The Nobel laureate has succinctly exposed the malaise that has permeated the central university with the statement that “a big gap exists between the Santiniketan culture and that of the Visva-Bharati vice-chancellor, empowered as he is by the central government in Delhi, with its growing control over Bengal”.
Through Visva-Bharati, Tagore envisioned a creative and ethical way of living. The task of translating the idea into reality was never easy. During the final years of his life Tagore repeatedly voiced his profound anxieties regarding the future of his institution. On 2 February 1940 he wrote to Mahatma Gandhi: 'Visva-Bharati is like a vessel which is carrying the cargo of my life's best treasure and I hope it may claim special care from my countrymen for its preservation.'
Visva-Bharati was founded during a crucial phase in the history of the modern world. It was Tagore's response to the problem of nationalistic chauvinism and violence. Through his experimental institution, he introduced his idea of ethical education that stressed the value of unity, inclusivity and cooperation. The idea holds true in today's world where divisive ideologies are on the rise again.
Tagore scholarship has two aims. One, it should bring out the history of Tagore's life and the historical context of his works. It must be a contribution to the history of literature. Two, it is meant to explain and interpret Tagore's creations so that they are better understood and appreciated and made relevant in our contemporary context. Reading on Tagore should lead to reading Rabindranath Tagore himself
Officiating Vice-Chancellor of Visva-Bharati university Prof Sabujkali Sen today said the institution, which had been functioning with Acting VCs for…
In a letter to Mahatma Gandhi, Rabindranath Tagore likened his educational experiment at Santiniketan to a vessel carrying the cargo…
Actor Priyanka Chopra's production house has approached the Visva-Bharati to help them in the making of a Marathi-Bengali biopic on…
