On 1st August 1920, Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak, a diligent freedom fighter and Indian National Congress member, died from cardiac arrest in Bombay (now Mumbai City) at Sardar Griha.
Tilak dreamt of independence even on his deathbed and said, “Unless Swaraj is achieved, India will not prosper. It is vital for our existence.” N.C. Kelkar and others wanted to take Tilak’s body to Poona for cremation. Kelkar was convinced otherwise by Dr. Gopalrao V. Deshmukh, who was attending Tilak. He showed Kelkar the crowd extending from Crawford Market to Dhobi Talao and asked him to seek their permission before taking Tilak’s body to Poona. More than 2 lakh people attended Tilak’s funeral, and the turnout was so large that he was cremated on the Chowpatty sands instead of a crematorium. Vasantrao Dabholkar got special permission for this unique cremation based on the condition that this will not be a precedent for any other cremations in the future. While paying tribute to Tilak, Gandhi addressed him as a “lion” and “maker of modern India.” Such was the popularity of Tilak as a national leader.
Tilak might not have lived to see an independent India, but his ideas and words became an inspiration for the freedom struggle.
Source: Indian Culture Portal