Page:The Life of Lokamanya Tilak.djvu/86

66 measure the "too coommon" qualities,—fixity of purpose, inflexibility of will, boundless courage and enthusiasm, lofty idealism and tremendous earnestness. In the midst of holiday politicians claiming monopoly of wisdom and statesmanship, he was an impracticable enthusiast, to be tolerated as an unavoidable evil. His superabundant energies were fully utilized and six successive Provincial Conferences (all of them, except two held at Poona) were organised by him and by Mr. Namjoshi. But in the agenda of resolutions only a back seat was given to him and he was very rarely given the opportunity of moving important resolutions in the Congress. Mr. Tilak who cared more for work than for honour and display cheerfully did the part of the work entrusted to him. If the credit of popularising the Congress work in Maharashtra can be claimed by any one, it can be by Mr. Tilak. The Congress itself was an institution after western models; its leaders, so far at least as the land of the Marathas was concerned, were chiefly Government servants and pensioners, titled nonentities and self-seeking youngsters. Add to this; the controversies in connection with the Age of Consent Bill, Sharada Sadan and the Hindu-Mahomedan riots, controversies in which Mr. Tilak had to take a definitely hostile attitude towards the Reformers of the day. Still, at the call of the Congress, he threw aside his opposition to those people, and year in and year out, appealed to the general public to follow its lead aud strengthen it by moral, intellectual and financial support. Had Mr. Tilak been the narrow-minded bigot he was represented to be he would never have supported the Congress Pro-