India observes 164th birth anniversary of Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak: A look at his famous quotes

Today (July 23) is the 164th birth anniversary of Lok Manya Bal Gangadhar Tilak, whose real name was Keshav Gangadhar Tilak. He was a freedom fighter, social thinker, philosopher and teacher, who had played an important role in India's freedom movement.

Born on July 23, 1856, in Maharashtra's Ratnagiri, Lokmanya Tilak was a staunch supporter of Swarajya during the freedom movement.  Lokmanya Tilak completed his Bachelor of Arts degrees in first-class in Mathematics from Deccan College of Pune in 1877. Lokmanya Tilak obtained his LL.B degree from Government Law College in 1879. In 1884, Lokmanya Tilak founded the Deccan Education Society to teach nationalist ideas to youth.

Tilak worked closely with many Indian National Congress leaders during the freedom movement. The trio of Lokmanya Tilak, Lala Lajpat Rai and Bipin Chandra Pal was famously called as 'Lal Bal Pal'. 

On Lokmanya Tilak's 164th birth anniversary, following are 10 famous quotes by him:

1. Swaraj is my birthright and I shall have it.

2. Our nation is like a tree of which the original trunk is swarajya and the branches are swadeshi and boycott.

3. It may be providence's will that the cause I represent may prosper more by my suffering than by my remaining free.

4. If we trace the history of any nation backwards into the past, we come at last to a period of myths and traditions which eventually fade away into impenetrable darkness.

5. If God is put up with untouchability, I will not call him God 

6.  Swadeshi and swadeshi will be our cry forever and by this, we will grow in spite of the wishes of the ruler.   

7. Religion and practical life are not different. To take sanyas (renunciation) is not to abandon life. The real spirit is to make the country, your family, work together instead of working only on your own. The step beyond is to serve humanity and the next step is to serve God.

8. Life is all about a card game. Choosing the right cards is not in our hand. But playing well with the cards in hand determines our success.

9. The problem is not the lack of resources or capability, but the lack of will.

10. After all, our Killers are our ...Brothers!!??