Rabindraprasanga 2 by Chittaranjan Bandyopadhyay [Hardcover]

Countless books have been written about Rabindranath Tagore in numerous languages. However, Rabindra-Prasanga is a completely different kind of book. It is a compilation of reports and news articles about the poet’s life and thoughts, originally published in Anandabazar Patrika during his lifetime. This collection brings together both well-known and lesser-known, seemingly trivial yet historically significant pieces of news—each shedding new light on different aspects of Tagore’s life.

These reports, sent from both India and abroad, were written in the warmth of Rabindranath’s presence, a warmth that still seems palpable today. Initially, this collection was planned as a three-volume set. However, due to the sheer abundance of material, it was later expanded to four volumes. This second volume covers the period from March 1932 to December 1941, marking the final phase of Tagore’s life—a period of immense significance and depth.

This era was not only eventful in Tagore’s personal life but also momentous in both Indian and international politics. Europe was witnessing the rise of fascism under Hitler and Mussolini, China and Japan were engaged in a prolonged war, and the brutality of World War II deeply affected the poet’s sensitive soul. Meanwhile, pre-independence India was torn apart by political strife—Round Table Conferences, draft constitutions, the Poona Pact, communal divisions, oppression of political prisoners, ideological conflicts between Gandhi and Subhas Chandra Bose, Bose’s expulsion from the Congress, and internal rifts within Bengal’s Congress leadership.

All these turbulent events left their mark on both Tagore’s personal life and his literature. His writings were accused of communal bias, and in some places, even the celebration of his birth anniversary was banned. The poet took up his pen to defend himself against these allegations and became a vocal advocate for the release of political prisoners, often finding himself overwhelmed by the pressures of the time. Yet, amidst these challenges, he continued to lead Visva-Bharati forward, establishing Hindi Bhavan, China Bhavan, Samskar Samiti, and Lokshiksha Samsad. At the same time, Visva-Bharati faced severe financial crises, forcing Tagore to appeal to the public and national leaders for support.

This period also saw the culmination of his literary works, new dimensions in his musical philosophy, and an extraordinary flourishing of his artistic expressions. During this eventful decade, numerous small and large reports on Tagore were published in Anandabazar Patrika, each serving as a priceless document of contemporary history. These reports have been meticulously compiled and categorized into five thematic sections in this volume: "Birth Anniversary Celebrations," "Visva-Bharati," "Music, Theatre, and Cinema," "Painting," and "Nation, Society, and Government."

The authenticity of news published in an established newspaper is beyond question. None of these accounts are based on personal recollections or gathered from secondary or tertiary sources. Instead, they present a sequential, subject-based micro-history of contemporary events from Tagore’s life. Recognizing the significance of these historical records, no changes have been made to the original headlines, punctuation, or sentence structures of the reports in this volume, just as in the first volume.

Altogether, Rabindra-Prasanga stands as a significant contribution to Rabindra studies, worthy of recognition and scholarly appreciation.