Page:The Life of Lokamanya Tilak.djvu/68

48 Society was to grow, it could only develop on its own lines. His scathing criticism of the degenerate Social Reformers of the day created a new epoch of social and political thought and during all his eventful career, Mr. Tilak did not much depart from the lines laid down by his master. Mr. Tilak was essentially a Puritan of Puritans and so was in a sense more fitted to lead Social Reform than many of the so-called Reformers; but being more a man of action than of thought he preferred to concentrate on the political issue.

"Was Mr. Tilak a Social Reformer"? The question can be correctly answered only by knowing which reforms he approved of and which 'reforms' he condemned. He favoured foreign travel but insisted on teetotalism and vegetarian diet. He applauded remarriages of child-widows; but laid stress on the proper performance of the Vedic rites. He was for female education but wanted it to be both useful and ornamental. He tolerated inter-dining but only on occasions of necessity. He wanted sub-castes to intermarry before he could favour the larger question of intercaste marriages. He advocated adult marriages but disliked the predominantly materialistic nature of Western marriages. He wanted the badge of untouchability to be removed but would be no party to hasty and fanatical measures that would only retard the improvement of the social life of the 'depressed' classes. He was for a policy oi open door to all classes and creeds. Drink he abhored, also sexual vice. He wished our reformers to actively combat these evils by strenuous propaganda. Reform he wanted, but genuine reform and not apish imitation of Western life and manners.