In 1894, Tilak transformed the household worshipping of Ganesha into a grand public event (Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav) in that house. The
celebrations consisted of several days of processions, music and food. They were organized by the means of subscriptions by neighbourhood,
caste, or occupation. Students often would celebrate Hindu and national glory and address political issues; including patronage of
Swadeshi goods.[7]:152
The events like the Ganapati festival and Shiv Jayanti were used by Tilak to build a national spirit beyond the circle of educated elite
in opposition to colonial rule. But it also exacerbated Hindu-Muslim differences. The festival organizers would urge Hindus to protect
cows and boycott the Muharram celebrations organized by Shi'a Muslims, in which Hindus had formerly often participated. Thus, although the
celebrations were meant to be a way to oppose colonial rule, they also contributed to religious tensions.[7]:152 Contemporary Marathi
Hindu nationalist parties like the Shivsena took up his reverence for Shivaji.
Did Tilak instruct festival organizers to protect cows?
There's some background Katju has neglected to mention. The Junagadh town of Prabhas Patan had witnessed the massacre of Brahmins after
destruction of the Somnath temple in 1026, which Muslims upheld as a victory in their fight against idolatry. Centuries later, banias and
Chitpavan Brahmins restored local temples. Probably wary of the rise of the former victims, Muslims were agitating to persuade the Nawab
of Junagadh to stop 'favoring' Hindus in administrative services. On July 25, Muslims attacked Hindus in that town during Muharram to
avenge a riot earlier in Azamgarh. This conflict reached Bombay, and Gujarati seth Lakhmidas Khimji enlisted the support of mill workers
who then attended a Gau Palana Upadeshana Sabha organized by Khimji. Eventually, things reached boiling point and..
Muslims did in fact commit the first violence. Armed with staves Muslims emptied out of the Jama Masjid and attacked a nearby Hanuman
Temple whose bells and music were allegedly disturbing their prayers.
Many of the Muslims who participated in the rioting were not originally from the Bombay region.
When the Government of Bombay questioned the Police Commissioner's interpretation that the Gau Palana movement and Bombay Hindus' concern
for what happened in Prabhas Patan was the causative factor, instead stating that news of the Patan riots might have 'exacerbated a
predisposing cause', Muslims took this as an indication that they were losing influence and position to the Hindus.
[Source](https://books.google.co.in/books?id=efp9BgAAQBAJ&pg=PA319&dq=1893+bombay+riots+prabhas
+patan&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0CCIQ6AEwAWoVChMI46j48viIxwIV0AiOCh3PygTA#v=onepage&q=1893%20bombay%20riots%20prabhas%20patan&f=false)
On the backdrop of such violence, Vivekananda praised the relative peace-loving predisposition of Hindus but also exhorted Hindus to rise
and be more martial than be 'like earthworms crawling at the feet of everyone who dares put their feet on us', and this was echoed by
Bankimchandra Chatterjee, Surendranath Banerjee, Romeshchandra Dutt and Rabindranath Tagore. Tilak too was concerned at the turn of events
themselves heard in government. He exhorted Hindus to stop harping on soft measures and negotiate from a position of strength.
"Muslims had forgotten our long-standing friendship and started a regular campaign of harrassing Hindu mendicants that inevitably led to
estrangement", he said.
[Source](https://books.google.co.in/books?id=efp9BgAAQBAJ&pg=PA320&lpg=PA320&dq=1893+bombay
+riots&source=bl&ots=cUDsePyKSc&sig=5B5Fh9v2xjFlr9SW79V2jiWYihs&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0CFEQ6AEwDjgKahUKEwiMusOEzYjHAhVQG44KHXB7BTE#v=onepage&q=18
93%20bombay%20riots&f=false)
Also, it was Bhau Rangari and others who did more to popularise Ganeshotsav that was already being practiced in Pune. Because Tilak was
the most towering leader of the region and also in the entire nation at that time, his name stuck more prominently to Ganeshotsav.
[Source](https://books.google.co.in/books?id=C8YaTX0blJcC&pg=PA37&lpg=PA37&dq=1893+bombay
+riots&source=bl&ots=kI2YkcOHPE&sig=DAwxeXEIyo3sGkgwWyu4TYS3O_I&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0CEYQ6AEwDDgKahUKEwiMusOEzYjHAhVQG44KHXB7BTE#v=onepage&q=18
93%20bombay%20riots&f=false)
The Bill was opposed by many orthodox leaders who believed it as an interference in the Hindu religion. Bal Gangadhar Tilak opposed the
age of consent. "We would not like that the government should have anything to do with regulating our social customs or ways of living,
even supposing that the act of government will be a very beneficial and suitable measure," Tilak vigorously protested.
Tilak was in favor of raising the age of consent but he did not want the British Government doing it; he wanted the Hindus to do it
themselves.
[Source](https://books.google.co.in/books?id=LAttYgH-RykC&pg=PA91&lpg=PA91&dq=Age+of+Consent+Bill
+tilak&source=bl&ots=2_zyKO9NDo&sig=biNx-jEt99-MogXh6kDhPU134hg&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0CEUQ6AEwCGoVChMI-IiwuNCIxwIVhpGOCh38JAQE#v=onepage&q=Age
%20of%20Consent%20Bill%20tilak&f=false)
In fact, Tilak urged social reformers to set an example for the rest of society, by marrying their daughters only when they turn sixteen,a
dn their sons only when they turn twenty.
[Source: Pg 39 of this](https://books.google.co.in/books?id=t3N7tT5kmOsC&pg=PA37&lpg=PA37&dq=Age+of+Consent+Bill
+tilak&source=bl&ots=6Ivq_xnmPr&sig=WPRgrkwf1HkAZDoGVICHNfMXP18&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0CCwQ6AEwAmoVChMI-IiwuNCIxwIVhpGOCh38JAQE#v=onepage&q=Age
%20of%20Consent%20Bill%20tilak&f=false)
Now check out the Wikipedia entry about the Age of Consent Bill:
The Bill was opposed by many orthodox leaders who believed it as an interference in the Hindu religion. Bal Gangadhar Tilak opposed the
age of consent. "We would not like that the government should have anything to do with regulating our social customs or ways of living,
even supposing that the act of government will be a very beneficial and suitable measure," Tilak vigorously protested.
That's all! Wikipedia might be an exhaustive repository of knowledge especially when it comes to topics on science and Western history but
when it comes to the much contested and hoary history of probably the most invaded land of this planet, there's good deal of mischief and
incomplete and/or inaccurate information there. For example, the Wiki on Mumbai now has conveniently omitted the part that says the
Portuguese themselves now concede Bombay could not have come from 'Bom Bahia', but is most likely derived from 'Mumba aai'.
This is the only thing that I can't find evidence for. According to online sources, Tilak opposed it because the government was
undertaking repressive measures.
The British authorities brought in British soldiers to carry out sanitizing of Poona during which their behavior was [left much to be
desired](https://books.google.co.in/books?id=De_ftH3bm-MC&pg=PA84&dq=tilak+plague
+women&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0CBwQ6AEwAGoVChMI88P4odWIxwIVCgaOCh2lPwew#v=onepage&q=tilak%20plague%20women&f=false). There were also allegations
of rape of women being stripped for examination but those could not be proved for [lack of documentation]
(https://books.google.co.in/books?id=X4kUCgAAQBAJ&pg=PA68&dq=tilak+plague
+women&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0CDgQ6AEwBWoVChMI88P4odWIxwIVCgaOCh2lPwew#v=onepage&q=tilak%20plague%20women&f=false). Still, Tilak's writings and
the assasination of Rand by the Chaphekar brothers made the authorities sit up and take notice, and finally they conceded that the
measures were indeed repressive, reduced powers of Plague Committees, made provisions for sensitization of healthcare workers to local
customs and beliefs, and also provided for female doctors; echoes of this are found even today in India - it is customary for doctors to
examine female patients only in the presence of another female.
Tilak even built a Plague Hospital!
[Source](https://books.google.co.in/books?id=t3N7tT5kmOsC&pg=PA104&lpg=PA104&dq=tilak+plague
+hospital&source=bl&ots=6Ivq_xpnJx&sig=im_1pbqrr0Z5ZMwYptNS1J_OG8o&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0CCYQ6AEwAmoVChMI6breh9iIxwIVVgWOCh2i_w1Q#v=onepage&q=ti
lak%20plague%20hospital&f=false).
Tilak wrote obscurantist nonsensical theories like that saying that the original origin of Aryans was in the Arctic
And the person who rules India's capital city today, and is looked up to by a section of the youth as a secular and forward-thinking role
model, does not believe in modern medicine but trusts homeopathy and fish therapy. What's your point?! Some of our greatest leaders
believed in ideas that were part of zeitgeist. Even Gandhi believed in the healing powers of mud packs.
After his 6 years in jail in Burma, he became an open British stooge, supporting recruitment for the British army in the First World
War, supporting the Montague Chelmsford 'Reforms', 1919 etc
[Justice Katju does it again- 'Gandhi a British agent, emphasised Hindu religious ideas'](http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-justice-
katju-does-it-again-gandhi-a-british-agent-emphasised-hindu-religious-ideas-2067549).