A cultural conduit

In one of his very famous poems, ‘Where The Mind is Without Fear,’ Rabindranath Tagore writes: “Where the world has not/Been broken up into fragments/By narrow domestic walls…” These lines point towards a mind longing to break barriers and embrace the world. While discussing Tagore, lot of critics raise the point about Tagore’s nationalism. However, Tagore’s nationalism was embedded in his internationalism. This internationalism is, in turn, a product of humanism. As a poet and philosopher, Tagore has demonstrated pluralism and inclusiveness in his ideology. He was much ahead of his generation in thinking that a parochial attitude towards social and cultural issues would actually weaken the broader base of humanity. Today we talk about holistic development and mutual understanding in international affairs. Tagore could decipher the meaning of these even a hundred years ago. Like many thinkers of his generation, Tagore did not isolate himself from international events. He believed that national events are a reflection of the greater world. Moreover, the basic tenets of humanity are primordial and are common to all sections and communities across the globe. Hence, to him, the religion of man is about common welfare.

Rabindranath Tagore’s internationalism can be traced back to Raja Rammohun Roy, whom Tagore regarded as the first exponent of internationalism in our country. Both of them valued internationalism as an expression of love for all life in all parts of the world. This is most vital in modern times, particularly when modern man has cocooned himself within the shell of hedonism and self-love. When we are torn apart by communal issues across the globe, Tagore’s works enunciate the idea of love for mankind as a religious feeling. This sense of internationalism extends feelings to all and sundry and avoids conflict and contradiction. When we talk about world peace and understanding, we ought to remember that no understanding is practically implemented without appreciating each other. This holds true for bilateral relations between countries. Tagore emphasised this bilateral understanding. Tagore realised that sooner or later the world would have to unite for common interest. The concept of his Viswa Bharati University promotes his sense of internationalism. The very motto of the university — ‘Viswam eka nidam’ — “where the world meets in one nest’’ rests on the belief that the world can be one family. This is nothing different from the essence of globalisation about which we are so keen today.

To Tagore, internationalism and nationalism are not absolutely separate entities. He integrated the two in his approach to world affairs. At times, his faith in internationalism made him suspicious of nationalism, particularly European nationalism. We may add that even in his own country he could not always side with the nationalists. He even had his differences of opinion with none else than Gandhiji. It was not that Tagore was unpatriotic, as some would wrongfully explain. His anti-war, pacifist attitude evoked considerable displeasure in the West. He condemned the imperialistic propensity of Japan, for to him, it was nothing less than persecution of peace and harmony.

Again, about the Munich Pact of 1938, the poet wrote to the Czech scholar Lesny: “My words have no power to stay the onslaught of the maniacs. I feel so humiliated, so helpless’’. Tagore, the global citizen, bleeds within himself at the instance of inhuman justice. In one of the most famous observations, C.P. Scott of Oxford said, “… our chief ground for gratitude to Rabindranath is that he has bridged the gulf that divides East and West’’. In fact, Tagore emerged to be one of the voices that broke down the frontiers between the East and the West. In his Nobel Prize acceptance speech, Tagore declared that when eventually he was accepted by the West, the heart of the West opened before him without delay. In his Nobel Prize-winning work, ‘Gitanjali’, Tagore spread the splendour of Indian Philosophy in the West, thereby bridging the two different strains of culture. This is also one dimension of Tagore’s internationalism, where the assimilation of Indian culture engenders the cult of humanity. Today when we are torn apart by local issues, we need to imbibe Tagore and his broader outlook. Incidentally, when we notice the bubbling areas of conflict in modern civilisation, we realise how Tagore was prophetically correct. His Nobel Prize acceptance speech, in itself, is in the true sense a cultural dialogue between the East and West. More than anything else, it teaches values of tolerance, endurance, and growth through the mutual exercise of ideas and opinions. Are not all these true components of an international mind?

It is highly significant that while dissecting the features of Tagore’s internationalism, we should take into account our philosophical tradition. Tagore thought about entire humanity; it is not just a kind of Non-proliferation Treaty or awarding Nobel Peace Prize. It is not about the fight against war; it is a fight for peace and benevolence.

As an individual, highly conscious of international developments, Tagore realised the importance of the victory of the Allied Powers in the Second World War. In his famous letter written in 1940, addressed to the President of the United States, Franklin Roosevelt, Tagore wrote, “All our individual problems merged into one supreme world politics, which, I believe, is seeking the help of the United States of America as the last refuge of the spiritual man”.

Rabindranath Tagore’s relationship with the West was complex. At times he was revered, at times enveloped in international intrigue. It is believed that the U.S. Government also maintained records on Tagore. Tagore’s frequent visits to the West and his observations on international events, along with his anecdotes on various countries like his famous ‘Letters From Russia’, made him one of the rare cosmopolitan personalities in contemporary India. Very few people during those days travelled as extensively as Tagore did, and that unfolded his mind to international issues.

Rabindranath Tagore’s political philosophy was between Nationalism and Internationalism. He was truly a product of the Renaissance, who craved for the boundless stretch of imaginative mind. Hence, he never found himself confined to geographical dimensions. In this way, he influenced thinkers like Gandhi and Nehru. It is the demand of the time that Tagore should be more appreciated in the global context. The multiculturalism embodied in Tagore’s work is the result of his vast exposure to the Western world. On the other hand, the universality of the Upanishads taught Tagore how to be one with the world. Here, nationalism transcends to internationalism. It is not just protesting against the oppression of the British masters on Indian people; it is opposing the despotism of the strong over the weak, happening in any corner of the globe. That is how Tagore formed his disposition towards political crisis.

Tagore’s idea of internationalism is not about global governance or dismantling of nations. Neither is it about surrendering national sovereignty before powerful authorities. His philosophy of internationalism gathers around cooperation, understanding, and pursuit for the unity of mankind. All these make Tagore so relevant in modern life. Even while promoting his ideas on education and rural reconstruction, he was never reluctant to learn Western methodology. This propensity to accept and innovate was a manifestation of his internationalism. Inevitably, he emerged as a link between Orientalism and Occidentalism. No wonder, Bertrand Russell spoke about Tagore, “He has contributed as much as any living man to the most important work of our time, namely, the promotion of understanding between different races’’.

The writer is an educator from Kolkata. Views expressed are personal