NSA Ajit Doval receives Lokmanya Tilak Award, urges youth on nation-building
Synopsis
India's top security official used a cultural honour to deliver a pointed message: freedom without national responsibility is incomplete. NSA Ajit Doval, receiving the Lokmanya Tilak Award from Home Minister Amit Shah in Pune, reframed Tilak's 'Swaraj is my birthright' for the 21st century — arguing that India's next mission is not independence, but strength.
Key Takeaways
NSA Ajit Doval received the Lokmanya Tilak Award in Pune on 1 August , presented by Union Home Minister Amit Shah .
Doval urged youth to reject the notion that freedom means unconstrained personal choice, linking liberty to national responsibility.
He reframed Tilak's 'Swaraj is my birthright' for modern India: 'making India strong and developed is our birthright.' Doval recalled Tilak's resolve during the Maharashtra plague epidemic, when Tilak lost his 21-year-old son Vishwanath yet continued public service.
The NSA warned that India still faces complex internal and external security challenges requiring complete national unity.
National Security Advisor Ajit Doval on Saturday, 1 August urged India's youth to move beyond a narrow understanding of freedom, calling on them to channel their ambitions toward national development rather than unconstrained personal choice. Doval was speaking in Pune after receiving the prestigious Lokmanya Tilak Award from Union Home Minister Amit Shah at a function organised by the Lokmanya Tilak Smarak Trust.
Doval's Core Message on Freedom
'Today's youth feel that freedom simply means doing whatever one wishes or pleases. But freedom was never just that,' Doval told the gathering of leaders, scholars, and citizens. He contrasted this modern interpretation with the sacrifices that secured India's Independence, arguing that true liberty carries the weight of responsibility toward the country.
Revisiting Tilak's historic declaration — 'Swaraj is my birthright and I shall have it' — Doval reframed the iconic slogan for the present era. 'If Lokmanya Tilak were alive today, he would surely say that we have achieved Swaraj, and now, making India strong and developed is our birthright,' he asserted.
Tilak's Legacy and Pune's Heritage
Doval described 1 August as 'a truly special day,' marking the death anniversary of Lokmanya Tilak, whom he called 'an inspirational leader, incredible freedom fighter, thinker, and guide of our independence movement.' He recalled Tilak's resolve during the plague epidemic in Maharashtra, when Tilak lost his 21-year-old son Vishwanath yet refused to leave Pune and continued his social service.
The NSA, who spent part of his early school years in Pune, shared personal memories of school assemblies and visits to the Chaturshringi Temple, expressing humility at receiving an award named after a figure whose story he first encountered as a student in the city. He paid tribute to Pune's history, citing military commanders Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Peshwa Bajirao, Tanaji Malusare, and Murarbaji Deshpande, as well as reformers Gopal Krishna Gokhale, Gopal Ganesh Agarkar, Maharshi Karve, and Senapati Bapat.
National Security and the Call for Unity
Turning to contemporary challenges, Doval reminded the audience that India continues to face complex threats from both internal and external quarters. 'Whatever is not in the national interest is not in our interest either,' he said, urging complete societal unity as a prerequisite for security and progress.
He noted that the country is advancing under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, adding that he has closely witnessed Shah's dedication to the nation. 'Ultimately, the youth of this era must contribute to building the nation,' Doval concluded.
The Award and Acknowledgement
Accepting the honour, Doval expressed deep personal gratitude. 'I feel a sense of great humility standing on this stage. Words fall short to express my gratitude,' he said, acknowledging the Home Minister, Chief Minister, Deputy Chief Minister, and other dignitaries present at the ceremony. The Lokmanya Tilak Award is among the most distinguished honours conferred by the Trust, which preserves Tilak's legacy as one of India's foremost freedom fighters.
Point of View
Rather than a security briefing, suggests a deliberate effort to shape youth ideology beyond policy corridors. The reframing of Tilak's 'Swaraj' slogan is rhetorically deft, but it elides the fact that Tilak himself clashed sharply with colonial-era authority — a tradition of dissent that does not sit easily alongside calls for unquestioned national unity. What the speech leaves unanswered is how 'national interest' is to be defined, and by whom.
NationPress
1 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Lokmanya Tilak Award and who received it on 1 August?
The Lokmanya Tilak Award is a prestigious honour conferred by the Lokmanya Tilak Smarak Trust to recognise distinguished service to the nation. On 1 August, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval received the award from Union Home Minister Amit Shah at a ceremony in Pune, coinciding with Tilak's death anniversary.
What did NSA Ajit Doval say about freedom and youth?
Doval cautioned that modern youth often equate freedom with doing whatever they please, arguing that true freedom carries the responsibility of safeguarding and developing the nation. He urged young Indians to align their personal ambitions with national interest, drawing on Lokmanya Tilak's example.
How did Doval reframe Tilak's 'Swaraj is my birthright' slogan?
Doval updated Tilak's historic declaration for the present era, stating that if Tilak were alive today, he would say: 'We have achieved Swaraj, and now making India strong and developed is our birthright.' The reframing shifts the focus from independence to national development.
What personal connection does Ajit Doval have with Pune?
Doval spent part of his early school years in Pune, where he attended school assemblies and visited the Chaturshringi Temple. He described feeling profound humility receiving an award named after a figure whose story he first heard as a young student in the city.
What did Doval say about India's current security challenges?
Doval stated that India continues to face complex internal and external challenges and called for complete unity across society. He emphasised that any action harmful to the nation ultimately harms every citizen, and urged youth to take a collective pledge toward national service.
