Rabindranath's Gora and Hindu Fundamentalist..
nkdatta8839
> I have just started reading Rabindranath's novel Gora and it looks to be
> quite a fascinating plot.
> Any ideas about why Gora is being shown as Hindu fundamentalist and has a change
> of heart?
It has been a while since I read Gora. But I
remember Tagore to be as wary of ultra-religionists
as he was of ultra-nationalists. Tagore saw them
as the "narrow domestic walls" that serve to
fragment humanity. It indeed came from Tagore's
heart when he wrote, "Where the world has not
been broken up into fragments by narrow domestic
walls ..... Into that heaven of freedom, O Lord,
let my country awake."
In "The Religion of Man", Tagore said, "Freedom
in the mere sense of independence has no content,
and therefore no meaning. Perfect freedom lies
in a harmony of relationship."
Tagore was deeply religious. But Tagore's
spirituality transcends sectarian divisions.
Tagore's God was not a Hindu or a Muslim or a
Christian. He was the God of all of mankind and
of the universe. Tagore, himself, had stated,
"My religion is a poet's religion...Its touch
comes to me through the same unseen and trackless
channel as does the inspiration of my songs."
Tagore belongs to that same eclectic tradition that
had produced men like Guru Nanak, Kabir and Lalan
Fakir. His God was for everybody. Tagore was too
great a thinker to reduce God to the level of a
partisan Little League Coach who must exhort his
own team at the expense of all other teams in the
league. So, Tagore would indeed be all for Gora's
God transcending a religious brand name to become
the universal generic God. Gora's change of heart
was a very natural corollary.
Here's a Tagore poem:
=============================================
False Religion
(Translated by Professor Aurobindo Bose)
Those who in the name of Faith embrace illusion,
kill and are killed.
Even the atheist gets God's blessings-
Does not boast of his religion;
With reverance he lights the lamp of Reason
And pays his homage not to scriptures,
But to the good in man.
The bigot insults his own religion
When he slays a man of another faith.
Conduct he judges not in the light of Reason;
In the temple he raises the blood-stained banner
And worships the devil in the name of God.
all that is shameful and barbarous through the Ages,
Has found a shelter in their temples-
Those they turn into prisons;
O, I hear the trumpet call of Destruction!
Time comes with her great broom
Sweeping all refuse away.
That which should make man free,
They turn into fetters;
That which should unite,
They turn into sword;
That which should bring love
From the fountain of the Eternal,
They turn into prison
And with its waves they flood the world.
They try to cross the river
In a bark riddled with holes;
And yet, in their anguish, whom do they blame?
O Lord, breaking false religion,
Save the blind!
Break! O break
The alter that is drowned in blood.
Let your thunder strike
Into the prison of false religion,
And bring to this unhappy land
The light of Knowledge.
=============================================
Tagore was just as wary of ultra-nationalism. Tagore
could see that ultra-nationalism wasn't necessarily
the answer, long before the rise of Hitler and Mussolini
made others wise up to its menace. His Crisis of
Civilization (Sabhyatar Sankat) was the culmination of
long held thoughts and philosophy.
While it wasn't Tagore who had said, "Patriotism isn't
enough," the words certainly reflected his concern.
Tagore was certainly wary of the rising tide of
chauvinism based on the belief in "nationalism at any
cost."
If "Ghare-baire" (The Home & The World that was made
into a movie by Satyajit Ray) had a tragic end,
it's because Tagore wanted to convey his forebodings.
And he did so when it wasn't yet fashionable to do so.
In fact, he was perspicacious enough to realize that
the Swadeshi Movement could lead to tragedies unless
the revolutionaries broadbased the movement to respond
to the aspirations and concerns of the Muslim have-nots
in rural Bengal.
Vishal
> It has been a while since I read Gora. But I
> remember Tagore to be as wary of ultra-religionists
> as he was of ultra-nationalists. Tagore saw them
> as the "narrow domestic walls" that serve to
I have not finished reading the book so my comments may not be appropriate.
The feeling I get after reading whatever I have read is that Tagore has
shown just one major flaw in Gora that is of accepting varna nature of Hinduism.
He is shown to be patriot and wants a Hindu resurgence.
He is not shown to be anti muslim any where which comes as a surprise to me.
Except for one flaw I really do not find anything wrong in the character of
Gora.
I may change my comments after I finish reading the book.
mystic_rajan
When you finish the book please try to find an explanation of why
Indian national anthem authored by Tagore Uncleji refers
to Punjab, Sindh and Bengal when these regions are not part of
India.
Should the national anthem of US talk about Ontario, Quebec
Alberta and Mexico?
hyde...@hotmail.com
Don't you think that one defect is enough? It is a huge defect and has
divided Hindus and enslaved many of them.
I don't want to kill the suspense for you but "Gora" is brilliant in
the last two or three pages. Everything builds up to the climax at the
end. It also reveals a very interesting character in human nature. An
exquisite example for the statement: "..Truth Shall Set You Free".
Salim
mystic_rajan
After you finish the book and know more about Tagore please
tell us what Tagore would have thought about:
a) Nuclearization of South Asia.
b) Killing of innocents in Kashmir on a daily basis.
c) Ayodhya movement/Gujarat renaissance.
d) Killing of innocents in north east.
e) Killing of innocents in fasle encounters throughout India.
f) Swiss bank accounts of Indian patriots.
nkdatta8839
> > remember Tagore to be as wary of ultra-religionists
> > as he was of ultra-nationalists. Tagore saw them
> > as the "narrow domestic walls" that serve to
>
>
> I have not finished reading the book so my comments may not be appropriate.
> The feeling I get after reading whatever I have read is that Tagore has
> shown just one major flaw in Gora that is of accepting varna nature of
> Hinduism.
Can you explain that? I faintly recall a lot of
didactic debates in the novel where the point
of view of the Bramho Samaj clashes bitterly
with that of traditional society with Gora as a
proponent of the latter.
Gora, the novel's hero, starts off as a staunch
proponent of the views of the traditional social
order. But then, he discovers to his dismay, that
he is really a "foreigner" by birth, a fact that
makes him a misfit in the very social order that
he had been championing. The irony of the situation
sets the stage for a whole new outlook in Gora.
Gora's discovery of the secret of his own birth
forces him to shed his tunnel vision for a panoramic
view. The novel is verily Gora's odyssey from the
narrowness of institutionalized religion he had
been espousing, first to disillusionment, and then
to enlightenment as a human being.
Tagore saw divinity in man. But he also saw humanity
in the divine.
Here's from a Tagore poem:
==========================================
Leave this chanting and singing and telling of beads!
Whom dost thou worship in this lonely dark corner of a temple
with doors all shut?
Open thine eyes and see thy God is not before thee!
He is there where the tiller is tilling the hard ground
and where the pathmaker is breaking stones.
He is with them in sun and in shower,
and his garment is covered with dust.
===========================================
For an insight to Tagores philosophy, one might want
to read the Hibbert lectures that Tagore delivered at
Oxford on 'the idea of the humanity of our God, or
the divinity of Man the Eternal.'
Among his essays available in English, the following
would be interest for those seeking to understand
the philosophy that shaped the novels like Gora and
The Home And The World:
(a) Religion Of Man
(b) Nationalism
(c) The Crisis of Civilization
They reveal Tagore to be deeply distrustful of the
notion that any good can come from fragmenting
humanity's hopes and aspirations in the name of race,
religion and nationalism.
mystic_rajan
While on the subject of Tagore, could you please
tell us what he would have thought about Bollywood,
Aiswarya Rai, Gurdas Maan and Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan.
nkdatta8839
> >
> > It has been a while since I read Gora. But I
> > remember Tagore to be as wary of ultra-religionists
> > as he was of ultra-nationalists.
>
> considered Hindu nationalism as dangerous?
I don't think "Hindu nationalism" was the issue
although the novel's cast of characters might
make it appear so. Tagore's distrust wasn't
just for ultra-nationalism of a particular
brand name. His distrust for ultra-nationalism
was quite generic.
> Was it being a part of brahmo samaj which made him think negatively
> of Hindu Nationalism?
Brahmo Samaj was based on the interpretation of the early
Vedanta, the Upanishads, and the Brahma Sutra. It could
very well be claimed that the Brahmo Samaj was deeply into
taking pride in the philosophical discourses by the greatest
rishis of ancient India.
Brahmo Samaj was essentially a Protestant movement - its
proponents didn't have anything gainst "Hindu thoughts"
but only against what they regarded as aberrations that
had crept into the religion over the millennia. In fact,
it was the Brahmo Samaj's claim that they were working
toward a renaissance of Hindu thoughts by reverting back
to Hinduism of yore, to the Hindu thoughts and philosophy
in their pristine form.
> Bankim chandra made Hindu nationalism a central theme of his novels
> where as Rabindranath seems to be very wary of it.
Yes, there is a certain difference
in philosophy and perspective.
> I would have liked Gora not to have changed but maybe instill a sense
> of pride, respect for Hinduism among his fellow Indians.
Gora had to change, didn't he? The institutionalized
rituals and regulations that he had believed in for
so long would have made him into an outsider the moment
the secret of his birth was out.
> I still have to complete the novel.
Bholu
mystic_rajan wrote:
>
> While on the subject of Tagore, could you please
> tell us what he would have thought about Bollywood,
> Aiswarya Rai, Gurdas Maan and Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan.
Nothing, Bombshell, Cool and Talented. In that order.
Thanks bud.
Ishti Kutoom
Good to hear the last statement. However, you don't have to wait that
long to find out the true colour of Tagore. Read the following, and
get to know what Tagore is all about.
Tagore's Religious Belief:
-------------------------
"Rabindranath discussed about this Hindu-Muslim issue during the
census of 1819. He said, 'I was born in a Hindu family, but accepted
Brahmo religion. ... The religion we accepted is universal in nature;
however, it is basically the religion of the Hindus. We accepted this
universal religion with the heart of Hindus." [Probhatkumar Mukharjee,
Rabindrajiboni O Rabindrashahityo Probeyshok, vol 3, 3rd ed.,
published by Biswa Bharati Publishing Division in Poush 1395,
pp.364-365].
"Tapobon Bidyala (school), a ashram established to instill ancient
hindu ideology, took the shade of hindutva. Tagore started to turn
himself into a very devout hindu. Gradually, casteism-based aparthied,
injunctions of Manu Sanghita, and Brahminic glorification crept into
their way into the school environ. Tagore decreed that a non-Brahmin
teacher did not deserve salutation (pronam) from his Brahmin students.
In a letter written to Manoranjan Banerjee in Agrahayan 19, 1309
Tagore clarified his position on the issue of salutation in these
words, 'No non-hindu customs would be allowed into this school; It is
imperative that students express their respect to Brahmin professors
by touching their feet (pronum) and utter namasker to non-Brahmin
teachers as per the rules set aside by Manu Sanghita.' "
[Satyendranath Roy, 'Rabindra Manoney Hindu Dharma', The Desh, Autumn
issue, 1905, p.305]
Tagore established Biswa Bharati to re-vitalize ancient hindu customs
and ideology. In this effort, Hindi Bhavan (Building) was established
in Shantiniketan on January 16 (sunday), 1938 (Magh 2, 1344). It is of
no surprise that Tagore had very close friendship with Pundit
Madonmohan Malabya -- a prominent leader of Kashi Hindu University and
Hindu Mohashava.
When asked about the usefulness of Hindu Mohashava, Tagore said that
he considered this movement more important than a mere political
undertaking. 'Hindus would have to unite if they want to remain alive
and not remain downtrodden for ever in the human society.' [From an
interview with Tagore by journalist Mrinalkanti Bose in response to a
statement by Modanmohan Malabya, Rabindra-Proshongo/Anandabazar
Patrika, 1993, edited by Chittaranjan Banerjee, vol 1, pp. 259-260].
Tagore's Benevolence:
--------------------
"Not only Zamindar Rabindranath or the entire Tagore dynasty did not
have any record of donating anything, he did not have any reputation
of making any donation towards primary schools, orphanage or dam
constructions in Shahzadpur, Shilaidoh or Patishor. On the contrary,
conniving threat from Tagore dynasty, Kangal Harinath Majumdar
published narrative of Tagore dynasty's oppression and setting of
arson to the entire villages." [Prof Ahmed Sharif, Rabindruttor Trityo
Projonmey Rabindra Mullayan, Quaterly Uttaradhikar, published by
Bangla Academy, Baisakh-Ashar issue, 1393].
Narayan Choudhury had this to say about Tagore, "Tagore had always
been supporter of Zamindari system. It would be very hard to present
any proof that he was saddened on seeing repression on the subjects.
He even opposed the transfer of lands to the subjects on the argument
that that measure would pave the way to misappropriation of lands."
[Promoth Choudhury, Ryot'er Katha (introduction section) and
Bataynik'er Patra].
In 1894 he raised the tax levied on his subjects. He even purchased
new Zamindari from the Martin Company. There had been incidents of
rebellion by the subjects due to raising of tax and collection of tax
by force. Tagore suppressed that rebellion with great success! One
Ismail Mollah led the rebellion against Tagore in Shilaidoh.
Intolerant Tagore:
-----------------
"Tagore was not accustomed to tolerate any unfavourable criticism of
him. Had there been nobody to protest in his favour, he used to defend
himself by writing under pen names. Tagore-lover and Tagore-blessed
Annadashankar Roy sadi, 'Tagore used to remove or destroy any evidence
of his mistakes, criticisms or misdeeds with utmost care.' " [Prof
Ahmed Sharif, Rabindruttor Trityo Projonmey Rabindra Mullayan,
Quaterly Uttaradhikar, published by Bangla Academy, Baisakh-Ashar
issue, 1393].
"Muslims could have trusted Hindus had the Hindus did not raise the
issue of reservation at every step starting from 1909 till 1937.
Bengalee Hindus opposed all regional divisions from 1932 to 1937, and
Tagore extended his support in his speeches in those days. Didn't the
main anxiety emanate from the fact that higher caste Hindus would
loose their majority due to the numerical superiority of the Muslims
and the Sudras (lower caste peope)? What this meant was that (putting
aside the issue of Sudras), we did not believe the Muslims. Hindu
interests wouldn't be looked after under Muslim majority rule --
wasn't this the reason? Were Syed Ahmed of Aligarh, Nawab of Dacca or
Jinnah the only believers of Two Nation Theory? Weren't the suspicious
Hindus also believers of Two Nation Theory?"
"In the Jaistha, 1343 issue of the Mohammadi magazine, a writer
protested about the inclusion of some objectionable items in the
Matriculation Bengali text book. One of them was a poem called
'Bicharok' (Judge) by Raghunath Rao. It contained lines like,
Cholechhi Koritey Jobon Nipat,
Jogatey Jom'er Khadya.
[Here I go to kill Muslims,
To collect fodder for Yama(Hindu God of Death).]
Angry Tagore chided the letter writer in his rebuttal." [[Nityapryo
Ghose, 'Swatantro Botey, Kintu Birudhho Ki?', The Desh, May 1, 1999]
Communal Tagore:
--------------
"Lot of similarity can be observed between the thoughts of
Rabindranath and those of Ramendrasundar Trivedi and Brahmobandhob
Upadya with respect to national issues and religion. Brahmobandhab
wanted to view Hindu nationalism and Hindu society as the
manifestation of Indian culture; By the term 'Hindutva' he meant both
Hindu nationality and Hindu culture. The first essay appearing in the
maiden issue of Bangodarshan magazine was 'Devotion of Hindu Society'
written by Brahmobandhab." [Probhatkumar Mukharjee, Rabindrajiboni O
Rabindrashahityo Probeyshok, vol 2, published by Biswa Bharati
Publishing Division, p.23].
"In another letter addressed to Maharaja Kumar of Tripura, Tagore
wrote from Shantiniketan (Baisakh 7, 1309), 'There exists acute
shortage of Brahman and Khatrya people in the Indian subcontinent --
all of us have become sudras after being attacked with distress. With
firm determination in mind, I have gotten myself deeply devoted, with
utmost abilities, to the cause of re-establishing Brahmanic idelogy. I
advise you to spread the ideology of Khatrya after being imbibed with
Khatrya ideology in your heart.' " [ibid, p.41]
Tagore was not only a devout hindu but a highly anti-Muslim character.
Even Prof Ahmed Sharif (a hardcore atheist) passed the following
comments about him, "It does not bear any shred of liberal
non-communalism on his part when almost all of his subjects in his
Zamindari were Muslims, slaughtering of cows was banned, increased
amount of taxes were collected by force or new hindu settlements were
established to repress the protesting voices." [Prof Ahmed Sharif,
Rabindruttor Trityo Projonmey Rabindra Mullayan, Quaterly
Uttaradhikar, published by Bangla Academy, Baisakh-Ashar issue, 1393]
Tagore was deeply anti-Muslim/Islam:
-----------------------------------
"At the age of 39, he composed 'Katha Kahini' poetry based on the
ancient Brahmo mythological legends and chronological narratives of
Buddha, Rajput, Maratha and Sikhs. But the 750 year-old indigeneous
events or dervishes arriving from foreign lands or the magnanimity of
Muslim rulers did not seem worthy of his consideration -- not even
those of Emperor Akbar, Moinuddin Chisti, Razia, Anarkoli, Nurjahan.
Nothing (except Tajmahal) of a nation or society that ruled India with
might, knowledge, wealth and achievements for previous 600 years
appealed to his good sense. This shows how deep hatred or permanent
disrespect he harboured deep down his heart for this ruling class
coming from foreign lands. [Prof Ahmed Sharif, Rabindruttor Trityo
Projonmey Rabindra Mullayan, Quaterly Uttaradhikar, published by
Bangla Academy, Baisakh-Ashar issue, 1393].
In the novel Gora, Rabindranath Tagore subtly expressed his hatred
toward Muslims through a statement of his hero Gora who addressed his
oppressed Muslims subjects in these words -- "Your Mohammad did not
preach the religion in a good manner."
Litteratuer Motahar Hossain Choudhury once asked Rabindranath on the
premises of Shanti Niketon, "How come there is no mention of Islam or
the prophet in your writings?" Replied the poet, "I started to read
Quran but could not advance much. Besides, I did not like the
character of rasul." [Culled from an essay 'Islami Shangskritir
Ruprekha' (Outlines of Islamic Culture) by Dr. Mustafizur Rahman].
Tagore as an oppressor:
----------------------
"Honourable Prime Minister [Sheikh Hasina] urged to take the
philosophy of Tagore to every door. But what was this philosophy? It
is a fact that Tagore was Nobel Prize winning world famous and great
poet, but did he leave behind any great philosophy as a great man? It
is also a fact that being enchanted by the appeal of his songs and
poems, some people regard him almost like a deity, but was he really
worthy of regarded to as such? The life of Tagore bears testimony to
the opposite. Tagore portrayed many Upens with heart-rending
narratives, but like his father & grandfather he was basically greedy
and cruel oppressor of poor subjects. Although universal love was the
main theme of his poetry, he himself was guided by pride and
discrimination. Although he used to wear, like the ancient priests,
Upanishadic outfit and his physical stature resembled to those of
priests, he was, in heart and mind, an obedient worshipper of the
Royal British rulers. How can a person of this self-serving and
self-contradicting and cunning double-dealing nature be our role
model?
Very few people know the true colour of Tagore. And one of them who
knew him very well as his widowed sister. Their father Debendranath
Tagore allocated a portion of the income from Zamindari to pay for the
monthly allowance for his widowed daughter. But Tagore stopped this
allowance after the death of their father by destroying the legal
documents. Believe it or not, Tagore also burnt all Will papers
(compiled and signed by their grandfather) with the noble motive of
depriving all shareholders mentioned in the Will." [Prof Abu Zafar,
'Rabindra Bibh'bram', Daily Inqilab, July 7, 2000].
Tagore was more Hindu than Bengalee:
-----------------------------------
"Nirod C. Choudhuri commented about Tagore, "Never before in the
history of Bengal, a famous Bengali, pure Bengali Hindu better than
Tagore was ever born." Tagore handed down his verdict like this way,
"British rule is all about God's rule. To rebel against it is sin." He
said, "Although Muslims are followers of Islam, they are Hindu in
race; They are basically 'Hindu-Muslim'." [Dr Badiuzzaman, Bidrohi
Rabindranath Paschim'er Shimantey, 2000].
Patriotic songs like 'Amar Sonar Bangla', 'Banglar Maati Banglar Jol/
Banglar Baiyu Banglar Ful' etc remind us the name of Tagore right
away. However, these songs might give wrong notion about Tagore's love
for Bengal, Bengali or Bengalee.
"Though a Brahmin, Tagore married 11-year old Mrinalini Devi at his
age of 22 years. He married off his three daughters at the ages of
15.5, 12 and 14 years, respectively. Since his blossoming youth, his
life revolved around Brahmo society, worshipping in temple, and
Tatyabodhini magazine. Although Tagore, throughout his entire life,
was devoted to the welfare of Brahmo society, and religious duties,
there exists no clear proof about the emergence of shapeless Brahmo or
Vedic Brahmo ideology in his mindset. Gods and Goddesses of Hindu
mythology enveloped his thought process in his emotive world." [Prof
Ahmed Sharif, Rabindruttor Trityo Projonmey Rabindra Mullayan,
Quaterly Uttaradhikar, published by Bangla Academy, Baisakh-Ashar
issue, 1393].
In his works, Tagore glorified (or at least mentioned their names)
ancient Bharat, the era of Upanishad, nature of Tapobon, era of
Kalidas ('Aami jodi jonmo nitam Kalidas'er kaley' i.e. I wish I were
born in the era of Kalidas), Sikh, Maratha, Rajputs, Shivajee, Guru
Govinda, religious leaders like Ramananda, Kabir, Nanak, Ramdas,
Tulsidas et al, even less-known figures like Tara Singh, Ratan Rao,
Harabongshi, Birkumbha, Durgesh Dumraj et al, Laksmibai (Queen of
Janshi), Talukdar Kumar Singh (Ayodhya) et al. He wrote,
'Durey bohu durey
Swapnolokey Ujjoinipurey
Khujitey Gechhinu Jobey Shipranodir parey
Mor Purba jonom'er prothoma priyarey.'
It is surprising to note that Tagore could hardly find any character
(even non-Muslim) from ancient or modern Bengal to glorify in his
works! However, ignorant Muslim Bengalees are enamoured with the
Bengaleeism of Tagore! What was so Bengalee about Tagore other than
the fact that he wrote and speak in Bengali. Comments of Probodh Sen
are worth-mentioning here, "The erstwhile British govt split Bengal
into two parts on October 16, 1905 (Aswin 30, 1312). At that time,
Bengal patriotism found its best expression thru' the songs of Tagore;
Songs like 'Ebar Tor Mora Gangey Baan Esheychhey', 'Jodi Tor Daak
Shuney Keu Naa Aashey', 'Amar Sonar Bangla Aami Tomay Bhalobashi', etc
were composed around that time. Previously composed song 'O Amar
Desh'er Maati Tomar Porey Thetai Maatha' was published in the Aswin
issue of Bangodarshan magazine. We need to keep in mind that it was
the month of Aswin -- the month of matribondana. This song was the
lucid and natural expression of Bankim's Bandematram song. As such
considered from various angles, this song can be considered Rabindric
version of Bankim's Bandeymatram song." [Probodhchandra Sen,
Bankim-Rabindra Dristitey Banglar Otit, p.219]
A devout Rabindra researcher Probodhchandra Sen had this to say about
Tagore, "... Like Bankimchandra, Rabindranath was not solely devoted
to the cause of Bengal rather to that of Mother India. Actually, he
never showed distinct respect towards Bengali culture and tradition.
For Bangladesh, he left behind the proposition of assimilation with
India. ... There is hardly any influence of the history of Bengal in
the works of Tagore." [Probodhchandra Sen, Bhor'er Paakhi O Ananya
Proshongo, 1998, p.281]
Annadashankar Roy commented about Tagore, "He is like a river since
his talent did not flourish fully in the arena of ancient Sangskrit
literature, Antolok literature or Bengali literature. Justice would be
meted out to him only if we give him a place beside Indian poets like
Balmiki or Kalidas rather than considering him a Bengalee poet. ... He
lost his direction after being awarded Nobel Prize, and became a
burden to the world by neglecting the flourishment of his full poetic
potential." [From a letter written to poet Vishnu Dey by Annadashankar
Roy on July 13, 1947 appearing in the essay 'Chithi Shototoi Soondor',
The Sananda, November 22, 1996].
Tagore's Love for Bengali language:
----------------------------------
"Himself being written in Bengali language, Tagore favoured hindi as
the state language of India. He wrote in a letter, 'Mahatma Gandhi
spread the Hindu language all over India in various ways.' In response
to the question posed by Gandhi regarding the future of hindi
language, Tagore replied on January 28, 1918, 'Hindi is the only
possible national language for inter-provincial intercourse in India.
But about its introduction at the Congress, I think, we can not
enforce it for a long time to come ... Hindi will have to remain
optional in our national proceedings until a new generation of
politicians, fully alive to its importance, pave the way toward its
general use by constant practice as voluntary acceptance of a national
obligation.' " [Probhatkumar Mukharjee, Rabindrajiboni O
Rabindrashahityo Probeyshok, vol 3, 3rd ed., published by Biswa
Bharati Publishing Division, pp.151-152].
Tagore was a Razakar of British Colonialists:
----------------------------------------------
"However, he did not harbour the same feeling towards the British.
Rather he nurtured profound love, confidence and respect for them. The
reason behind his indifference towards politics of self-governance in
the country, non-chalance about the establishement of independence
movement was this love for the British. Novels like 'Ghorey-Bairey',
'Char Odday' and some essays are worth recalling in this respect. He
did not have propensity to establish self-governance for India. He was
expectant of good governance by the British. Essays like 'Rajkutumbo',
'Ghushoghushi', 'Swadeshi Samaj' etc are to be recalled here. It is to
be kept in mind that brutal killing at Jaliwanwalabagh did not move
him an inch to renounce his Knighthood; it took 46 days for him to
come to that decision due to some internal pressure. The 40-year old
poet composed 'Matrishokashchash' to mourn the death of Queen
Victoria; Knighthood delighted him to his heart's content, and in 1911
the grateful poet composed, on behalf of the Hindus, the hymn 'Jonogon
Mon Odhinayok' to extol King George V for repealing the Bengal
Partition Act." [Prof Ahmed Sharif, Rabindruttor Trityo Projonmey
Rabindra Mullayan, Quaterly Uttaradhikar, published by Bangla Academy,
Baisakh-Ashar issue, 1393].
As the rebels found Tagore to be against the independence movement,
they wanted to physically eliminate Tagore. This threat was extended
even when he was touring America. Here is a news clip from those days,
"Word of a plot to assassinate Rabindranath Tagore, Hindu poet and
Nobel Prize winner, reached the police yesterday and led to
extraordinary precautions to guard him in the apartment at the Palace
Hotel and at the Columbia Theatre where he lectured in the afternoon."
[San Francisco Examiner, October 6, 1916]. Note that Tagore was
identified as a Hindu poet.
During the second Awami regime, electronic media (BTV, ATN, Channel I,
EkusheyTV) was abused to promote Tagore as a soldier of independence
movement from the clutches of British mercenary cabal.
Writing for money & Resorting to Plagiarism:
-------------------------------------------
Pratap Narayan Biswas, a Calcatian author-resembler, wrote several
essays accusing Tagore of plagiarism. One of them 'Jogajog:
Goldsworthy & Rabindranath' was published in the first issue of
'Onustap' [now in its 23rd year of publication] magazine. Here is one
comment about Tagore, "Sir Rabindranath Tagore is not a poet who
brings news from the East, but one who returns to us what we have
already lent." [Edward Shanks, 'Sir Rabindranath Tagore', The Queen
(London), 1921].
Before starting to write his Jogajog novel, Tagore, in Chaitra 12,
1333 (Chithipatra 5) said, 'An attempt is underway to bring out a new
magazine by the name of 'Bichitra' by some enterprising and rich
quarter. I have fallen prey to their trap owing to both my want of
money and greed. You won't be able to figure out how destitute I have
become.' [See also Probhatkumar Mukharjee, Rabindra Jiboni, vol 3,
1359, p.249].
To give some background behind his writing of Gora novel, Prabhatkumar
said, 'The urge to write stories was external. Tagore's youngest
daughter was to be married off in Jaistha, 1314. There was acute want
of money. Ramananda Chatterjee requested Tagore to write a short story
for The Probashi magazine and sent some money in advance. The poet
wrote and sent two short stories. 'Master Moshoy' and 'Galpo' which
were published in two installments of The Probashi (Asar & Sravan).
But the poet thought that he was not adequately paid. As such he
started to write Gora novel. During the writing of Gora, Tagore was
not only inflicted with financial hardship, he succumbed to various
physical and psychological hardship arising from illness of his horse
and daughter Meera, and deaths of friend Srishchandra Majumdar,
son-in-law Satyendranath and son Shomindranath. Despite this hardship,
he managed to send installments of Gora to the office of The Probashi
spanning a period of 32 months. The only reason behind this was that
he was able to borrow the main theme, characters, incidents, narrative
details and dialogue from less known novel 'Felix Holt The Radical'.
Two other books that were consulted to complete the Gora novel were
The Vicar of Wakefield by Oliver Goldsmith and Father & Sons by
Tugerniev (sp?). Some of his famous short stories (such as Sampat'ti,
Swamorpon, Nishithey, Khudhitoo Pashan, Guptodhon) were written
borrowing themes, plots, characters, background, descriptions from
foreign short stories.
___________________________________________
The Rabindranath Tagore Dilemma
Mohammad Abdullah
U.S.A.
E Mail : mabdu...@hotmail.com
...
Rabindranath Tagore had opposed the creation of the University of
Dacca in 1910s and conspired with the elite Hindus of Calcutta. This
is a beyond proven fact. He was a bosom friend of the communal justice
Ashutosh Mukherjee, the then Vice-Chancellor of the University of
Calcutta. Being a renowned lawyer Ashutosh climbed the ladder to
become the Vice-Chancellor of that University and opposed the
establishment of another University within the Bengali-speaking land
under the British rule in Dacca. Rabindranath Tagore echoed with him
and created enhanced beats not only all over the map of the
Bengali-speaking land but penetrating to the ears of the British
masters in the capital city. He greeted notorious communal
Ashutosh Mukherjee and opposed the proposal. This indicates the
vitiated-mind of the so-called myriad-mined poet laureate. Such a
communal poet is obviously dangerous for our society. This is
regardless of what he has contributed in the language.
On another occasion Rabindranath incorporated himself in the listing
of the communal act of 1935 and proved to side with the communal
people though he sheltered himself under the non-communal umbrella.
Despite portraying Rahamat Kabuliwala as a murderer he not only
portrayed the MUSLIMS as the murderer but also exposed his dirty mind
concerning the Muslims under British India. This is a passive display
and similar to that of what Shakespeare had done to the JEWS by
producing Shylock of MERCHANT OF VENICE.
Rabindranath was a superb tax collector from the MUSLIM peasants of
the former districts of Kushtia and Pabna. Is there any way to deny
this fact? Thousands of peasants were burdened by this ZAMIDAR
laureate poet for over a decade. Didn’t he make three-fold income of
his father’s estate? What did he do for these poor Bengali-speaking
MUSLIM people? Wasn’t he a blood-sucker poet?
Was Rabindranath a saint? Didn’t he pay money to the peasants and the
uneducated village persons for rampant search to obtain the scattered
verses of Lalan Fakir (former name was Lalan Chandra Saha)? Didn’t
Rabindranth possess a corrupt mind to procure those verses and modify
them to forward them as his original work? Didn’t he go through the
same smartness process through his production machine by reviving the
Persian verses in a new format? Hopefully this was not C++ language or
so, for the real time display both in Stockholm or Oslo and in the
CITY OF JOY. How many of us (referring to the Bengali-speaking people)
bother to probe this corruption of the poet laureate?
Why Rabindranath soured relationship with William Butler Yeats? Why
Rabindranath had to come close with William Rothenstein? What
Rabindranth had to do with Rothenstein other than the lobbying
business to obtain the Nobel Prize? What relationship Rabindranath had
with Andre Gide? How long this relationship lasted? What is the fair
answer for each of these questions?
What sort of philosopher Rabindranath was? Bertrand Russell had given
enough introductions about the philosophy of Rabindranath Tagore. What
was the opinion of the Chinese regarding the Bishwa-Kobi-Raj-Guru?
Indeed he had provided Tagorian Philosophy that is taught throughout
the world! This poet laureate generated an article entitled laboratory
that was coined after visiting relevant laboratories and listening to
Statistician Mahalanabish and Biologist-Physicist Jagadish Bose. What
stupid laboratory he talked about to the audience while his upper
chamber was unable to absorb the definition of p ? Didn’t he drop out
himself from the elementary school because of Mathematics? Bagful of
postcard poetry is enough for this poet laureate and forget about his
philosophy. To become a philosopher one needs some comprehension of
Mathematics. Just see Omar Khaiyyam, Sheikh Sa’adi, Bertrand Russell,
Baruch Spinoza, Immanuel Kant, and so on to list. ...
What is the quality of 400+ short stories of
Rabindranath Tagore except for a few? How many of them are remarkable
and striking for the mankind or society, in general? Can those be
compared with Mopassaunt? Why those are not chosen by the film
producers and directors for making wonderful movies – if they are so
good and healthy for the Bengali-speaking people? Why the film
producers are constantly hunting for the new stories and novels?
Again to note, Michael Modhusudan Dutt gave us 102 sonnets in a
sequence apart from a few other sonnets. Nevertheless, he is known as
the master of sonnet in the Bengali language. Bishwa- Kobi-Raj-Guru
has simply matched the total number of sonnets of Michael M. S. Dutt
regardless of the quality. Is there anything remarkable in these
sonnets? Which novel is striking in the global context? Is Ghorey
Bairey or Nauka Dubi famous enough? Yes, they are by the soil standard
not by the global standard. Ask Dhiraj Bhattacharyya (if he is alive)
how good those novels were? If Rabindranath Tagore is the only world
poet then why doesn’t he get some more recognition from the people who
adopted his poems as the national anthem of India and Bangladesh? How
come he is overlooked in India too? Doesn’t he have enough supporters
there?
The poet laureate was a HINDU in his mind but outward a member of the
BRAHMA SAMAJ. Nearly every year in his presence, his family house used
to host HINDU PUJAS such as MA DURGA, MA SARASWATI, MA KALI, and so
on. Why he kept quiet if he belonged to the BRAHAMA SAMAJ? Was he a
HINDU or a BRAHMA? Why this show-off business? Is it for fooling
around? If he was a BRAHMA then why he searched a BRAHMIN boy for his
daughter to become son-in-law? How come he didn’t find a non-BRAHMIN
BRAHMA? It appears that a BRAHMIN-MRAHMA was the most desirable for
him. Bogus illustrations of his religion practice were nothing but a
pseudo activity of the morals.If Rabindranath would have been alive
today he would see an independent BANGLADESH for which he would not
prefer to have citizenship. His disguise struggle against the majority
of the Bengali-speaking people was very efficient, and exposed a
cleverly manipulation. He also managed his hatred for the MUSLIMS in
the Kabuliwala brand short story. Why didn’t he choose SAKA HINDU in
the place of Rahmat Kabuli? Is it the reason that the SAKAS
were the TURKS (not HINDU standard Aryan) by origin but adopted the
HINDU culture and names when they invaded the sub-continent? The
clever chap, Rabindranath, was indeed a manipulator of the British
era. He never forgot to cash the cheque for his personal growth.
This poet laureate could have become a front runner of our freedom
struggle against the British. Rather he chose boot-polishing of the
British. His chamchagiri (being lieutenant) of the British is a world
famous activity. Who talks about it? Just see how nicely he adopted
the anglicized name Tagore instead of using THAKUR. Which
pronunciation is the closest to his spelled name in the
Bengali-language? ...
History tells us that Rabindranath’s forefather were notorious
side-taker during the down fall of Nawab Siraj-ud-dowla in 1757. The
major opponent of Siraj-ud-dowla within the territory of Polashy
(Plessy), district of Nadia, was Maharaja Krishna Chandra. He was
supported and financed by Rabindranath’s forefather while Varat
Chandra Roy (1712 – 1760) observed the scenario being a sova kobi of
Krishna Chandra’s court in the township of modern day Krishnanagar
(now in the district of Nadia in West Bengal). Krishna Chandra
obtained a large segment of the landed property for his extended
support to Robert Clive during the conspiracy days in 1756-1757
eras.
It may be noted that Krishna Chandra had a converted MUSLIM treasurer
(gomosta) whose descendents are still found in Bangladesh. At a later
date Krishnanagar town was named after him. Rabindranath’s forefather
was no saint either. They knew very well how to take side with the
British. If Rabindranath’s family (forefathers) were so much renowned,
then where they were when Ikhtiyaruddin Muhammad Bakhtiyar Khilji
invaded Bengali-speaking land in 1204? Were they in hibernation then
performing HINDUTWA in the caves across the Rarh (modern day in
Birbhum) Vumi? It is quite clear that Rabindranath’s family (both in
Pathurighata and Jorasanko) got upper hand during the emergence of the
British and also took part in the overthrow of Siraj-ud-dowla.
Participation in the social reform of Raja Ram Mohan Roy was a fooling
dogma.
Regarding Kazi Nazrul Islam’s writing in the form of a letter to
Bishwa-Kobi-Raj-Guru, he noted with strong criticism about the
behavior of the poet laureate. After that incident the poet laureate
dedicated a book to Kazi Nazrul Islam just days before his death in
August 1941. This arrogant poet laureate had difficulty in recognizing
other people’s expertise. Mohit Lal Majumdar and Dwijendra Lal Roy
were the two famous veterans against him. They showed the degree of
literacy of this poet laureate. Indeed Sonar Tori is next to
worthless. ...
Thakur is known very well in the world as 'Tagore' that his ancestors
voluntarily chose with the emergence of the British in the throne in
the then Bengal. This is a clear distortion of the family name having
no precise meaning. Changing and reformatting family name often bears
a precise meaning that the Nehru family (forefathers of Jawaharlal
Nehru) had from their ancestral name Kaul. The selection of Tagore was
made as if it was quite beneficial adjusting the Bengali pronunciation
Thakur (or Thakoor) to the convenience of the foreign ruler. Why
Thakur continued keeping this style of his name, particularly, while
writing in English, is also a great puzzle for the readers and
critiques. Of course, any foreign reader (non Bengali-speaking world)
only understands that his name was embedded with Tagore. What was the
rationality for overnight transition of the name Thakur to Tagore? Was
it not to please the Englishmen? Or, could there be any other sensible
explanation to this rubbish approach for any wise human? ...
The biography of Leo Tolstoy somewhat resembles Thakur's. By birth
Tolstoy was an aristocrat and he came from a noble origin. The
mentality of the Thakurs indicate that they were not noble people even
by Bengali-speaking standard of his religion or caste. Thakur searched
for Brahmin-Brahma candidates for match concerning the marriage of his
own children being a high-visible member of the Brahma Samaj founded
by Raja Ram Mohan Roy (1774 - 1833), a noted reformer of the Hindu
society. Brahma Samaj was primarily based on the non-caste system for
the Hindu origin people. Those ejected from the caste system among the
Hindus were asked to form a single society by Ram Mohan Roy in early
nineteenth century. The Thakurs belonged to the Brahma Samaj because
they went to England like Ram Mohan Roy and, thus, violated the norm
of the traditional Hindu Society. Thakur's grandfather, Dwarakanath
Thakur (1789 - 1878), was a phoney "prince" and he tried his best to
impress the Englishmen travelling to England by his own ship, and by
spending lavishly on Englishmen using the money he earned by
exploiting poor Bengali-speaking people. Thakur was also a fake saint
and a pretender of idealistic human. The difference is monumental if
one compares Thakur's lifestyle with Tolstoy's. Thakur exploited poor
peasants in Bengal and lived a grand life on their sweat and blood but
Tolstoy gave up his wealth, lived poorly with the peasants and as a
peasant. Tolostoy talked to them with mutual respect and praying with
them for the sins of the exploiters of mankind. He died of pneumonia
at Astropovo railway station in a freezing winter day having not a
single penny with him. His funeral remained mystery as he was found
one of the penny-less unidentified people. Talking about great men?
Many more examples of great men can be cited with the similar calibre
in the context of Thakur. Let us make no mistake and be aware of the
counterfeit saints.
Thakur is said to be a great philosopher. His philosophy, some sort of
natural pantheism, does not seem to be much deeper than some shallow
rivers of former East Bengal where he sailed most often to collect
rents from the poor. Bertrand Russell (1872 - 1970), the great
philosopher of the modern era, wrote after hearing Thakur's lecture on
'The realisation of Brahma': Here I am back from Tagore's lecture,
after walking most of the way home. It was unmitigated rubbish-
cut-and-dried conventional stuff about the river becoming one with the
Ocean and man becoming one with Brahma. The man is sincere and in
earnest but merely rattling old dry bones. I spoke to him before the
lecture afterwards I avoided him.' Russell had more such strong and
strenuous comments on Thakur and as quoted recently in the work of
Krishna Dutta and Andrew Robinson: 'I regret I can not agree with
Tagore. His talk about the infinite is ague nonsense. The sort of
language that is admired by many Indians unfortunately does not, in
fact, mean any thing at all.'
Those were very high scar-marks on Thakur's philosophy by the most
contemporary distinguished philosopher of his time. Takur's personal
religion and inconsistency of teaching and believing often put many
individual critiques in bewilderment. He was a member of the 'Brahma
Samaj' like his father and grandfather but he hardly could ever give
up Hinduism from the set-up of his mind that contradicted the concept
of Ram Mohan Roy. The Thakurs did many religious rituals at home that
were quite objectionable to Brahma faith that they claimed to be
belonged to. For example, they regularly performed 'Durga Puja' and
continued Idol worship' which were totally contradictory to the Brahma
faith.
As a member of the 'Brahma Samaj' Thakur could have found some
rationality in the monotheistic religions of the Middle-East such as
Islam or Christianity or Judaism rather than disdaining it, and
associating himself with the communal Hindus as he had quietly done
all through his life. Bankim Chandra Chatterjee (1838 - 1894) brought
high-ranking communalism in Bengali literature that propagated
discrimination and hatred against the Muslims. Instead of fighting
against it's spread out, Thakur joined the followers of the Bankim
gang and in someway peacefully enhanced their strength. When Muslim
community complained about ignoring them in Bengali literature by the
powerful Hindu writers, Thakur did not listen to their protest but
ridiculed them and wrote to one of his fans and relation: "The Muslims
complain these days that the Hindu writers express only their mental
state in (Bengali) literature. The only solution (to this problem)
could be to arrest each and every Hindu writer and convert him or her
to Muslim religion (by force). We are at the end of our days. Now the
burden would fall on your shoulders (to do it). The untouchables are
already determined for conversion (to Muslim faith). Soon your turn
would come. You better start reading Koran right now if you find any
translation of it at your hands." What a novel mentality of a genius?
Thakur's Noble Prize is also a matter of controversy. It does not mean
that he was not good enough or worthy of the prize. Many undeserving
people got Nobel Prize many a times. It is not the question of
qualification but his marketing strategy as a candidate of this prize.
He approached anybody to make his candidature strong and considerable.
Lobbying was the viable vehicle. It was also surprising that Yeats
(1865 - 1939) and Rothenstein (1845 - 1923), the two personalities,
who helped him most to advocate his case to win the Noble Prize in
1913 became unfriendly with Thakur in the long run. A great deal of
comprehensive analysis on his achieving Nobel Prize was presented in
Calcutta's Desh magazine during 1991 - 1992 period and also in an
early periodical from Bombay (Mumbai) during 1984 in India Today.
Thakur's political philosophy was equally controversial and
incredulous. He was a reactionary and that is what many believed and
the Chinese passed this unpleasant judgement on Thakur loudly and
clearly when he visited China in 1924. It is very interesting to note
that how his public lectures in China was marred by opposition and
hostile commentaries. It goes this way:
* We have suffered much from ancient Oriental civilisation, which
include discrimination between the sexes, the worship of Emperors,
oppression of the people, the feudal system, caste distinctions
and the blind observance of ceremony. We cannot but oppose
Dr.Tagore, who tries to uphold these useless and dead aspects of
our civilisation.
* Dr. Tagore shows a hearty sympathy with the Tung Shan Spiritual
Society, a contemptuous and vicious organisation in China which
combines Taoism and Buddhism. Dr. Tagore speaks of the 'Heavenly
Kingdom', 'Almighty God' and 'soul'. If these could remove us from
misery what would be the use of man'' endeavour to reform the
world? We oppose Dr. Tagore, who tries to stunt the growth of
self-determination and the struggle of the oppressed classes and
races.
The Chinese observation on Thakur's political, social, religious and
cultural philosophy was also in relevance with the Bengali-speaking
people or the Indian context. Thakur's constant endeavours to find out
solace and amity in rotten Indian mysticism must have been a great
puzzle to any rational critique. He had praised and firmly recognised
greatness of Western civilisation and culture at one hand but
nonetheless he himself practised and tried to impress others with
bogus and rotten old Indian Hindu philosophy.
During 1926 Thakur visited the City of New York and encountered a
barbershop to trim his beard and hair. This particular shop had
several Nobel Laureates for the same purpose visiting the City of New
York that included one of the contemporary scientists, Albert Einstein
(1879 - 1955). Thakur's behaviour was so erratic with this barber,
presumably overwhelmed with the supremacy of the super-caste Hindu
orthodox philosophy, that this barber noted him in his memoirs as an
uncultured and arrogant Nobel Fellow of the century. It reveals that
Thakur was lacking politeness outside the country where he might have
exercised championship that could be attributed to the Zamidar style.
Thakur's political sympathy was always with the upper caste Hindus. He
was the greatest writer in Bengali literature but like other communal
Hindus he ignored completely the Muslim or the Christian or the
Buddhist community of Bengal in his works. He considered them
'inferior' and he never did anything for their welfare either. He
earned his high living from former East Bengal, mostly from Muslim
peasants, and never contributed in building any school or college that
many other contemporary Hindu Zamiders did. Even Thakur had hardly
open any door for the non-Hindus in his University that took a
complete shape after his Nobel achievement. Rumour traces that Thakur
spent Nobel money to complete this University. Syed Mujtoba Ali (1905
- 1974) was an exceptional example who described himself on several
private and informal occasions as a rear-sitter pupil in Thakur's
class.
Gandu
> tell us what he would have thought about Bollywood,
> Aiswarya Rai, Gurdas Maan and Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan.
Fortunately for India, Gurudeb did not have time for
any of this turd!
nkdatta8839
> > remember Tagore to be as wary of ultra-religionists
> > as he was of ultra-nationalists. Tagore saw them
> > as the "narrow domestic walls" that serve to
>
>
> I have not finished reading the book so my comments may not be appropriate.
> The feeling I get after reading whatever I have read is that Tagore has
> shown just one major flaw in Gora that is of accepting varna nature of Hinduism.
> He is shown to be patriot and wants a Hindu resurgence.
> He is not shown to be anti muslim any where which comes as a surprise to me.
Tagore can be faulted more for omissions than
for commissions, in writing on themes with a Muslim
brand name. But here's what Dr. Mohammad Omar Farooq,
a Bangladeshi who teaches in USA, observed:
===================================================
Muslim themes in Tagore literature
..... Tagore is a "world poet", yet his heart and soul were rooted in
India. For non-Indians, reading him is altogether different. For the
Indians, it is easy to relate to the characters and imageries,
contexts and themes that are almost exclusively drawn from the
Indian/Hindu context. A Muslim, who is conscious about his own
identity, can relate to Rabindranath at the human as well as Indian
context, but is generally disappointed at the fact that Rabindranath's
wide world did not really have anything significant for Muslims to
relate to, even though Muslims and their history are interwoven with
India and its heritage. The void in this regard is accentuated by the
contrast with Nazrul who comfortably, consciously and generously drew
on both Muslim and Hindu themes. The comparison is not always fair,
but it is also sometimes unavoidable.
Last year, I was enriched through an extended discussion on
Rabindranath and Nazrul with Indian friend, Dr. Kaushik Sen. He sent
me one of Rabindranath's novels, Gora, which helped me, at least
partially, to begin my effort to better understand the world-poet's
perspective. The article, "Reflections on Tagore's Gora: Layers of
Ignorance and Voices Against Prejudice," in which how Muslim/Islamic
themes respectfully dealt with by Rabindranath has been highlighted.
This respectful approach can be better understood in the context that
"Tagore was predictably hostile to communal sectarianism (such as a
Hindu orthodoxy that was antagonistic to Islamic, Christian, or Sikh
perspectives)." Just a few months before his death, Rabindranath wrote
a powerful short story, "Musalmanir Golpo", in which the central
character was a Muslim girl, which might help many Muslims to better
relate to Rabindranath not only at a human and Indian level, but as
Muslims.
Amartya Sen noted that Rabindranath himself described his Bengali
family as the product of "a confluence of three cultures, Hindu,
Mohammedan and British. Rabindranath's grandfather, Dwarkanath, was
well known for his command of Arabic and Persian influences, and
Rabindranath grew up in a family atmosphere in which a deep knowledge
of Sanskrit and ancient Hindu texts was combined with an understanding
of Islamic traditions as well as Persian literature." Of course, much
of his devotional literary output is so generic or universalistic in
reference to faith that one has to be extremely narrow minded not to
appreciate the delightful, joyous and uplifting "offerings" of the
heart and soul of this mystical sage, whose expressions often have
transcended most narrow boundaries. .....
===================================================
nkdatta8839
> > remember Tagore to be as wary of ultra-religionists
> > as he was of ultra-nationalists. Tagore saw them
> > as the "narrow domestic walls" that serve to
>
>
> I have not finished reading the book so my comments may not be appropriate.
> The feeling I get after reading whatever I have read is that Tagore has
> shown just one major flaw in Gora that is of accepting varna nature of Hinduism.
> He is shown to be patriot and wants a Hindu resurgence.
> He is not shown to be anti muslim any where which comes as a surprise to me.
Will you explain why it came as a surprise?
Anti-Tagore incidents in Bangladesh have more to do with
ideological tussles within the country than with anything
anti-Muslim in Tagore's writings.
In fact, a Tagore song is the national anthem of
Muslim-majority Bangladesh.
Here's a BBC news report that gives an insight:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/1318991.stm
BBC News
Tuesday, 8 May, 2001, 12:12 GMT 13:12 UK
Bangladesh fears Tagore attacks
By Alastair Lawson in Dhaka
Police in Bangladesh have stepped up security at arts and cultural
centres associated with the revered Bengali author and poet
Rabindranath Tagore.
The authorities say that they fear the centres may be subjected to
bomb attacks by elements they describe as opposed to secular Bengali
culture.
Tuesday is the 140th anniversary of the birth of Tagore, whose name
means the same to many Bengalis as Shakespeare does to the English.
He is venerated for his poems, prose and song.
Secular legacy
Yet there are elements in the country who are opposed to Tagore's
largely secular legacy.
The government accuses hardline Islamic groups of venting their hatred
against Bengali culture by instigating a series of bomb blasts over
the last two years at cultural festivals.
Last month, 10 people were killed in a bomb attack while celebrating
Bengali new year in Dhaka.
The bomb went off as a musician was singing one of Tagore's songs.
In January, there was a similar bomb attack at a meeting of the
Bangladesh Communist Party in Dhaka.
Islamic groups
No-one has claimed responsibility for either of these attacks, but a
poem published in most newspapers on Tuesday by one of the country's
most celebrated writers, Shamsur Rahman, strongly hints that radical
Islamic groups are to blame.
Written in the form of a open letter to Rabindranath Tagore, the poem
bemoans the undermining of Bengali culture and arts by intolerant
elements.
Mr Rahman said in an interview with the BBC that Rabindranath Tagore's
legacy was being attacked and must be resisted.
The emotions stirred in Bangladesh at the mention of Tagore's name to
some extent go to the heart of the debate about the country's future.
There is much discussion as to whether Bangladesh will assume a more
overtly Islamic character, or whether it will continue to take pride
in Bengali culture and traditions over and above religious sentiment.
nkdatta8839
> > remember Tagore to be as wary of ultra-religionists
> > as he was of ultra-nationalists. Tagore saw them
> > as the "narrow domestic walls" that serve to
>
>
> I have not finished reading the book so my comments may not be appropriate.
> The feeling I get after reading whatever I have read is that Tagore has
> shown just one major flaw in Gora that is of accepting varna nature of Hinduism.
> He is shown to be patriot and wants a Hindu resurgence.
Gora is the protaganist for a resurgent Hinduism.
For most of the novel, he debates with a passion
and skill that would have been envied by any 21st
century proponent of what is being referred to as
Hindutva.
While Gora is indeed the hero of the novel, his
views are at variance with that of the novelist.
The novelist's views are more in keeping with those
of Sucharita, Lalita, Anandamayee, Binay and, last
but not the least, of Paresh. But none of them are
even a fraction as articulate as the redoubtable
Gora.
Paresh's views are the very antithesis of those of
Gora. But his most noteworthy characteristic is his
patience with views that differ from his own. Winning
debating points at any cost is just not his style.
But his converstaions with daughter Sucharita give a
fair idea about his views. If he is a critic of Hindu
orthodoxy, it is only because he wants Hinduism to be
freed of the bondage of institutionalized fetters,
acquired over the millennia, that are holding it back.
Paresh respects the rights of others to disgaree with
him. And Paresh has enough self-confidence to hope
that the "other" side will eventually discover the
"right path" on its own.
In a sense, Paresh's predicament mirrored Tagore's who
managed to displease the Hindu revivalist and the Adi
Brahmo Samaj alike by the publication of Gora. It is as
if Tagore could foresee even before he wrote Gora that
not only was it not possible for Paresh to win heated
debates, but that he was destined to be reviled by the
debators on either side.
It must have pained Tagore to realize that all too
often a Gresham's law operates in society that allows
fanatical orthodoxy to elbow out rational liberalisms.
In Gora, Tagore allows "the meek to inherit the earth"
in the end when Gora comes to know of the secret of
his birth. The story ends with the simplicity and
strength of a fairy tale. Gora must now change, and for
the better, because he can now longer be part of the
social order he had championed dogmatically, and with
passion, for so long.
Perhaps this was Tagore's way to create a win-win
situation. But in the end Gora's publication pleased
neither the Hindu revivalists nor the Adi Brahmo Samaj.
Vishal
> of Sucharita, Lalita, Anandamayee, Binay and, last
> but not the least, of Paresh. But none of them are
> even a fraction as articulate as the redoubtable
> Gora.
>
I have finally finished reading the book.
what a book!
I think Gora has to be looked in a very different way than what I
would
call a normal Hindu fundamentalist.
Tagore excels in bringing life to his character and specially his
women characters.
Anandamayee shown as a normal women would be greater than any of the
intellectuals.
Her belief that people are above religion or caste is very greatly
shown by Rabindranath.
The characters of suchitra and lalita are what Rabindranath would have
thought of Indian women.
I started the book with a preconceived notion that Rabindranth would
show Gora as a fundamentalist but the book goes beyond that.
I would now read all the books of Tagore.
The other book which was great was Ghar Bahire but that was way back.
Any other book you can recommend?
Subhajit Sen
> Any other book you can recommend?
I think Tagore's(or Rabindranath Thakur as he is known in Bengal/Bangladesh)
short stories are also great. Among the ones, I have liked since
my childhood days is: "Samanya Kshati". Another story which became
a celebrated dance-drama is "Chandalika" set in the time of Gautam Buddha.
Now that you have mentioned Gora,I must read it!
Best wishes
Subhajit
(PS. I must confess that it is somewhat hard to read Tagore these days,
given that neither India or the World have woken into the "heaven
of freedom" that he had prayed for!).
nkdatta8839
In my opinion, Tagore was a greater author of short stories
than of novels.
Readers will definitely enjoy William Radice's translations
Of Tagore's works.
Professor William Radice is with the University of London's
famous School of African and Oriental Studies. He is the
Head of Department of the Languages and Cultures of South Asia.
His publications on Bengali literature include two volumes of
translations for Penguin Modern Classics: Rabindranath Tagore:
selected poems (1985) and Rabindranath Tagore: selected short stories
(1991).
In 1994 Hodder Headline published his Teach yourself Bengali, and he
has recently completed a new translation: Particles, jottings, sparks:
the collected brief poems of Rabindranath Tagore.
William's translation, "Rabindranath Tagore: selected
short stories (1991)" covers the translation of short
stories that Tagore wrote in the 1890s:
=================================================
Selected Short Stories : Rabindranath Tagore
tr. William Radice
Pp. 322; Penguin Books
Year of Pub: 1991, Revised Ed. 1994
ISBN: 0-14-018854-1
"Poet, novelist, painter and musician, Rabindranath Tagore (1861-1941)
is the grand master of Bengali culture, and in the 1890s he
concentrated on creating a new form, the short story. Many of his best
stories were written during a period of relative isolation spent
managing his family's estates in the riverlands of Bengal and they
have been acclaimed as vivid portraits of Bengali life and landscapes,
brilliantly polemical in their depiction of peasantry and gentry,
casteism, corrupt officaldom and dehumanizing poverty. Yet Tagor is
first and foremost India's supreme Romantic poet, and in these stories
he can be seen reaching beyond mere documentary realism towards his
own profoundly original vision.
This edition includes a full introduction, selected letters and a
glossary.." -
back cover of the book.
=================================================
Another noteworthy translation of Tagores short
stories can be found in the following:
Selected Short Stories of Rabindranath Tagore
ed. Sukanta Chaudhuri, Oxford, Pp:322, ISBN: 123-456-7890
This recent publication is edited by Sukanta Chaudhuri. Sankha Ghosh,
the noted scholar and writer, is the advisory editor who helped select
the stories. This work attempts to capture the whole range of
Rabindranath's short stories by selecting 26 of them, starting from
The Ghat's Story (ghaaTer kathaa), written in his early 20's and
beautifully translated by Supriya Chaudhuri, to The Laboratory
(lyaabareTari), a remarkable story written in the last year of his
life and The Story of a Mussalmani (musalamaanir galpa), first
published years after his death. It may be mentioned that 6 of these
stories, The Exercise-Book (khaataa), A Single Night (ekaraatri), The
Living and the Dead (jIbita o mR^ita), Kabuliwala (kaabilioYaalaa),
Grandfather (Thaakuradaa), and Hungry Stone (kShudhita paashhaaN), are
also to be found in Radice's selection.
nkdatta88839
> "> > Actually what I am really interested to know is why Rabindranth
> > considered Hindu nationalism as dangerous?
>
May the following enlighten thy Hindoo soul:
A NEW REVISION OF GITANJALI
by: Rathindranath Ghost.
While eating Pepperoni at Jora Shako.
Where mind is without fear of the Bengali Muslims
and the head is held higher than the Ashoka Pillars,
Where knowledge, food and cheap wine is free,
Where the world of Hinduism and Our Secular Pretensions
has not been broken into fragments of narrow domestic walls,
Where tireless strivings to be a Secular-Hindu
stretches it's arms towards perfection,
Where the clear stream of irrationality has not lost it's
way into the dreary desert sand of good reason,
Where mind is lead backward to thee into ever widening
caste-mindedness and inter-communal hatred,
In that heaven of freedom, Bhagwan, let all of us --
your chosen Bengali Hindus, awake.
*** Dedicated to the Bengali Hindus of India, their
Hinducized Bengali Muslim Slaves and their
diasporic cousins overseas of both Bengali Hindu
and Hinducized Bengali Muslim Gharana.
********************************************