Tagore : The Political Personality

Contents: 1. The Milieu. 2. Early perceptions (1875-1890). 3. Towards rediscovery of national identity (1891-1905). 4. The Swadeshi Movement and its repercussions (1905-1913). 5. War, nationalism and pacifism. 6. Perspective for the Gandhi movements. 7. Perspective for revolutionary movements. 8. Confrontation with Fascism and imperialism-I. 9. Confrontation with Fascism and imperialism-II. The Tagore legacy.

"Rabindranath, as is apparent, could not escape the inherent dualism of his position. His status as one of the leading Zamindars of Bengal, who as a class remained wedded to the colonial administration by ties of economic as well as political interests, prescribed the limits of his perceptions as a creative artist were not dwarfed by such limits, where his mission was to voice the aspirations of his people, as also to merge his identity into theirs. But, not infrequently, the Zamindar stood in the way of the poet.

The result is complications and complexities. These could be understood only by taking in full view the goals prescribed for itself by the nascent nationalist movement and the imperialist manoeuvres to thwart them, with the Zamindar standing in between. Rabindranath\'s views either gain or lose in dimension when set against them. While instinctively, he is sternly against all sorts of exploitation and oppression, more so against imperialist domination, his alter ego, the Zamindar is seen desperately concocting ways and means to remain acceptable to the Raj. A very painful exercise characterizing every phase of his career. (jacket)