Rabindranath Tagore, a Bengali poet, philosopher, and polymath, made significant contributions to India’s freedom movement. He was a vocal critic of British colonial rule in India and advocated for Indian independence through his writings, speeches, and political activities. He viewed British rule as a symptom of the overall “sickness” of the social “disease” of the public.
Tagore was a strong advocate of education as a means to bring about social and political change. He established the Visva-Bharati University, a residential university in West Bengal, which served as a center for the promotion of Indian culture and education. He also wrote extensively on the subject of education and the need for a new system that would foster creativity and critical thinking, rather than just rote learning.
Tagore was also an influential voice in the Indian National Congress, the main organization leading the Indian independence movement. He served as the President of the Indian National Congress in 1915 and used this platform to speak out against British colonial policies. He also helped to organize the boycott of British goods, which was an important tactic used in the freedom movement.
In addition to his political activities, Tagore’s literary works, including his poetry and plays, also played a role in the freedom movement. His works were widely read and discussed, and his ideas and messages of nationalism, humanism and universal brotherhood, inspired many freedom fighters.
In 1913 Tagore became the first non-European to win the Nobel Prize in Literature, and he was knighted by King George V in 1915. He, later on, renounced the knighthood in 1919 as a protest against the Jallianwala Bagh massacre and the British colonial policies in India.
The cornerstone of Tagore’s beliefs and work is the idea that anti-colonialism cannot simply be achieved by rejecting all things British, but should consist of incorporating all the best aspects of western culture into the best of Indian culture. According to Tagore, freedom does not simply mean political freedom from the British; true freedom means the ability to be truthful and honest with oneself otherwise autonomy loses all of its worth.
In short, Rabindranath Tagore played a significant role in India’s freedom movement through his writings, speeches, political activities, and educational reforms. His ideas and works continue to inspire people and his legacy is still remembered today.
Jana-gana-mana
The song Jana-gana-mana, composed originally in Bangla by Rabindranath Tagore, was adopted in its Hindi version by the Constituent Assembly as the National Anthem of India on January 24, 1950.
It was first sung on December 27, 1911 at the Calcutta Session of the Indian National Congress.
The complete song consists of five stanzas.
A formal rendition of the national anthem takes approximately 52 seconds. A shortened version consisting of the first and last lines (and taking about 20 seconds to play) is also staged occasionally.
It was at Madanapalle (Chittoor), in February 1919, that Tagore translated his Bengali poem ‘Jana Gana Mana’ into English as ‘Morning Song of India’. It was given tune by Margaret Cousins.
Must read: Approach towards education and nationalism : Mahatma Gandhi vs Rabindranath Tagore
External link: https://egyankosh.ac.in/bitstream/123456789/89389/1/Unit-7.pdf
PRACTICE QUESTIONS
QUES . With reference to Madanapalle of Andhra Pradesh, which one of the following statements is correct? UPSC 2021
(a) Pingali Venkayya designed the tricolour Indian National Flag here.
(b) Pattabhi Sitaramaiah led the Quit India Movement of Andhra region from here.
(c) Rabindranath Tagore translated the National Anthem from Bengali to English here.
(d) Madame Blavatsky and Colonel Olcott set up headquarters of Theosophical Society first here.
Ans (c) EXPLANATION: It was at Madanapalle (Chittoor), in February 1919, that Tagore translated his Bengali poem ‘Jana Gana Mana’ into English as ‘Morning Song of India’.
