Dipak Tilak, the trustee editor of Marathi newspaper Kesari, who was the great-grandson of Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak, passed away in the early hours of Wednesday at his residence in Pune at the age of 78.
His death is believed to have taken place due to natural ageing-related ailments, according to the family. His mortal remains were kept for public homage at the iconic Tilakwada between 8 AM to 11 AM. The last rites will be carried out at the Vaikunth crematorium around noon, they said.
Deepak served as the trustee editor of Kesari, a newspaper started by Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak in 1881. He had also briefly served as the vice-chancellor at Tilak Maharashtra Vidyapeeth.
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 a person for his or her contribution to the service of the nation.
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar expressed his condolences over the passing away of Tilak. “Deepak Tilak successfully carried forward the legacy of Lokmanya Tilak through social initiatives”, he said.
Tilak was widely respected in academic and journalistic circles for upholding the legacy of the nationalist thinker and social reformer Lokmanya Tilak.
