Educational Thoughts of Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak

PREFACE

On a suggestion received from the National Council of Teacher Education, New Delhi, IIE, Pune, undertook a study of the Educational Thoughts of Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak. A Seminar on the subject was held on 24 and 25 June, 2000, based on research-articles assigned to well-known scholars from Pune. These articles covered different facets of Lokmanya Tilak's educational thoughts. Two of these research articles were in Marathi. These were translated into English for the benefit of the non-Marathi speaking participants in the Seminar. Prof. A.N. Maheshwari, Chairman, NCTE, New Delhi, not only inaugurated the seminar but keenly participated in its Deliberations. As many as 60 academics from different parts of the country discussed the research-articles and helped refine them with their critical comments. The Seminar was followed by a four-day workshop in which all the articles presented at the Seminar were thoroughly reviewed in the light of the comments received. The finalized research articles are presented in this volume.

The main responsibility for the organization of the Seminar was shouldered by Dr. S.K. Gandhe, Director General, IIE. He was ably assisted by Dr. (Mrs.) S. Dighe, Prof. S.B. Gogate, Prof. S.R. Kakade and other scholars. Prof. Gogate also worked as Workshop Director. Prof. C. Rajguru, a retired professor of English, helped the language-editing of the report. All of them deserve my sincerest thanks.

I must place on record my appreciation of the idea conceived by NCTE about studying the educational thoughts of eminent social and political leaders of India. The NCTE not only provided funds for the Seminar and the Workshop, but its Chairman, Prof. A.N. Maheshwari, personally participated in the discussions. This was an unusual benefit for which we are most grateful. The twelve authors who contributed papers for the Seminar were the mainstay of this activity. We cannot thank them adequately. This outcome of their work and the stimulating discussions which characterized the Seminar and Workshop deserve wide national circulation. We have no doubt that the NCTE will move in this direction as soon as possible.

Pune
5 February, 2001

(Dr. Chitra Naik)
Chairperson, Indian Institute of Education