The year of 1914 came and progressed towards the end of Tilak’s jail term. He pulled himself out of the world of books and waited for his release. He wished to be with his children as soon as possible.
The 400 books he received in jail to study were sent to his home at Poona.
At long last, he was released from jail on 8th June, 1914. Tilak came back home to the delight of his family, friends, admirers, associates and followers. He was given a warm reception.
Only after a few days with the family Tilak again started issuing statements attacking the alien rulers fiercely. If the authorities had hoped that the jail term would demoralise Tilak or soften him up, then they were mistaken.
Bal Gangadhar Tilak was no jelly. The administration wilted.
A large police force was deployed outside Tilak’s house. Everyone who came to see Tilak was checked. The government employees and students were not allowed in. It was administration’s dirty trick to freeze the political activity of Tilak.
It infuriated Tilak.
Then, on 4th August 1914 First World War broke out in Europe. Britain jumped into the fray. Tilak was of the view that India should seize the opportunity and push the British. England’s problem could prove Indian’s gain, he argued. Braving the poor health Bal Gangadhar Tilak made moves to stir a political storm to trouble the colonial rulers of India. His moves had three distinct aims :
(1) To unite the Congress factions,
(2) To revive the hardline group which was in disarray
(3) To set up Home Rule League.
The unity move fizzled out in face of fierce opposition from Feroze Shah Mehta and Gopal Krishna Gokhale. They didn’t want anything to do with hard line politics.
Then Feroze Shah Mehta and Gokhale both passed away in 1915.
Congress session was held in Bombay at the end of the year. The softliners changed their stance and doors of the Congress were thrown open for hard liners. The situation changed fast.
In 1916 Lucknow Congress session Bal Gangadhar Tilak was again brought back on the centre stage of the party affairs. Both the groups came together to become a united force.
