Bal Gangadhar Tilak was an Independence activist and was also a teacher, journalist, and a social reformer. He was born on 23 July 1856. He is also known for his quote, "Swaraj is my birthright, I shall have it." On 1 August 1920, he passed away after being horrified by the Jallianwala Bagh massacre. Here are 10 lesser known facts about our Independence activist as we remember him on his 98th death anniversary today.

 
1. The Britishers called Bal Gangadhar Tilak, “The Father of the Indian unrest”.

2. He was also given the title of “Lokmanya”, which means admired (or accepted) by the people.

3. Tilak is known as the “Father of Swarajya” as he was one of the first independence activists to advocate “Swaraj” and make it a part of the independence movement

4. Tilak joined the Indian National Congress (INC) in the year 1890 and started the fight of self-rule.

5. He was one of the first independence activists who came up with the concept of “Swaraj”.

6. In 1880, Tilak started his newspaper, Kesari which is still published to this day.

7. Tilak started the Swadeshi movement in India. Jamshed Tata and Tilak found Bombay Swadeshi Co-op Stores to promote the movement.

8. Tilak had a political regime with Bipin Chandra Pal and Lala Lajpat Rai, and they were referred as the “Lal-Bal-Pal triumvirate”.

9. Tilak was against the Age of Consent Act, 1891. He opposed and protested at every level so that the government would regulate the Act.

10. The Government of India released a coin to commemorate Tilak on his 150th birth anniversary in 2007.