Page:The Life of Lokamanya Tilak.djvu/103

Rh greater still. The terrible famine and distress of 1877 moved him as nothing else did and was, as we have seen mainly responsible for fixing the course of his life. The outbreak of famine and the irruption of the plague in this year (1896-97) shocked him and he knew no rest while labouring for the suffering thousands. Those who saw him at work during this eventful period recognised how his very soul was on fire.

In ordinary times and under normal circumstances popular aid and co-operation on occassions of famine or epidemics are welcome to Government. But in the peculiar circumstances of India, such cooperation is sometimes discouraged by the Bureaucrats who consider the masses as their own property and would keep them from the 'evil' influence of the educated classes. When terrible famine broke out in 1896, Mr. Tilak was the centre of all popular activities directed towards the mitigation of every kind of suffering. Lord Elgin, the then Viceroy was busy with his round of visits to Indian States, the lesser European Officials were indifferent and apathetic and the Indian Officers like the Mamlatdars were, as usual, more desirous of collecting the revenue anyhow and of being patted on the back by their superiors, than of doing their duty by the poor ryots. The Missionaries had their own axe to grind. The public opinion in England was in the beginning ignorant of the terrible state of things. Later on, it was roused enough and some help to the famine-stricken was offered. But the Indian Government was at first rather unwilling to accept it.

Mr. Tilak's programme included 4 items, (i) He sent round the presidency his lieutenants to collect informa-