Gopal Krishna Gokhale

 PM paid tributes to Gopal Krishna Gokhale on his birth anniversary. He was born on 9 May 1866.

Who was he?

Gopal Krishna Gokhale was an Indian political leader, a social reformer during the Indian Independence Movement and Mahatma Gandhi’s political mentor.

Gokhale campaigned for Indian self-rule and also social reform. He was the leader of the moderate faction of the Congress party that advocated reforms by working with existing government institutions

Contributions of GK Gokhale in freedom movement of India:

1. He gave budget speeches as a member of the Imperial Legislative Council.
2. He contributed articles to the English weekly Mahratta.
3. He served as Secretary of the Deccan Education Society.
4. After being given charge of the Bombay Provincial Conference in 1893, he was elected to the Senate of the Bombay University.
5. He visited Ireland and arranged for Irish nationalist Alfred Webb to serve as the President of the Indian National Congress in 1894.
6. As a member of the Pune Municipality, twice elected its president, Gokhale continued to strive to solve the problems of the poor, and those who came to him with grievances.
7. Gokhale also published a daily newspaper entitled Jnanaprakash, which allowed him to voice his reformist views on politics and society.
8. He was later elected to the Council of India of the Governor-General of India in 1903.
9. He was appointed as the Companion of the Order of the Indian Empire in 1904 New Year’s Honours List.
10. In 1905, he founded the Servants of India Society, which trained people to be selfless workers so they could work for the common good of the people. He was also elected as the President of the Indian National Congress.
11. He was instrumental in the formation of the Minto-Morley Reforms of 1909, which eventually became law.
12. Gokhale was a mentor to both Mohammed Jinnah and Mahatma Gandhi. Mahatma Gandhi even wrote a book called, ‘Gokhale, My Political Guru’. His core beliefs about the importance of political liberty, social reform and economic progress for all Indians are still relevant to our times.