Who Was Deepak Tilak? Know All About Lokmanya Tilak’s Great-Grandson Who Passed Away In Pune

Deepak Tilak, the great-grandson of freedom fighter Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak, passed away in the early hours of Wednesday at his residence in Pune. He was 78.

According to his family members, he died of age-related ailments. He is survived by his son, daughter and grandchildren.

Tilak served as the chancellor of Tilak Maharashtra Vidyapeeth and as the trustee-editor of Kesari, a Marathi daily founded by Lokmanya Tilak in 1881.

He was also the president and trustee of Tilak Smarak Trust, which promotes social and political service to the citizens. The trust confers the prestigious Tilak Award on individuals for their contribution to the service of the nation.

Tilak was widely respected in academic and journalistic circles for upholding the legacy of Lokmanya Tilak.

His father, Jayantrao Tilak, spearheaded the Goa Liberation and Sanyukta Maharashtra Samiti movements.

Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, Kasba Peth MLA Hemant Rasane and many others mourned his demise.

"Deepak Tilak made remarkable contributions in the fields of education, journalism and social work. He honestly carried forward the legacy of social work of the Tilak family and preserved the passion for patriotism, value-based thinking and public education through historical daily newspapers like 'Kesari'. His demise has created a void in the public life of Pune city. I pay my heartfelt tributes to him. The work done by Deepak Tilak for the promotion of the Japanese language was also taken into account by the Japanese government. He also played an important role as the Chairman of the Lokmanya Tilak National Award Committee. His work was an inspiration to the new generation. He was a thinker, a skilled administrator, a sensitive journalist and a dedicated social worker. I share the grief of his family. May God rest his soul in peace," wrote Pawar on X (formerly Twitter).

Rasane said, "The sad news of the demise of Deepak Tilak, Trustee-Editor of ‘Kesari’ and great-grandson of Lokmanya Tilak, is deeply distressing. His contribution in fields of education, journalism and social work is invaluable. In him, we have lost a learned, cultured and conscious personality. May God grant peace to his soul, is my prayer. I share in the grief of the Tilak family. Heartfelt Tribute!"  

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