Who gave the slogan – “Swaraj is my birthright and I shall have it”

Question

Who gave the slogan – “Swaraj is my birthright and I shall have it”

1. A. Bhagat Singh
2. B. Sukhdev
3. C. Bal Gangadhar Tilak (Correct answer)
4. D. Raj Guru

Correct Answer

Option C — Bal Gangadhar Tilak

Detailed Solution & Explanation

The correct answer is Bal Gangadhar Tilak.

Key Points

• "Swaraj is my birthright and I shall have it" was declared by Bal Gangadhar Tilak.
• He was a leader of the extremist (Garam Dal) faction of the Congress, alongside Lala Lajpat Rai and Bipin Chandra Pal — the trio known as Lal-Bal-Pal.

Additional Information

• Tilak was titled Lokmanya, "accepted by the people", and published Kesari in Marathi and Mahratta in English.
• He popularised the Ganesh Utsav and Shivaji Jayanti as vehicles of mass mobilisation, and was imprisoned in Mandalay from 1908 to 1914, where he wrote the *Gita Rahasya*.
• He founded the Indian Home Rule League in 1916, in parallel with Annie Besant's league.
• Other famous slogans: *Do or Die* (Gandhi), *Give me blood and I will give you freedom* (Bose), *Inquilab Zindabad* (Bhagat Singh), *Jai Jawan Jai Kisan* (Shastri).