Rabindranath Tagore: The poet of two countries

[Homo Sapiens]

..because translating always takes away some of the finer points whatever the languages concerned are.

Very true.The wonderful rhythm in this song can't be replicate in any other language.Any translation of original song or poem always sound like an essay rather than song or poem.

 

[Al-zakir]

He is not a Bengali...he doesn't even speak the language...his opinions are as valuable as my cat's..which,like al-zakir, is not a Bengali and whose opinion is of no concern to anyone.

You neither have to like nor care about my post. Just know feeling is mitual.

But just answer me this though.

Did Rabindra voted against the establishment of Dacca university or not?

Did he not said Bangla speaking Muslim belong to paddy field rather than school.


Dacca university was financed by non other than nawab salimullah and he was not a Bangali. He was a Kashmiri. My cultural and heritage connected with personality like him not Rabinda or any other Hindu like him.

 

[Nilgiri]

Did he not said Bangla speaking Muslim belong to paddy field rather than school.

What's the context of where this is from? A personal quote or from one of his written works?

 

[Anubis]

You neither have to like nor care about my post. Just know feeling is mitual.

But just answer me this though.

Did Rabindra voted against the establishment of Dacca university or not?

Did he not said Bangla speaking Muslim belong to paddy field rather than school.


Dacca university was financed by non other than nawab salimullah and he was not a Bangali. He was a Kashmiri. My cultural and heritage connected with personality like him not Rabinda or any other Hindu like him.

bonbang already explained his opposition to the Univeristy. I have never read anywhere about his paddy field remark. Salimullah petitioned the brits for the University....I have never heard that he personally financed the University.

Poem written by Tagore for a DU magazine.

Tagore at DU.

 

[damiendehorn]

Bangladesh can decide to be part of greater Indian "nation" without it being in the same physical political union. You already took the first step in 1971...and you are still contemplating about taking more.

We will wait, it is your decision .

Nah no thanks were good.

 

[Nilgiri]

Nah no thanks were good.

Then why do the vast majority of Bangladeshi restaurants call themselves "Indian"?

Even down the road from here there's a restaurant that is owned and run by Bangladeshis and it is strictly promoted as an "Indian" restaurant.

Of course UK is probably the best example of this....so you probably personally know this.

Like it or not, most of your folk often promote themselves as part of the greater Indian nation in some way (mostly to earn their bread more easily....since Bangladesh brings about a befuddled look) ....but of course under a separate sub-regional background and political entity. The process has already started....and will only further itself with each generation. Of course we will always retain certain differences (a broad nation of people always do)....but Bangladeshis generally dont strike anyone as a people that thrive on differentiating themselves from India....as obviously seen in the naming of their restaurants.

 

[Riyad]

OK I get both your points.

Its people more like this that make me wonder though:

Al-Zakir is not Bangladeshi. He is Pakistani living in America. He can't even speak Bengali. How can you give reference of his post?

Rabindranath is the foundation of Bangladesh's liberation war. Take away Rabindranath from Bangladesh you will get East Pakistan. His poems were insiration for Mukti juddho. Our national anthem is his poem. Kazi Nazrul Islam who was a Muslim secular poet considered Rabindranath his guru. He was traumatized when Rabindranath passed away. Rabindranath even dedicated a novel to Nazrul. These two, Tagore and Nazrul are integral parts of Bangladesh.

 

[TopCat]

Enough of this Rabindranath $hit. He is dead almost close to a century. Cant you guys find new stuff to read?

Al-Zakir is not Bangladeshi. He is Pakistani living in America. He can't even speak Bengali. How can you give reference of his post?

Rabindranath is the foundation of Bangladesh's liberation war. Take away Rabindranath from Bangladesh you will get East Pakistan. His poems were insiration for Mukti juddho. Our national anthem is his poem. Kazi Nazrul Islam who was a Muslim secular poet considered Rabindranath his guru. He was traumatized when Rabindranath passed away. Rabindranath even dedicated a novel to Nazrul. These two, Tagore and Nazrul are integral parts of Bangladesh.

What a stupid comment.. where did you get this?

 

[Nilgiri]

Al-Zakir is not Bangladeshi. He is Pakistani living in America. He can't even speak Bengali. How can you give reference of his post?

Rabindranath is the foundation of Bangladesh's liberation war. Take away Rabindranath from Bangladesh you will get East Pakistan. His poems were insiration for Mukti juddho. Our national anthem is his poem. Kazi Nazrul Islam who was a Muslim secular poet considered Rabindranath his guru. He was traumatized when Rabindranath passed away. Rabindranath even dedicated a novel to Nazrul. These two, Tagore and Nazrul are integral parts of Bangladesh.

Well he has Bangladesh flag (so I assumed he is originally from Bangladesh)....I did not know the details of this fellow.

And right after your post we have this iajdani post with some "descriptive" words for Tagore....are you gonna say he is not Bangladeshi either?

 

[Riyad]

Well he has Bangladesh flag (so I assumed he is originally from Bangladesh)....I did not know the details of this fellow.

And right after your post we have this iajdani post with some "descriptive" words for Tagore....are you gonna say he is not Bangladeshi either?

The Spirit Of The War For Liberation Of Bangladesh

By Farooque Chowdhury

26 March, 2014

The state (Pakistan) tried to snatch away the language of the Baangaalee people and the alphabets the people use. It attempted to change culture of the people. It even tried to stop singing a type of songs – songs by Rabindranath Tagore – by the Bangladesh people as the state considered Tagore as Hindu. The state even changed wordings in poems and songs by Nazrul Islam, the poet considered a rebel and imprisoned by the British colonial masters. The word Shashaan, crematorium ground of the Hindu community, in Nazrul’s poem was replaced by the word gorostaan, graveyard used by the Muslims. Curriculums at pre-secondary and secondary levels were remodeled.

http://www.countercurrents.org/chowdhury260314.htm

Rabindranath, Nazrul’s contributions to 1971 war discussed
May 24, 2014 12:07 am·0 CommentsViews: 382
Cultural Correspondent

Rabindranath Tagore, Kazi Nazrul Islam

The national poet Kazi Nazrul Islam and Nobel laureate poet Rabindranath Tagore have not only shaped the intellectual oeuvre of the Bengali people with their literary creations, the two have also indirectly, but strongly, contributed to the war of independence of the country in 1971.

The poets’ contributions to the war was analysed at a discussion session titled Mohan Muktijuddhe Rabindra Nazrul-er Abodan at the Music and Dance Centre of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy on Thursday.
The programme, which was jointly organised by Asian Cultural Society and Swadhinata Academy Foundation, also featured a cultural show.

Information minister Hasanul Haq Inu attended the discussion session as the chief guest while state minister for foreign affairs M Shahriar Alam was present as a special guest. Ranjit Kumar Biswas, secretary of cultural affairs ministry, M Nurul Islam, president of Asian Cultural Society, ABM Abdul Halim Sarkar, secretary general of the foundation, poet Kazi Rosy, prominent singer Fatema-Tuz-Zohra, Tagore researcher Ahmed Rafique, among others, spoke on the occasion.
The speakers said that Nazrul and Tagore were quite opposite in terms of their temperaments, styles and ways of thinking. As to war, the poets had differing attitudes. Tagore had always been against war, and his anti-war attitude is evident in his novels such as Char Adhyay. However, Nazrul, being a soldier himself, believed that war is sometimes justified to gain human rights.

Still both the poets were similar in that that both of them fought for emancipation of people—while Nazrul actually battled against the injustice of the British colonisers, Tagore also fought with them through his literary creations. Even Tagore renounced his knighthood, offered by the British government, in response to the Jallianwala Bagh massacre in 1919.

The discussants also observed that the poets contributed to the 1971 war in indirect ways by developing a kind of uncompromising attitude towards injustice and discrimination in the minds of masses through their writings. Both of them, in fact, made immense contribution in shaping the collective consciousness of people against injustice.
Following the discussion session, 10 leading singers: five Nazrul and five Tagore singers, were honoured with crests for their contributions to the respective music genres. Anup Bhattacharia, Mohiuddin Chowdhury, Fahim Hossain Chowdhury, Iffat Ara Dewan and Rokaiya Hasina Lily received the honour as Tagore singers, while Fatema-Tuz-Zohra, Sujit Mostafa, Murshid Jahan, Dr. Jagonanda Roy, Dr. Pradip Kumar Nandi received honour as Nazrul singers.

Print PDF
http://newagebd.net/13923/rabindranath-nazruls-contributions-to-1971-war-discussed/

 

[damiendehorn]

Then why do the vast majority of Bangladeshi restaurants call themselves "Indian"?

Even down the road from here there's a restaurant that is owned and run by Bangladeshis and it is strictly promoted as an "Indian" restaurant.

Of course UK is probably the best example of this....so you probably personally know this.

Like it or not, most of your folk often promote themselves as part of the greater Indian nation in some way (mostly to earn their bread more easily....since Bangladesh brings about a befuddled look) ....but of course under a separate sub-regional background and political entity. The process has already started....and will only further itself with each generation. Of course we will always retain certain differences (a broad nation of people always do)....but Bangladeshis generally dont strike anyone as a people that thrive on differentiating themselves from India....as obviously seen in the naming of their restaurants.

LOL...thats your best reasoning.....Bangladeshi owned restraunts are using "indian", must mean they want to be indian.........sorry, its just the owners using it as a marketing tool. Mostly owned by first generation Bangladeshis, who came straight from the village to the west and couldn't find jobs. Now their children, have gone through the Unis are mostly accountant or doctors etc and hence why your seeing so many "indian restraunts closing down".

Sorry, we are not indian period.....we have very little to do with india or indian culture.... If you ever come to Dhaka, or even london and ask you'll know the truth. But keep telling youself that everyone wants to be indian if it makes you feel better.

 

[Nilgiri]

LOL...thats your best reasoning.....Bangladeshi owned restraunts are using "indian", must mean they want to be indian.........sorry, its just the owners using it as a marketing tool. Mostly owned by first generation Bangladeshis, who came straight from the village to the west and couldn't find jobs. Now their children, have gone through the Unis are mostly accountant or doctors etc and hence why your seeing so many "indian restraunts closing down".

Sorry, we are not indian period.....we have very little to do with india or indian culture.... If you ever come to Dhaka, or even london and ask you'll know the truth. But keep telling youself that everyone wants to be indian if it makes you feel better.

Nah new ownership of "Indian" restaurants is by Bangladeshis (new immigrants and 2nd generation) as well. Where some close down, others open up to take their place.

Don't make me post the average incomes of Bangladeshi origin people in say the UK. There may be a little progress from before, nothing immensely significant however.

So this "marketing tool" is an indication of the inability of Bangladesh to project its very identity in any meaningful way worldwide (I mean cmon its a restaurant!) and having to tag onto India just like dozens of embassies in Delhi also hold representation for Dhaka.

Internally Bangladeshis obviously identify with a larger South Asian identity (desi if you will), now if you want to keep yabbering that its totally exclusive from an Indian identity (past the political frameworks in existence) then you are free to do so....but overall evidence and Bangladeshi expat behaviour suggests other wise.

Typical conversation goes: Other guy: Bangladeshi, is that close to India/Indian? Bangladeshi: Yup.......Few of them then qualify "but we are totally 180 degrees different from them!" (Maybe someone like Al-Zakir does...but is he really counted?)

So the overall impression continues, because Bangladeshis themselves are reluctant to establish some totally separate identity outside of politics/sovereignty.

 

[Riyad]

Nah new ownership of "Indian" restaurants is by Bangladeshis (new immigrants and 2nd generation) as well. Where some close down, others open up to take their place.

Don't make me post the average incomes of Bangladeshi origin people in say the UK. There may be a little progress from before, nothing immensely significant however.

So this "marketing tool" is an indication of the inability of Bangladesh to project its very identity in any meaningful way worldwide (I mean cmon its a restaurant!) and having to tag onto India just like dozens of embassies in Delhi also hold representation for Dhaka.

Internally Bangladeshis obviously identify with a larger South Asian identity (desi if you will), now if you want to keep yabbering that its totally exclusive from an Indian identity (past the political frameworks in existence) then you are free to do so....but overall evidence and Bangladeshi expat behaviour suggests other wise.

Typical conversation goes: Other guy: Bangladeshi, is that close to India/Indian? Bangladeshi: Yup.......Few of them then qualify "but we are totally 180 degrees different from them!" (Maybe someone like Al-Zakir does...but is he really counted?)

So the overall impression continues, because Bangladeshis themselves are reluctant to establish some totally separate identity outside of politics/sovereignty.

You need to understand that Bangladeshis are mostly seen as Indians abroad since we have similar looks and culture but even Pakistanis are also called Indians esp. Punjabis and Sindhis.

 

[Nilgiri]

You need to understand that Bangladeshis are mostly seen as Indians abroad since we have similar looks and culture but even Pakistanis are also called Indians esp. Punjabis and Sindhis.

Hence what I mean by a broader nation/identification/identity of people beyond the political borders that exist. Some comes from within (and you can officially deny it its ok)...and some is projected from the outside onto you.....but it is there all the same and cannot be that easily shaken off.

Anyways we are far off topic now and we are going in circles.

It stems from how you define a "nation" in the first place. To me its very different from the term "country".

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nation

 

[damiendehorn]

Nah new ownership of "Indian" restaurants is by Bangladeshis (new immigrants and 2nd generation) as well. Where some close down, others open up to take their place.

Don't make me post the average incomes of Bangladeshi origin people in say the UK. There may be a little progress from before, nothing immensely significant however.

So this "marketing tool" is an indication of the inability of Bangladesh to project its very identity in any meaningful way worldwide (I mean cmon its a restaurant!) and having to tag onto India just like dozens of embassies in Delhi also hold representation for Dhaka.

Internally Bangladeshis obviously identify with a larger South Asian identity (desi if you will), now if you want to keep yabbering that its totally exclusive from an Indian identity (past the political frameworks in existence) then you are free to do so....but overall evidence and Bangladeshi expat behaviour suggests other wise.

Typical conversation goes: Other guy: Bangladeshi, is that close to India/Indian? Bangladeshi: Yup.......Few of them then qualify "but we are totally 180 degrees different from them!" (Maybe someone like Al-Zakir does...but is he really counted?)

So the overall impression continues, because Bangladeshis themselves are reluctant to establish some totally separate identity outside of politics/sovereignty.

Like i said keep believing it, if it makes you feel better........at least its making us laugh.