The 70th death anniversary of Nobel laureate poet Rabindranath Tagore, who reshaped the Bangla literature in late 19th and early 20th century, will be observed in the country today.
Tagore, the first non-European litterateur who won the Nobel prize in 1913, was a poet, playwright, novelist, educationist, social reformer, artist and music composer. He wrote the national anthems of Bangladesh and India. In music, he created a genre of his own called the Tagore Songs.
The country’s socio-cultural organisations will observe the day with sessions of his songs, recitation of his poems and discussions on his life and work.
The Bangladesh Nationalist Party chairperson, Khaleda Zia, also the leader of the opposition in the parliament, on the occasion, in a message, said that Rabindranath had immense influence on the life of the people of Bangladesh. His works have not only enriched the Bangla literature but have also projected it to the outside world.
Marking Tagore’s death anniversary, Shilpakala Academy will arrange a discussion and cultural function at 10am. Academy director general, Liakat Ali Lucky, will preside over the function.
Bangla Academy will hold a lecture and cultural function in its seminar room at 11am on August 7. Professor Karunamoy Goswami will deliver the lecture titled ‘Real life in Rabindranath’s symbolic drama’.
Academy director general Shamsuzzaman Khan will deliver the welcome address, while academy chairman Kabir Chowdhury will preside over the programme.
Rabindranath was born on May 7, 1861 (Baishakh 25, 1268) at Thakurbari of Jorasanko in Kolkata, and died on August 7, 1941 (Sraban 22, 1348) at the age of 80.
This year, the death anniversary of Tagore will, however, be observed in West Bengal on Sunday as the Bangla calendar in use in Bangladesh was changed in 1988 in line with a modification done by a Bangla Academy committee headed by Dr Muhammad Shahidullah in 1963.
A towering figure in Bangla literature, he had enriched Bangla culture and literature for more than six decades with more than 2,500 songs, 28 collections of poems, plays, dance dramas, short stories, novels and essays.
In 1919 Tagore renounced his knighthood, which was conferred on him by British government in 1915 in recognition of his literary achievements, protesting at the massacre at Jallianwallah Bagh.
In 1940, Oxford University arranged a special ceremony at Santiniketan to honour the poet with the Doctorate of Literature.
Tagore founded the Visva-Bharati University and modernised Bengali art by spurning rigid classical forms.
Newspapers will bring out special supplements on Tagore’s work and life. The electronic media will air special programmes, including soirees, recitation from his poems, discussions, film shows and dramas scripted or based on Tagore’s stories.
-With New Age input
