India, our mother has given us great nationalists who had a resolute commitment and shed their blood in Indian National Movement. In reverence of the birth anniversaries of Bal Gangadhar Tilak and Chandra Shekhar Azad, we must look up to these freedom fighters.
Azad shoved himself into the struggle at a very young age and upon his arrested, he told the magistrate that his name was “Azad (Free), his father’s name was Swatantra (Independence) and that his address was jail.” To avenge the killing of Lala Lajpat Rai, he was involved in the shooting of J.p. Saunders at Lahore in 1928. And along with Bhagat Singh, he secretly reorganized the Hindustan Republican Association (HRA) as the Hindustan Socialist Republican Association (HSRA) in September 1928, in order to achieve the primary aim of an independent India based on socialist principle.
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The celebrated slogan, “Swaraj is my birthright and I shall have it” was given by Tilak. He was a scholar and social reformer, who stood against dowry and marriage of girls before the age of 16. He awakened the national consciousness through his speeches, writings, and actions, as he firmly believed that the lack of unity and national pride were the main reason for India being subjugated by colonial powers.
However, it is an irony today as we still live in poverty, illiteracy, urban-rural and religious divisions. It is important for the people of the nation to take actions to eradicate corruption, make India a centre of knowledge and excellence and where all sections of people can truly live in peace.