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Lokmanya Tilak National Award Conferred to Modi for His Contribution to Nation

20:52, 1 August 2023

Rahul Trivedi

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The Lokmanya Tilak National Award is given annually on 1 August while observing the iconic freedom fighter Lokmanya Tilak’s death anniversary. The award, constituted by the Tilak Smarak Mandir Trust, is presented for contributions to the progress and development of the nation.

Sputnik

The Lokmanya Tilak National Award was conferred to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday for his contribution towards the progress and development of the country.

The award, constituted in 1983, was presented to Modi during an event in Maharashtra's Pune city.

The event was attended by Maharashtra state chief Eknath Shinde, deputy statechiefs Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar, along with Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar.

Modi dedicated the award to the people of the country and donated its cash prize of INR 100,000 ($1,215) to the Namami Gange Project, a flagship project of the federal government to rejuvenate River Ganga (Ganges).

Modi also addressed the gathering during the event, while describing it as a memorable moment for him.

“While I am very happy to be here, I am also feeling emotional. Lokmanya Tilak is the tilak (a mark worn on forehead by Hindus) of our freedom struggle. The role of Lokmanya Tilak in India's independence, his contribution cannot be summed up in a few words or by illustrating a few incidents”, Modi said while paying tribute to him, along with all other Indian freedom fighters.

Praising the freedom fighter Bal Gangadhar Tilak for his ability to develop confidence among the citizens against British rule, the prime minister said: “Tilak broke the myth of inferiority complex among Indians and showed them their capabilities”.

Notably, Modi shared stage with Sharad Pawar, who is a prominent member of the newly-formed opposition bloc I.N.D.I. A.

While congratulating Modi on his award, Pawar said: “The Lokmanya award was previously given to many prominent people. Modi’s name has now been included in the list of these names today. I congratulate Modi for his selection for this award”.

Modi is the 41st recipient of the award. Former Presidents Pranab Mukherjee and Dr Shankar Dayal Sharma as well as former Prime Ministers Manmohan Singh, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, and Indira Gandhi have been conferred with the award in the past.

Other recipients also include founder of Infosys N. R. Narayana Murthy and Dr E. Sreedharan, popularly known as the "Metro Man" of the country.

While Modi was in Pune, he launched various development projects and also visited the Dagdusheth Halwai Ganpati Temple.

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