Bal Gangadhar Tilak joined the other freedom fighters in their struggle for independence. He was the first Indian nationalist to embrace Swaraj or freedom from British rule, as the destiny of the nation.
Tilak sparked the spirit of freedom among the people through his two weekly newspapers. In 1905, he called for a boycott of British goods, and started a campaign of passive resistance to British rule aimed at preparing the people for independence. He was arrested and imprisoned, and soon acquired the status of a hero among the masses.
It was Tilak who raised the famous slogan, `Swaraj is my birthright, and I shall have it…’ words that continue to inspire Indians to this very day.
