Pune: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be conferred with Lokmanya Tilak National Award on August 1. PTI reports that PM Modi will visit Pune in Maharashtra on Tuesday during which he will be conferred Lokmanya Tilak National Award, is set to perform ‘pooja’ at the landmark Dagdusheth Mandir, and will lay the foundation stone for various development projects.
The committee that constitutes the award, the Tilak Smarak Mandir Trust had on July 10 announced that PM Modi will be the 41st recipient of the award in recognition of the impressive ascent of India on the ladder of progress under the supreme leadership under Modiji’s concept of Aatmanirbhar Bharat.
The Lokmanya Tilak national award is given annually since 1983 on August 1, the death anniversary of and in memory of the revolutionary and nationalist freedom fighter Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak (1856-1920), by the Tilak Smarak Mandir Trust (TSMT) .
A little about Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak
Lokmanya was the honorific given by the people out of love and respect to Keshav Gangadhar Tilak (or Bal Gangadhar Tilak) whose iconic resolve that “Swaraj (selfgovernance or freedom) is my birthright and I shall have it!” became the chant of the freedomfighters and infused them with nationalist pride. Tilak died on August 1, 1920.
Tilak was a part of the formidable freedomfighter triumvirate of Lal-Bal-Pal – a force that included his Indian National Congress colleagues Bipin Chandra Pal and Lala Lajpat Rai. He was imprisoned on a number of occasions that included a long stint at Mandalay. At one stage in his political life he was called “the father of Indian unrest” by British author Sir Valentine Chirol. Bal Gangadhar Tilak was imprisoned from 1908-1914. He was sent to prison in Mandalay in Burma or present day Myanmar. The torturous imprisonment spells caused this scholar of statistics to develop a health problem such as diabetes. After his release from imprisonment, he returned to Bombay (now Mumbai) and founded one of the Home Rule Leagues in 1916. Pune’s Deccan Education Society – the parent body that founded several institutions such as the Fergusson College itself was started by the stalwarts of the Indian Freedom Movement-Lokmanya Tilak, Gopal Agarkar, Vishnushastri Chiplunkar and Madhavrao Namjoshi. In fact, Tilak and Agarkar were also its distingusished teachers.
The TSMT Trustees, President Dr Deepak J Tilak and Vice-President Dr. Rohit Tilak said that the award is being awarded to Modi for the concept of Atmanirbhar Bharat which has helped the country climb the ladder of progress, and for awakening the feeling of patriotism among the citizens, and putting India on the global map.
A brief about the Lokmany Tilak National Award:
Tilak Smarak Mandir Trust (TSMT) trustees President Dr. Deepak J. Tilak and Vice-President Dr. Rohit Tilak will preside over the award function. PM Modi will be bestowed with the award comprising Rs 1-Lakh case, a memento, and a certificate at the ceremony.
Among the dignitaries invited and likely to be present are notable political bigwigs like the Nationalist Congress Party President Sharad Pawar who incidentally is also the Chief Guest for Tuesday’s function, Governor Ramesh Bais, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Deputy CMs Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar, and Trustee Sushilkumar Shinde.
Some of the past recipients of the coveted award include the late ex-President Pranab Mukherjee, former prime minister Dr Manmohan Singh, and the late and former PMs Atal Behari Vajpayee and Indira Gandhi. Not just political leaders, this award is also conferred upon people who make a difference to the nation’s interests in times of crisis and other times. Industrialist Rahul Kumar Bajaj, Infosys founder NR Narayana Murthy, ISRO scientist G Madhavan, socialist leader SM Joshi, etc have been some of the past recipients. In 2021, Dr Cyrus Poonawalla, chairman of Serum Institute of India (SII) was honoured with the prestigious award for his contribution towards society by manufacturing Covisheild and hence helping in saving many lives during the coronavirus pandemic.
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