Bal Gangadhar Tilak was an innovative person, a man of ideas. He thought of introducing religious functions in Maharashtra on the lines of Durgapuja of Bengal and Ramlila in North India. The functions were to be used for political mass awakening. He began it with ‘Shivaji Festival’ which was organised to be celebrated all over the province of Maharashtra.
Many political leaders laughed at his attempt. For some it was a poor joke. But Tilak didn’t give up. He persisted with his plans braving the criticism. He knew the working of the minds of the masses and was certain that the people would flock to his festivals. Lord Ganesha was most revered deity in Maharashtra, popularly known as Ganapati Bappa. Hence, he launched ‘Ganesha Poojan’ festival. As he had anticipated, huge crowds flocked to the venues. His workers spread political messages to the crowds and his periodical ‘Kesri’ publicized the festivals to make them mass events.
Shivaji has been most popular soldier-king and the greatest hero figure Marathi circles. He had successfully challenged the Mogul rulers of Delhi-Agra. It had a kind of symbolic importance. The British were in the process of shifting their capital from Calcutta to Delhi. It is a fact that Shivaji’s name stirs every Marathi heart. His birthday began to be celebrated as ‘Shivaji Remembrance Day’ with great pomp and show. It also became hugely popular. Another feather in the cap of Tilak.
His political campaign received a big impetus through these mass participated festivals.
The air of these festivals used to be loaded with politics of British rule baiting.
The women would sing songs detailing the misdeeds of the white rulers and how they were dishonouring their sacred land through tyranny and injustice. The songs would exhort youth to rise and crush the foreign rule. The manhood of the men folk would be invoked to rise against the British.
However noble its cause may be, the use of religion for political purposes was unjustified, many people said. The supporters of Tilak would counter it by asking, “Unjustified? Is British rule over India anyway justified?”
Bal Gangadhar Tilak had one other strong reason for the festivals to justify.
Hinduism was a different religion from the others. It was a way of life. Everything vital for life the literature, culture, music, dance, drama, arts, festivals, physical education and even medicine systems sprang from it. Thus, Hindus had a mindset to accept things on religions format only and that included politics. Another fact was that Hindus mostly worshipped alone. Every home had its own private temple. They didn’t congregate like Muslims or Christians for prayers.
The only way to bring Hindus together was through festivals.
The increasing popularity of Bal Gangadhar Tilak worried the rulers. Something needed to be done before he could become too big to handle.
An Englishman journalist wrote—‘In these festivals religious songs are sung, dramas are played in which quotes from the Hindu mythology are used to foment hatred against the aliens. A very derogatory term ‘Malechch’ is used for the Europeans and Muslims. The aim of the festivals is to find excuses to use violence against Muslims and the police which results in court trials. Then, the trials are used to deliver fiery speeches to incite the people. With the beginning of these festivals Tilak’s area of influence widens and becomes stronger’.
In his rebuttal Bal Gangadhar Tilak appealed to the Muslim brethren not to believe in what the white men were writing in the English papers. It was a trick of the British to drive a wedge between Hindus and Muslims to perpetuate their evil rule. He invited Muslims to take part in Ganapati and Shivaji festivals just as Hindus do and must take part in Eid and Moharram. Shivaji was not against Islam. He was merely fighting against Mogul rulers of Delhi who were as cruel and arrogant as the British rulers. The real fight was between the rulers and the poor masses. When Nadirshah of Iran invaded Delhi it was being ruled by a Muslim Emperor. The invaders didn’t spare Muslims in the carnage of Delhi. Nadirshah’s soldiers made no distinction between Hindus and Muslims. Infact, more Muslims were butchered in that carnage than the Hindus. These were historic facts that British writers could not deny or erase from the books.
Most of the Muslims understood the trick being played by the foreign rulers as the message duly went across. As a result Shivaji festival became popular even in Bengal where Muslims lived in sizable numbers.
It became clear that the British had to come up with better idea if Bal Gangadhar Tilak was to be contained. They were looking for some excuse to put Tilak behind bars. They were able to find the excuse in 1897. Tilak was charged with treason against British crown.
