The reformer must know that what moves people is the authentic life, not mere writing. The newspaper and journals that Tilak and other reformers ran, the books they wrote, sold little, but had enormous effect. Their writing was known to reflect and be just an extension of, their exemplary lives. It was the authenticity of their lives which lent weight to their message, to their example. All knew that their lives were an integral whole - they were not moral in public life and lack in private, not vice versa. They were not full of pious thoughts and sacred resolutions within the walls of a temple.
A writer who is merely entertaining his readers, even one who is merely informing them, can do what he wants with the rest of his life. But the writer, who sets out to use his pen to reform public life, cannot afford such dualities. Here is the testimony of one great man - about the influence of another, Lokmanya Tilak.
"I believe that an editor who has anything worth saying and who commands a clientiele cannot easily be hushed. He delivered his finished message as soon as he is put underduress. Tilak spoke more eloquently from the Mandalay fortress than through columns of the printed Kesari.
His influence was multiplied thousand fold by his imprisonment and his speech and his pen had acquired much greater power after he was discharged than before his imprisonment. By his death we have been editing his paper without pen and speech through the sacred resolution of the people to realize his life's dream.
He could possibly have done more if he were today in flesh preaching his view. Critics like me would perhaps be still finding fault in the expression of this or that. Today, his message rules millions of hearts which are determined to raise permanent living memorial by the fulfilment of his ambition in their lives".
