10/08/2020 - History | GS I

IAS Parliament 4 years

KEY POINTS

Various contributions

· During partition of Bengal, Rabindranath Tagore wrote the song Banglar Mati Banglar Jol (Soil of Bengal, Water of Bengal) to unite the Bengali population. He started the Rakhi Utsav where people from Hindu and Muslim communities tied colourful threads on each other’s wrists. In 1911, the two parts of Bengal were reunited.

· He wrote most of his pieces in his mother tongue. He used his literature as mobilization for political and social reform, hence allowing other nations to be aware and further apply international pressure to Britain to be accountable for its actions. He documented everything that would expose Britain’s true intentions in India.

· On receiving the news about Jallianwala Bagh, he tried to arrange a protest in Calcutta (now Kolkata) and finally denounced the knighthood as an act of protest.

· As one of the earliest educators to think in terms of the global village, Rabindranath Tagore’s educational model has a unique sensitivity and aptness for education within multi-racial, multi-lingual and multi-cultural situations, amidst conditions of acknowledged economic discrepancy and political imbalance.

· He felt that a curriculum should revolve organically around nature with classes held in the open air under the trees to provide for a spontaneous appreciation of the fluidity of the plant and animal kingdoms, and seasonal changes.

Aradhana Tiwari 4 years

India’s National Movement for freedom was accompanied by a large wave of social, educational and economic awareness throughout the nation. Rabindranath Tagore, one of the foremost thinkers in the country at the time spent in building educational infrastructure. A man of true talent, his contribution to the freedom movement is significant.

>>> Following are the events that are evident in showing his contributions to the freedom struggle;

- His role during Bengal partition,1905 : When the British govt played a card of "divide and rule" in India, during that time, he wrote the song "Banglar Mati Banglar Jol (Soil of Bengal, Water of Bengal)"- to unite the Bengali population. He also started the "Rakhi Utsav"- where people from Hindu and Muslim communities tied colourful threads on each other’s wrists. Thus, in 1911, the two parts of Bengal were reunited.

- Literary works as weapons : Tagore, unlike most of the other freedom fighters of his time, exposed the depravity of the British rule through poetry and literary works. He owns the title "Viswa Kavi or poet of the world" . He used his literature as mobilization for political and social reform.

- Role in Jalianawalabagh : The Jallianwala Bagh massacre even in its centenary year brings out the same vivid experience of trauma felt on April 13, 1919. The incident completely altered the political scenario and composition of India fighting against the British govt. The event caused many moderate Indians loyal to the British rule to abandon their loyalty to embrace nationalist values and grow distrustful of British. He himself finally denounced the title "knighthood" as an act of protest. His actions against the cruel act also awakened the non-violent stand against the colonial rule.

- Going against conventional Western education : Tagore was against conventional classroom education. He believed that interaction with nature is essential for learning. He remodelled education as a holistic development process where teachers would be more like mentors guiding students towards emotional, intellectual and spiritual upliftment. For this he founded, "Visva-Bharati" means the communion of the world with India- which became a central university. He also wanted his students’ view of society to be informed by internationalism, humanism and universal brotherhood.