Tagore and Nationalism: His Continuing Relevance

by Rupen Ghosh on Thursday, September 15, 2011 at 1:01am

'India has never had a real sense of nationalism. Even though

from childhood I had been taught that idolatry of the nation is
almost better than reverence for God and humanity, I believe I
have outgrown that teaching, and it is my conviction that my
countrymen will truly gain their India by fighting against the
education which teaches them that a country is greater than
the ideals of humanity' - Rabindranath Tagore.

What Shakespeare is to English, Goethe is to German and Ghalib

is to Urdu, Tagore is to Bengali. The pre-eminent position of
Rabindranath Tagore, as one of the greatest poets and literary
figures ever, is well established. As the nation celebrates the
great poet Rabindranath Tagores 150th birth anniversary, the
questions which readily come to mind: Does his name resonate
in the same way elsewhere, as in Bengal? When his works have
been translated by celebrated litterateurs and biographers like
Edward Thompson and his son E P Thompson, ketaki Kushari
Dyson, William Radice, to name a few, why his name and fame,
unfortunately, is restricted to Bengal and he could not become a
household name in India in the same way as Gandhi or Nehru,
though the comparisons may be unfair? When he is as great a
genius as Bach, Goethe and Shakespeare, why his name has not
been able to transcend narrow boundaries to become a
household name all over the world? Is it because he wrote in a
regional language, which despite being one of the richest
languages has a limited reach, when compared to say, Hindi?
When his concerns were universal and global and humanistic,
should he remain caged in an image which essentially restricts
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him to Bengal and Bengalis? Should he also not to be rescued

from an image created by the west after he won the Nobel prize
1n 1913 that he is a visionary from the East, a saviour and a
saint? Is it not high time that the scholars and the readers saw
him more as a man in flesh and blood and not as a saint and
attempt to reappraise his works? Is it not that this kind of
excessive reverence as witnessed in his native state, and would
have been an anathema to him if he were to be alive today, is a
sure way of obliterating his vision and ideas? As we
commemorate his 150th birth anniversary, these and other
issues gather momentum as Tagore is being increasingly read in
Russia, Spain, China, Japan and England. His humanistic and
universal vision has more admirers in these countries than even
in India.
Everyone acclaims that Tagore was way ahead of his time and
was a true internationalist, a true modernist and his vision for a
larger international solidarity, and conversely a distaste for
nationalism and jingoism, remained at the heart of Tagores
creative thoughts and was reflected in most of his writingsletters, essays, lectures, poems, plays and fiction - and was an
inherent part of his philosophy.
Tagore remains as relevant today, as he was a century ago.
Today, the world ravaged by wars and internecine conflicts and
ethnic disturbances, finds itself devoid of idealism and a vision
which would encompass humanity and address myriad problems
afflicting humankind. It needs a sage like Tagore who was
remarkably prescient and his words ring true like no others.
Tagore believed in a world of peace, truth and justice and
freedom and not guided by self-aggrandizement, based on the
principle of universality and goodwill. His vision was that of
symbiosis of the East and West. He was no doubt furious with
the British oppression in India during the colonial period, as
witnessed by his surrender of knighthood in the aftermath of
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Jallianwalan Bagh massacre, and felt that the West was often
immersed in commercialism and militarism. But he was not any
utopian visionary and his ideas are as valid today as they were
when he espoused, and many of beliefs have stood the test of
time.
Tagore found that nationalism was the source of war, hatred and
mutual suspicion between nations, as history has been witness
over the centuries, and as so poignantly and beautifully
described in his novel Ghare Baire" (The home and the world).
Tagore saw the radical view of nationalism as a recipe for
disaster. He believed that by this every nation becomes
narcissistic and considers the presence of another a threat to
itself; waging war against other nations for its self-fulfillment
and self-aggrandisement becomes a justifiable cause, to be
pursued at any cost. In his view, a larger and a more expansive
vision of the world remained an achievable goal for the
humanity to survive and flourish.
On the issue of nationalism, Tagore and Gandhi differed, though
they were on friendly terms, and in many ways Tagore was a
precursor of Gandhi. Romain Rolland once described a meeting
between Tagore and Gandhi as one between a philosopher and
an apostle, a St. Paul and a Plato. Unlike Gandhi, Tagore
believed that political freedom and attainment of a nationalist
identity by driving the British out was not the only solution for
Indias problems; Tagore was of the view that what India needed
was a more holistic freedom, of purposeful education, of social
emancipation and of an enlightened mind, as he argued so
forcefully and intellectually in his essay Nationalism in India;
the other two lectures which later formed part of a book were
Nationalism in Japan and , Nationalism in the West, and
continue to be as relevant today as they were almost a hundred
years ago.
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What is nationalism? It is something which is supposed to

breathe life into the combined aspirations of the citizens of a
country. We can define nationalism as the assumption of an
identity by a group of people primarily on the basis of territory,
language, religion, and, culture. It is also supposed to instill
fierce pride in the citizens for a common culture within
geographical boundaries of what we call a nation state, having
some commonalities of interest like linguistic affinities or a
common shared heritage. Gaining credence and acceptance in
the nineteenth century, it became one of the most powerful
forces influencing history, and caused the maps of the western
world to be drawn and redrawn, and in the historys worst
conflagrations and devastating conflicts, millions perished, and
death and devastations were on an unprecedented scale. Tagore
view was completely different. He spoke about the
interdependencies of cultures as opposed to the narrower
definitions of nations and nationalities. He felt that we should
rise above narrow self interests to have a worldview which will
encompass nobler thoughts of compassion and mutual help to
make the world truly one. Tagore was way ahead of his time, a
true internationalist. His famous quote: Your mind has faculties
which are universal, but its habits are insular, brilliantly
encapsulates Tagore's distaste for nationalism. whom any action
in the name of the nation is right, no matter In Ghare Baire,
Nikhil, who was Tagores alter ego in the novel, is patriotic but
wouldnt place nation above truth and conscience, whereas
Nikhils friend, Sandip, a charismatic nationalist, to how far it
may be from truth or justice. Tagore saw this radical view of
Sandip as a recipe for disaster. Tagore maintained that Indias
immediate problems were social and cultural and not political.
Hyper nationalism is increasingly finding resonance among a
section of middle class, aided no doubt by electronic media.
Gandhi, Nehru & Tagore were eclectic in their thoughts, which
transcended narrow national boundaries. More specifically, it
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was Tagore who saw radical view of nationalism as recipe for

disaster & whose criticism of nationalism is more valid
today. While India sinks into more and more of jingoism and
pseudo-nationalism, aided and abetted by the hyped-up
electronic media, Tagores vision of a free India free from the
fetters of materialism, nationalism as well as religious and racial
orthodoxy and bigotry, constantly evolving towards a global
society is even more valid today and needs to be introspected
by all, if we are to live upto our reputation of a nation of
amazing diversity and celebrate our inclusive and composite
culture. Tagore remains highly relevant in the present day
international scenario when the concept of living as one
community is dominated by considerations of caste, class and
religious affiliations, howsoever utopian it may appear to
skeptics and to those who believe and practice regressive
politics couched in narrow nationalistic jargon, pitting one
nation state against another.
Tagores reputation does not rest on his literary laurels alone.
He was a true internationalist at heart, who expressed his love
for universal human being by critiquing the narrowly defined
concepts of nationalism and patriotism. To him, the artificial
man-made barriers barriers of caste, race and religion - were
an anathema. Regardless of the nationality of a person, to
Tagore, he was above all a human being to be respected and
treasured as such.
Tagore was a product of the nineteenth century, with its liberal,
humanistic thoughts and ideas, an age imbued with hope and
optimism, with idea of progress and scientific explorations
liberating humankind from centuries of feudal exploitations and
backwardness, when Marx with its enunciation of the philosophy
of scientific socialism was beginning to question the historical
inequities and the exploitative world order. Deeply influenced
by the national movement which revived the glory of Indias
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past, of its myriad achievements in music, literature,

philosophy, religion, art and architecture, Tagores eclecticism
had its origins in great philosophical traditions of Upanishads
and later in the reformist and humanist religious reform
movement of Rammohan Roy of the early nineteenth century.
But his pride in his countrys hoary past did not blind him to the
moral and social degeneration and decay of his country and to
its pathetic condition of the present. From this arose his deep
aversion to the notions of patriotism and hyper-nationalism,
which he felt were biggest threats to peace, prosperity and
development of humankind, though he had the abiding faith in
the concept of India and always believed that this ancient
country would find its rightful place in the comity of nations. In
true sense, he was one of the makers of modern India, the
others who could rightfully claim the mantle are Gandhi, Nehru
and Ambedkar and others. In a way, India was fortunate in
having in its midst such galaxy of men and women at a time of
tremendous social and political transformation and churnings,
who dreamt of a modern India, free from parochialism, poverty,
backwardness and medieval darkness.
Tagores inclusive ideas on nationalism and complete absence of
parochialism in interpretation of Indias past and keeping
abiding faith in a reformist Hinduism, based on the principles
enunciated by Rammohan Roy and other religious and social
reformers, laid the ground for a modern, enlightened freedom
movement deeply inspired by these ideals. His idea of India was
in remarkable conformity to the idea of modern India of Nehru,
so eloquently expressed in his famous speech on August 14, 1947
wherein he exhorted to fight and end poverty and ignorance
and disease, to build up a prosperous, democratic and
progressive nation and to create social, economic and political
institutions which will ensure justice and fullness of life to every
man and woman. We cannot encourage communalism or narrow6

mindedness, for no nation can be great whose people are narrow

in thought or in action.
Tagores vision encompassing an inclusive universe where all
communities, cultures, religions, races, linguistic groups could
find their destiny together, where their hopes and aspirations
could find fruition did not, however, please the nationalists,
who preferred a deified nation whose land and people are mere
instruments for revenge In a very thought provoking article
written by Tanika Sarkar called Birth of a Goddess: Vande
Mataram, Anandamath and Hindu Nationhood" in 2006, she
writes In his novel Ghare Bahire (The home and the world)
Rabindranath Tagore had carried out a dialogue with
Anandamath and its hymn, even though he loved the first two
verses of the song. The protagonist of Tagores novel, Nikhilesh,
refuses to worship the Country as a divine being. He does love
it, but he will worship God alone and no other being. Above all,
in a remarkable allusion to Bankims two peasants in
Bangadesher Krishak, Nikhilesh does not see the resplendent
visage of a goddess when he thinks of his country, but he sees a
low caste peasant, exploited, ignorant, anti-heroes. The
Country, for him, is no more and no less than these starving and
deluded people. Patriotism entails social justice for such people
and it cannot be waived in the name of any larger national
interest.
Rabindranath in his novel Ghare Bahire challenged a great
deal of the nationalist construct and his novel turned out to be
deeply unpopular. Malicious and entirely unfounded rumours
were later systematically circulated that he had composed the
song, Jana Gana Mana to celebrate the Indian visit of George
V: he was so pained and humiliated by this charge that he found
it to be beneath his dignity to reply to it. There exists enough
documentary evidence, however, that the charge was
completely wrong.
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He was convinced of this common destiny for all Indians and to

him, they Hindus, Muslims, Christians and all others - rightfully
belong to the same brotherhood of man. He wrote, On us today
is thrown the responsibility of building up a greater India in
which Hindu and Muslim and Christian will find their place. To
the eternal credit of Gandhi and Nehru and other sagacious
leaders that they chose Jana Gana Mana as the national anthem,
disregarding the pernicious and malicious propaganda, as the
song rightfully captures the essence of universal humanity which
is also the very idea of India. That Indias constitution
symbolizes some of the finest ideals of humankind of liberty,
equality and fraternity is also no small tribute to Tagores vision
of one world, where all human beings, irrespective of narrow
nationalities, could live with dignity and justice. In the neoliberal world we increasingly find ourselves in with global
finance capital wreaking havoc and widespread misery for all,
with 1% of world's population consisting of super rich enriching
themselves further like never before, wtih struggle for resources
becoming more and more acute and terms of trade becoming
more skewed, with environmental degradations reaching a point
of no turn, with global conflicts becoming more one-sided,
Tagore's humanitarian philosophy may not even appear utopian
even to sceptics and may hold much promise for a better world
in the future.