| Freedom Fighters |
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| Biographies of Great Indians & Hindus |
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A Scholar And a Hero Even In jailThe prison in Mandalay, Burma; a small room made of wooden planks; inside, a cot, a table, a chair and a bookshelf this was Tilak's room. There was no protection from wind and cold. And he was cut off from other men.By the time Tilak completed one year in this jail, he got a note through one of his friends. The note said that if he accepted certain conditions, then he would be released. Tilak wrote back saying, 'I am now 53 years old. If I live for another ten Years, that means I shall live for five years after I come out of the prison. I can at least spend those five years in the service of the peo ple. if I accept government's conditions, I am as good dead'. The rigorous imprisonment was reduced to simple imprison ment. So he was allowed to read and write. It was here that he wrote the book 'Gita-Rahasya'. It is a mighty work. Tilak wished to forget his loneliness and so was always immersed in reading and writing. By the time his term of six years in the jail was over, he had collected about 400 books. He learnt in the prison,German and French languages with the help of 'Teach Yourself, guides. He returned to his old daily routine, which he had given up for want of time. Every morning he used to pray to God, chant hymns like the Gayathri Manthra and perform religious rites; then, he would read and write. Tilak's, wife passed away in India when he was still rotting in the jail in Mandalay. |
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