Top Politicians paid tribute to Lokmanya Tilak, Chandrashekhar Azad on their birth anniversary

New Delhi:Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday paid tribute to freedom fighters Lokmanya Tilak and Chandrasekhar Azad on their birth anniversary. ''A Salute to the two brave sons of Mother India, Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak and Chandrashekhar Azad on their birth anniversary,'' the PM said in a tweet. 

Bal Gangadhar Tilak (1856-920) was the first leader of the Indian Independence Movement. The British colonial authorities called him "The father of the Indian unrest." Tilak was one of the first and strongest advocates of 'Swaraj' (self-rule) and a strong radical in Indian consciousness. He is known for his quote in Marathi, "Swarajya is my birthright and I shall have it!". He had also started two weeklies, Kesari in Marathi and Maratha in English.

Chandra Shekhar Azad (1906-1931), popularly known as by his self-taken name 'Azad' (The Free), was an Indian revolutionary who reorganised the Hindustan Republican Association under its new name of Hindustan Socialist Republican Army (HSRA) after the death of its founder, Ram Prasad Bismil, and three other prominent party leaders, Roshan Singh, Rajendra Nath Lahiri and Ashfaqulla Khan.

Shah remembers Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Chandra Shekhar Azad on their birth anniv

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday paid tributes to two iconic freedom fighters-- Lokmanya Bal Ganadhar Tilak and the great revolutionary leader Chandrashekhar Azad-- on their birth anniversary. While remembering Tilak, the Minister said  he  gave a new direction to India's endeavour for freedom struggle.

Taking to twitter, he said, "He coined the slogan 'Swaraj is my birth right and I shall have it'  and linked the  Indian common man to the freedom struggle which later turned into a mass movement against British rule".

"Bal Gangadhar Tilak ji focused on issues like use of Swadeshi, education and Swaraj. His ideals, struggle and patriotism still evokes spirit of nationalism in the minds of Indians. On his birth anniversary, I pay my rich tribute to Bal Gangadhar Tilak ji", Mr Shah said in another tweet.

While remembering  Azad, the Home Minister said, "The name of the great revolutionary  Chndrashekhar Azad ji is synonymous with bravery. Right from his early days he had immense love for the country and motherland and he started waging war against British rule and also sacrificed  his whole life  for the freedom of the nation".  

The British rule was sacred of Chandrashekhar Azad. He had said 'I was free, I am free and  will remain free'. In fact, Azad remained free till his last breath. His patriotism inspired millions of youth for the India's freedom struggle", Mr Shah said in another tweet.  

Tilak was born in Ratnagiri in Maharashtra on July 23, 1856 while Chandra Shekhar Azad was born on July 23, 1906 in Bhavra village, in the present-day Alirajpur district of Madhya Pradesh. (UNI)