‘The objective of education is the freedom of mind which can only be achieved through path of freedom.’ Rabindranath Tagore
Whenever we talk about the freedom struggle in India or while we celebrate Independence Day every year, the focus is mostly on those who fought or stood against the colonial rule. So, I could not let go off the chance of travelling in a different coach and write about someone, who was not completely against the British. Though I might sound anti – national right now, by the time you finish reading, I hope a different viewpoint would emerge.
Rabindranath Tagore or Kabiguru, the first Nobel Laureate from Asia has been praised and criticized for his philosophy, beliefs and opinions. When he said, ‘I will not buy glass for the price of diamonds and I will never allow patriotism to triumph over humanity’, people branded him as pro - English. His social status also supported this accusation. When I read Ghare Baire (Home and the World), I realized what he meant by humanity and patriotism. For a poor farmer or a villager burning foreign clothes and declining to work in English factories could only leave his family without food for days. His belief of accepting and adapting best from both the worlds (east & west) was portrayed by most of his fictional characters. My question to all- Aren’t we doing the same thing today? Many argue today that Tagore wrote Jana Gana Mana in praise of King George V, which was first sung on December 27, 1911 on his arrival to India. But the poet had mentioned something else in his letter to his friend Pulin Behari Sen. I fail to understand the disagreement over a song, which thoroughly speaks more about this country than anything else.
He believed that one should first liberate one’smind and faith from dogmatic traditions and stagnant norms to realize its true worth in relation to Nature. For him, a nation’s as well as an individual’s destiny lies in its hands; no one can alter its fate. His songs, poems, fiction, dance drama and essays- all represent the essence of the poet’s vision, i.e. emancipation of thought. To understand him better, you should know hischildhood. It’s a fact that he didn’t receive any formal education because he couldn’t accept sitting in classrooms. His first poem was of three lines on the action of water droplets falling on tree leaves, which he wrote during one of his many escapades from school.
According to him, learning is an involuntary process that takes place in the harmony of Nature, universe and humanity. It might sound very philosophical but in a layman’s term, we learn more from experience rather than books and classrooms. That is what the whole world is speaking these days.
Belonging to a Brahmo family had made him appreciate all those ideas which were considered bohemian in the contemporary period. Women in his family were educated, engaged in various creative fields and even travelled alone to stay in England. One of his biggest critics was his sister-in-law. This familiarity somehow inspired him to create such unforgettable women characters in his fiction or drama, who are mentioned, followed and adapted till today. Brahmo Samaj didn’t believe in idol worship, so he found his muse in everything that was present around him. That in a way made all his works immortal and relevant in all times. Another tenant of this sect was humanism over everything; it rejected the idea of class, caste and religious divide. This could be a major reason behind his support to western thoughts and some of the decisions made by the English rule.
While writing on Kabiguru, one cannot miss his thoughts on education and especially on the Indian education system.
‘Don’t limit a child to your own learning, for he was born in another time’
After being in the field of education for some time and having an adolescent nephew at home, I can comprehend the meaning of this quote. I believe it’s a universal problem among all grownups who consider themselves smarter and more responsible than the youngsters. He asked all to believe and respect their children and provide the right atmosphere for their emotional and psychological growth; studies, career, etc will follow eventually. In one of his essays, he mentioned that everything would come to an individual but according to his/her capacity. There is no point in over- burdening a kid with parents’ aspirations. If we could follow this, the rate of students committing suicide or living in depression would reduce. He always searched his inspiration in Nature and wanted to give the same to the future generations. So, he established Shantineketan- a confluence of education and culture, where education was not bound within four walls of the classroom.
Rabindranath Tagore is not just a poet or a writer, he was an institution in himself - so I don’t think I could justice to his stature in a few words. But I could say this - Whenever I read about him, his novels or watched movies adapted from his works, I always find peace within myself and an inspiration to do something different.
So Happy Reading…
Swagata Ghosh, Ph.D
Assistant Professor
Dept. of English
Kumaraguru College of Liberal Arts & Science
Coimbatore, India