THE ASIATIC SOCIETY OF MUMBAI
The Literary Club of the Asiatic Society of Mumbai
invites you to a discussion on the book: “Tilak: The Empire’s Biggest Enemy”
between the author Vaibhav Purandare and journalist Madhavankutty Pillai
at 5 p.m. on Thursday 5th September 2024 in the Durbar Hall

The Literary Club of the Asiatic Society of Mumbai is pleased to invite you to a discussion between the author Vaibhav Purandare and Madhavankutty Pillai, Deputy Editor, Open Magazine, on his book “Tilak: The Empire’s Biggest Enemy” published in July 2024.  The discussion will be held on Thursday 5th September 2024 at 5 p.m. in the Durbar Hall of the Society.

Bal Gangadhar Tilak – the political revolutionary who ignited the spark of Indian nationalism was considered the biggest threat to British hegemony. He was termed ‘the father of Indian unrest’ by The Times, London, and the one-time Secretary of State for India Edward Montagu felt he had ‘the greatest influence of any person’ on the Indian people. Above all, for the British Raj, Tilak was sedition-monger in chief, it prosecuted him thrice and convicted him for his fiery writings in the nationalist daily “Kesari”.

Tilak: The Empire’s Biggest Enemy is an acclaimed biography of the man who raised the slogan ‘freedom is my birthright and I shall have it.’ Hailed as ‘Lokmanya’ or ‘One Revered by the People,’ Tilak transformed India's fight for freedom from polite discourse to a mass uprising. At a time when the British were undermining Indian self-esteem and dismissing Indians as ‘uncivilized heathens,’ Tilak argued powerfully that there was much of enormous value in India’s past, its culture, heritage and civilization, awakening Indians to a sense of their own identity.
Vaibhav Purandare’s biography traces Tilak's journey from his early days in Konkan to his influential role across India, highlighting his battles against the British, imprisonments, and his commitment to Swaraj.

Bal Gangadhar Tilak's story is not just a tale of resistance but a testament to perseverance and conviction.

Vaibhav Purandare is the author of the acclaimed “Shivaji: India’s Great Warrior King,” “Savarkar: The True Story of the Father of Hindutva,” “Hitler and India: The Untold Story of His Hatred for the Country and Its People,” “Sachin Tendulkar: A Definitive Biography,” and “Bal Thackeray & the Rise of the Shiv Sena." He works as a senior journalist and editor.

Please join us for tea at 4.30 pm.

- Prof. Mangala Sirdeshpande, Hon. Secretary Asiatic Society of Mumbai
- Meenal Kshirsagar, Vice President of the Society & Chairperson - ASM LitClub