5 incredible beliefs held by literary great Rabindranath Tagore
Outside the Bengali community in West Bengal and Bangladesh, Rabindranath Tagore is predominantly known as a great poet and the first Asian to win the Nobel Prize. This great personality was a living example of modernity. He was looked at as someone ahead of his time. On his 161st birth anniversary, let's take a look at why Tagore is still revered.
Spirituality
Tagore never believed in any religious institution. He believed that organized religions are barriers to communal harmony. According to Tagore, humanity and divinity are like the two sides of the same coin. The liberalism of Brahmo Samaj initiated by Raja Ram Mohan Roy influenced Tagore significantly as it was a fusion of all religions. His spiritual ideas can be found in his literary works.
Education
Rabindranath Tagore was known for his strong dislike of conventional education at schools. Several of his literary works also express his displeasure. He conceived a new type of university in Santiniketan, Visva Bharati, in order to create a world center for humanity studies beyond the limits of nations. Students here received personal guidance from gurus on the emotional, intellectual, and spiritual fronts.
Politics
Tagore wrote many songs praising the independence movement. Although he was against the Imperial rule of India and supported Indian nationalists, he did not appreciate the strongly nationalist forms of the independence movement and wanted to proclaim India's right to be independent without denying the fact that India could learn from the West. This expression angered many and he once narrowly escaped being assassinated.
Renouncing Knighthood
Several literary works of Tagore had been translated into English before World War I, and after the war ended, he was offered a knighthood by the royalty. But after the Jallianwala Bagh massacre on April 13, 1919, Tagore renounced his title to protest against the British military. His decision was applauded by Indian politicians and the Congress party.
Philosophy and Internationalism
Our national anthem was penned by Rabindranath Tagore, an internationalist who believed in the concept of World Brotherhood, or universal peace. He believed that the problems of humanity could be solved with the unification of mankind and world peace between the East and the West. He did not believe in man-made distinctions like caste and color.
