslim Unity
following agreement named Lucknow Pact. Jinnah, who became a villain for
demanding Pakistan in 1940 and getting his dream fulfilled in 1947, did appear
before the Bombay High Court for Tilak being one of his closest friends. Tilak
was Lokmanya (accepted by people as their leader) but the British authorities
called him “The father of the Indian unrest”. He was to be the President of the
Indian National Congress at Nagpur in 1920. His untimely death in August 1920
paved way for Mahatma Gandhi’s leadership in the Congress.
Known
for his radical nationalist views, Tilak through his publications Kesari and
Marhattaspread the message of Swaraj (Self-rule) to masses. He is known for his
quote “Swaraj is my birthright and I shall have it”. He was keen on the elite
Congress to reach the hearts and homes of the masses as he had already taken it
to the door-step of the middle class people in Maharashtra through the Kesari.
He had noted with regret the predominantly Western character of the Congress
leaders. Again and again, in the Kesari, he harped on the rootlessness of the
westernized generation. He wanted to develop, in the words of Sri Aurobindo, ‘a
language and spirit’ and use methods which would Indianise the movement and
bring it to the masses.
“Before
an idea takes an objective form in a movement, agitation or consideration, a
concrete stimulus of some actual incidents is often required. Tilak tried to
use the religious fervor of the people for political purposes by reviving the
Ganapati festival,” A.K. Bhagwat and G. P. Pradhan record in “Lokmanya Tilak: A
Biography” with foreword by Dr. S. Radhakrishnan, former President of India.
“The Ganpati festival, in honour of Ganesh, the elephant headed God, the most
popular of all Hindu deities, was celebrated on a large scale in Maharashtra at
the time of the Peshwas, but with the advent of the English rule this festival
had lost its national importance.” Tilak makes it quite clear, that even though
the Ganapati celebrations were revived in 1893 to bring together the Hindus and
though the immediate cause was the Hindu-Muslim riots during the period from
1890 to 1894, the object was not to foster a spirit of enmity against the
Muslims.
Another
festival revived by Tilak was in the name of Shivaji Maharaj, the Maratha
hero.In an article entitled ‘The Need of National festivals’, Tilak refers to
the part played by them in Greece and Rome. In India religion will always be
regarded as of primary importance and as such the celebrations will naturally
have a religious colour. Formerly such occasions were used for keeping the
religious sense alive and to give ethical, social and political education to
the people. In the time of the Vedas, the great sacrifices werein the nature of
national celebrations. The rishis gathered at the time of the sacrifices,
carried on discussions on ethical and religious problems. Such festivals were
revived by the saint Ramdas in the days of Shivaji. Tilak spread the message
that it was the duty of the educated people, therefore, to take an active part
in these celebrations instead of lecturing on Bhakti or uttering the name of
God behind closed doors.
Next
Column: Great Indian Philosopher for Secular Education
No comments:
Post a Comment