Beyond his creative output, Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore was a deeply insightful thinker, according to historian Ramachandra Guha. While speaking at the Twenty Third Rosalind Wilson Memorial lecture at India International Centre on Tuesday, Guha spoke on the non-fictitious writings of Tagore.
“We have a habit of parochialism and Tagore has been subjected to this...my own discovery of Tagore started at a railway station where I picked up a book Truth Called them Differently — Tagore-Gandhi Controversy. Then I read more and more,” he said.
Guha in his talk mentioned about the travel experiences of Tagore and his criticism of political developments in India during the freedom struggle, “provoking his most insightful remarks on politics”.
“There were four events which provoked Tagore to reflect on the politics. First was the Swadeshi Movement, World War I, Mahatma Gandhi’s Non-Cooperative Movement and Second World War. But mainly the first three had major affect on his understanding,” he said.
Guha said Tagore wrote to his friend, “Sometimes I detect in myself a background where two opposite forces are constantly in nexus — one taking me to peace and cessation of strife, the other engaging me to battle.” Guha said, “Tagore was against any action that could lead to hatred against the people of other country.” He said his idea of dealing with oppressing powers like Europe was to take the best from it.
Guha quoted Tagore from his book Nationalism highlighting that he always was of the opinion to absorb the best from the developed nations in order to come forward.
“While he supported Gandhi even before having met him, he criticised Gandhi over the Non Cooperative Movement. He said I would never support spreading fire from one house to other,” Guha added.
Guha said while Tagore had great love for his country and culture, he respected and believed in the idea of humanity.
“Patriotism should not be the final spiritual shelter. As long as I live, I will never allow patriotism triumph over humanity,” he further added.
He spoke about Tagore’s liking for Japan and United States of America for not participating in the First World War. “He went to these countries to convey to them that over powering weaker nations is futile but both the countries refused his ideas,” he mentioned.
Renowned jurist and former Attorney-General of India Soli Sorabjee shared the dais.