Page:The Life of Lokamanya Tilak.djvu/82

62 mere Opportunism behind Mr. Tilak's attitude towards Social Reform nearly 30 years ago. It has been said that since his return from Mandalay he showed a broader outlook and he did not hesitate to assimilate "the more Catholic tendencies" of the time. But a careful perusal of the preceding pages will show that, even in his younger days, Mr. Tiiak was a Social Reformer. His declaration of sympathy with the depressed classes, made on the eve of his departure to England was much appreciated. Here again Mr. Tilak's ideas about the best way of effecting reform prevented him from signing the manifesto which pledged the signatories to take every opportunity of breaking the bonds of untouchability. Mr. Tilak was no believer in violent Social Reform. Regarding the Patel-marriage-Bill, though he was in favour of some such legislation, he believed the Bill to be untimely and against the basic principles of the Hindu religion and society. Had he lived for a decade more, the country would have seen him playing the role of an active Social Legislator in the new Councils. In his youth, parasitical Social Reform was blended with lukewarm political spirit. Mr. Tilak gave a rub to both and became, in spite of an unpleasant episode the leader of the Orthodox Party in social as well as political matters. He lived, however to claim amongst his followers, persons of all castes and creeds, the Orthodox and the Reformers. The silent force of modern conditions has wrought a mighty revolution in the Social ideas of the people in spite of the fact that there has been no propaganda worth the name. All have moved with it; Tilak and Chandavarkar, the bigots of the Orthodox Party and the fire-