Tagore has sharply criticized extremist nationalism in his book ‘Nationalism’ (1917) and said, it is never possible to establish true humanism with a fierce nationalist spirit.
।। Majhar Mannan।।
Rabindranath Tagore is the poet whose writings have enriched all branches of Bengali literature and opened up new horizons of creativity. This great poet of Bengali literature was born in Calcutta on 7 May in 1861. He was simultaneously a poet, a rhymer, a novelist, a composer, a playwright, a painter, a short story writer, an essayist, a vocalist, a philosopher, and a creative humanist. His 52 books of poetry, 38 plays, 13 novels, 95 short stories, 36 essays and 1915 songs have taken Bengali literature to a unique height. This great poet has painted about 2000 pictures. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature for his book Gitanjali in 1913. He has perfected Bengali literature through poetry, short stories, essays and numerous songs. Rabindranath Tagore has made the Bengali nation known internationally through his unique creations.
In 1901 he established the Brahmacharyashram at Santiniketan in West Bengal. In 1905 he became involved in the anti-partition movement. In 1915, the British government awarded him the title of Knight but in 1919 he returned the title in protest of the Jallianwalabagh massacre. In 1921, he set up an organization called Sriniketan for rural development. He preached the message of brotherhood through his sharp writing. In his literature, human love, love for country, love for nature, cosmopolitanism and the sense of beauty have been described in a very beautiful and perfect way. As a means of social welfare, he advocated for educating the poor people of the village. He protested against social discrimination, religious orthodoxy and bigotry in his literature. His songs continue to play a unique role in promoting humanism. The main theme of his poetry is the sadness of the human heart, joy, and love of humanity. Rabindranath Tagore’s ‘Balaka’ (1916) was a great manifestation of the humanism that was written after the outbreak of the First World War.
Rabindranath Tagore has written about various contemporary problems of women in his various poems and has highlighted them with the stroke of a perfect pen. In both his Purabi (1925) and Mahua (1929) books of poetry, humanism is eloquently expressed and love is perfectly described here. Rabindranath Tagore was the first successful short story writer in Bengali literature and the way he portrayed humanism in his short stories was not possible for any other writer. He has given more prominence to the intellectual analysis of psychological conflicts in his short stories. His novel, Chokher Bali, explores the problems of widows’ lives in contemporary times and seeks to address them. Rabindranath Tagore in the novel Naukadubi highlights complex family conflicts or problems and gives them an aesthetic form. In his novel Gora, he deals with the conflict between Hindus and Brahmo Samaj, social and political conflicts and other issues in a way that no other poet-writer has been able to do, and at the same time he has promoted world humanism. Rabindranath Tagore has perfectly illustrated the complex nature of relationship between men and women in his novel ‘Ghore- Byre’ and ‘Jogajog’ and has shown how to establish true humanism.
He has sharply criticized extremist nationalism in his book ‘Nationalism’ (1917) and said, it is never possible to establish true humanism with a fierce nationalist spirit. The lectures he gave on philosophy at Oxford University, compiled as the Religion of Man (1935), are truly a great example of humanism. The main element of Rabindranath’s writing is human, humanity and humanism. ‘Kabuliwala’ reflects Rabindranath’s worldly human consciousness and echoes the tune of universal humanity. He has given an artistic and universal form of human affection and love in his literature and has proved that the field of humanism is above all caste, religion, race, country, etc. He paints a grim picture of dowry in his short stories Dena-Pawna, Thakurda, Ponrakkha, and how a housewife is driven to death by dowry. Rabindranath Tagore has portrayed the tragic consequences of dowry on Haimanti’s life in a very artistic way and has shown the fragility of a corrupt society. In his book Aparajita, Rabindranath Tagore paints a grim picture of the inhuman behavior of greedy people and their ugly appearance. The pain of the humiliation of humanity is embodied in the story of Rakanaier Nibuddhita. Poet Rabindranath Tagore reacts sharply against social injustice in his story Bicharok. Rabindranath Tagore has condemned the kind of society in which men insult the dignity of women and again they play role as judge. He has always protested against the unscrupulous society and advocated for the sake of humanity. He was anti-imperialist and in his story ‘Megh O Roudra’ he condemned the brutality of the British bureaucracy. He protested against the tyranny of the rulers, judges and landlords in his literature.
He has written with a strong hand against race and caste discrimination and social inequality. In his story ‘Laboratory’ he beautifully illustrates how racism and apartheid can lead a society to the brink of destruction. In this story, he speaks out against caste system and breaks the caste system with his sharp writing. In his story ”Musulmani” story, he paints a picture of how poor people were harmed and humanity was ruined as a result of the introduction of the permanent settlement system during British ruling. He preached in his literature the philosophy of secularism and cosmopolitan which was one of the driving forces of humanism. Humanist poet Rabindranath Tagore wrote in defense of women’s dignity and continued his writing until the last moment of his life in establishing women’s rights. He vehemently opposed the dowry, co-death, widowhood, polygamy and other harmful issues which tarnish the dignity of women in the society. The main theme of his short stories was the liberation of women. In his story, Rabindranath Tagore portrays Kadambini in a way that truly illustrates the negative aspects of male dominated society.
He talks about the emancipation of women in his book ‘Khata’ and ‘Wife’s Letter’. According to him, humanism is the greatest religion. Rabindranath Tagore was not like the traditional landlords. He was a social reformer and he took various steps for the welfare of the people and he was called the true advocate of humanism. Humanism and human love for human beings are the main tenets of Rabindra philosophy and literature.
He has made equal contributions in all branches of Bengali literature and at the same time he has established himself in the hearts of the people by promoting universal humanism. He gave guidelines in his literature on how disadvantaged people can establish their rights in society. He has taught his readers how to protest and stand up against injustice and has inspired his readers to sing for humanity all the time.
Poet Rabindranath Tagore’s teachings on humanism will inspire people from generation to generation and the Bengali nation will always remember him.
The writer is Assistant Professor, B A F Shaheen College, Kurmitola, Dhaka Cantonment.
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