Correo Uruguayo has issued a stamp commemorating Rabindranath Tagore's 150th birth anniversary. Rabindanath Tagore (1861-1941) was a famous Bengali poet, novelist, musician, painter and playwright who reshaped Bengali literature and music.
As author of Gitanjali and its "profoundly sensitive, fresh and beautiful verse", he was the first non-European who was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1913. His poetry in translation was viewed as spiritual, and this together with his mesmerizing persona gave him a prophet-like aura in the west. His "elegant prose and magical poetry" still remain largely unknown outside the confines of Bengal.
The stamp, issued also to commemorate the INDIPEX 2011 in New Delhi, illustrates the portrait of Rabindranath Tagore, the flags of Uruguay and India and the logo of INDIPEX 2011.
Posts
INCLUDE PAKISTAN IN RABINDRANATH TAGORE'S 150TH BIRTHDAY JOINT ANNIVERSARY PROGRAMMES.
ReplyDeleteUNESCO declared 2011 as the year of Rabindranath Tagore and his 150th birth anniversary were celebrated all across the globe including Germany, Japan, Italy, Russia and China. Bangladesh and India had arranged a year-long joint commemorative programmes both at government and non-governmental levels. However, nothing was heard from Pakistan.
Ironically, Tagore's writing became an indicator of tolerance of a society. Tagore's writing was banned and burned in Nazi-occupied Europe, Fascist Italy and Imperial Japan. Tagore was once banned in Communist Russia and China. Tagore became a target from all directions in pre-1971 Pakistan. Finally in 1971, Tagore became a matter of 'life and death' in Pakistan Army occupied Bangladesh. Pakistan's fury knew no bound when the Bangladesh (Mujib Nagar) Government-in-Exile adopted 'Amar Sonar Bangla' as the National Anthem of Bangladesh (May 1971). Tagore experts at Universities were selectively targeted and killed by the Pakistan Army and Al-Badr gangs. I remember my mother tore pages from a thick book and threw into oven fire during a house to house search in old Dhaka by Pakistan Army (probably October/November 1971) --- a (Tagore's) volume was mistakenly not destroyed till then.
State-sponsor manipulation of religion is nothing new in Pakistan. But during 1980's the military rulers in Pakistan adopted a US plan funded (mainly) by Saudi Arabia --- the radicalisation of the society and defence forces (to subdue the communist Russia in Afghanistan and neighbouring countries). Over the years radical and militant ideas rooted deeply in Pakistan society. Civil society, media and intellectuals seems cowed into submission and radical jihadist become uncontrollable for its creators. Nuclear armed Pakistan's trajectory is now defined by the radicals. This cause panic in US and rest of the world. Now the US has came up with 'de-radicalisation' plan which include the promotion of Sufism (Sufi teachings, Sufi music, Sufi Universities etc.). Many doubt if 'Sufi therapy' would work for Pakistan at this late stage but there is no harm in trying it. The core of Sufism --- peace, love, tolerance, enlightenment --- and Tagore's philosophy are essentially the same. Like the Sufis, Tagore has message for the soul.
So, I request the Bangladesh and Indian governments and non-governmental cultural organizations to include Pakistan in their joint celebrations of Rabindranath Tagore's 150th birth anniversary and beyond.
M. Emad.
Oxford, UK.