The Legacy of Tagore #KLF2015

Photograph – Anirban Saha | www.anirbansaha.com

Rabindranath Tagore’s name is synonymous with Bengali culture. His contribution to literature, especially to Bengali literature is unquestionably towering. However, the worth of Rabindranath Tagore cannot just be measured in the songs, novels, poems, stories, plays and essays he has composed. The legacy of Tagore lingers on even today, more than seven decades after his earthly demise. His influence is still evident in modern works of literature.

As a Bengali kid growing up in a culturally inclined household, Tagore was always a part of every little aspect of my childhood. I knew that he was the first Asian to win the Nobel Prize in Literature before I even knew what the Nobel Prize was all about. I grew up listening to his songs, listening to his poems, appreciating his art, and watching his plays. The fact that I grew up in a culture so entangled with the works of Rabindranath Tagore allows me to see exactly how vivid, how obvious his influence is among modern writers and poets.

Tagore reshaped Bengali literature with the introduction of revolutionary themes in simple languages. He was a writer than the common people could relate to, breaking the shackles of elitist language that was prevalent among authors before him. His fluency of thought, combined with his presentation, made him a crowd favourite. Some of the themes he introduced still resonate very strongly with modern writers – the most obvious examples being the doctrine of women empowerment, the tenderness of love and the intricacies of human ties, and worship through good deed. These basic aspects continue to find their importance in modern writings. The influence of Tagore is unmistakable in this regard.

Rabindranath Tagore is credited with putting Bengali Literature on the international radar. The Nobel laureate paved the way for generations to come, generations of Bengali authors who would find a global audience for their works. Their works reverberate their take on the themes that were highlighted by none other than Gurudev himself. Because of his unthinkable variety in composition, there always seems to be a Tagore work to fit any mood, any emotion, any season, any time. He has firmly established himself as the backbone of modern Bengali literature, and as such, his influence in modern works is all-enveloping.

Tagore was more than a writer. Tagore was a visionary. He looked forward to a world way ahead of his time, a world that we are only beginning to comprehend today. Such was the genius of the man that he foresaw the social, economic and political scenarios that are proving true almost a century after his compositions. In his writings, Tagore spoke of a world that the modern writer has grown up in. If we are to accept that a writer is undeniably influence by his times, we directly understand the quintessential influence of Tagore on the thought processes and sensitivities of the 21^stcentury author. Rabindranath Tagore, by sheer genius, is both a reference point and a benchmark for the modern writer. He is the beginning and the end of thematic brilliance.

There is no escaping the fact that Rabindranath Tagore is the greatest influence for a modern writer, even more so for a Bengali writer. His simplistic approach and his graceful tones can never be overlooked. The new millennium welcomes his words with open arms and a glad heart. 

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This is an entry to the Marathon Blogging Contest organised by Kolkata Literature Festival (www.facebook.com/kollitfest) and Kolkata Bloggers (www.facebook.com/KolkataBloggers)

Tech That!

“The year we stopped talking to one another.”

That’s what USA Today dubs 2010, in light of the unprecedented rise of technology.

The modern world is one of gadgets. We are a people seeped in the technology that we have created for ourselves. With the advent of easy access to the internet, and the power to send and receive messages via numerous social platforms, we seem to have shut out what once was the very core of our existence – the human touch.

Think about it. How many of us actually get to know new people on a personal front anymore? How many of us utilize the magic of real human communication? And more so, how many of us actually tap the potential of a human touch? How many times do we really mean the emoticons we send as messages on our smartphones? The answers will leave much to ponder about.

I have actually seen two people sitting six feet away from each other and sending each other messages. It is baffling to note how we have distanced ourselves from the real world, and found our place in an illusory connectivity called social media.

Today, everybody is plugged in, all the time. This constant need to be preoccupied with electronic toys is a significant piece of the puzzle in our decadence of community ties. I realize the line has become clichéd, but we seem to keep getting dumber as our phones get smarter. And today, we have reached a point of isolation where it is almost inconceivable for us to value the touch of another man or woman.

I am not anti-technology. But at what cost can we let it substitute personal interaction? Today we have people reading this article while watching a show on television and texting their girlfriend/boyfriend to let them know its over before they switch over to facebook to change their relationship status from “In a relationship” to “Single”, and maybe click a selfie and put it up on Instagram while they are at it. (I’m kidding. Nobody actually reads my blog, I get that.)

All the technology that surrounds us is a great tool if and only if used in moderation. So for the time being, shut down your laptop, switch off your phone and give your friend a hug or a kiss. Because the true human interactions are all that will matter. Despite our world being a global village, we seem to have distanced ourselves, only to be connected by usernames and passwords.

We’re so close, and yet so far apart.