Resolution - 3

Resolution - 3
SESQUICENTENNIAL BIRTH ANNIVERSARY OF RAVINDRANATH THAKUR
The Akhil Bharatiya Karyakari Mandal sincerely believes that remembering the great poet
Ravindranath Thakur's life and thoughts is most pertinent today for reviving the conscience of the
society.
Born on May 7, 1861(Bangla year 1268, Vaishakh 25) Ravindranath was the son of Devendranath
Thakur of the illustrious Thakur family. His towering and versatile genius and life dedicated to the
society made him the torch-bearer of the social, Dharmic and spiritual renaissance of last century in
Bharat. His life was embodiment of his ideology and literature based on the unshakable foundation of
eternal Bharatiya values.
He pleaded that we should see our ideals like Ram and Laxman with purity of heart and veneration.
He also opined that it is impudent and shameful not to bow before the great thought manifested by the
flow of history of this ancient nation. He reverentially extolled Shivaji’s endeavour to build the nation
on the basis of Dharma and his dedication and renunciation. He has also glorified the martyrdom of
Sikh Gurus and Banda Bairagi.
His essays are full of nationalistic thoughts. Like, 'Dharma' and religion are not equivalent concepts
and religion cannot be the translation of 'Dharma'; our concept of 'Rashrtra' is different from the
European concept of nation; Terminology based on European thoughts and paradigms is irrelevant in
our context; Identity of Muslims and Christians in Bharat is 'Hindu'; we are solely responsible for our
downfall because although we have a rich diversity of language, religion and regions we are divided
on the parochial notions of the same; we are divided due to casteism, untouchability; etc. On several
occasions he emphasized the need to rewrite the history of Bharat.
Patriotism was the soul of his poetry and music which later acquired the sobriquet 'Ravindra Sangeet'.
He has effectively used all facets of literature - poetry, music, essays, short stories, novels and dramas
- for social enlightenment. These very thoughts and music inspired the nationalist people fighting for
freedom. It is a testimony to his futuristic vision that these very issues remain the themes of
contemporary intellectual discourse.
The year 1901 saw the founding of 'Shantiniketan', a traditional Gurukula in its modern form. Many
stalwarts of the nation were educated here. He addressed Margarate Noble, the disciple of Swami
Vivekanand as 'Agnikanya Nivedita', the name which was later accepted and conferred on her by
Swami Vivekanand. He also supported Nivedita's efforts for education of women.
The movement against partition of Bengal forced by Lord Curzon had aroused a wave of patriotic
fervor across the country. The Rakshabandhan festival on October 16, 1905 celebrated under the
leadership of Ravindranath in Kolkata proved to be the starting point of this movement. This
movement also triggered the Swadeshi movement. Ravindranath's writings give a forceful exposition
of the idea behind Swadeshi. He himself sang Vandemataram in the Congress session.
He was the first Bharatiya to win the illustrious Nobel Prize in 1913 for his collection of poems
'Geetanjali' published in 1912. Geetanjali effectively reflects the ethos of the Vedas and the
Upnishadas. He is the author of the 'Jan Gan Mana', the poem adopted as national anthem in our
constitution after independence. He returned the title 'Nighthood' bestowed on him by the British
government, in protest against the Jalianwala Bagh carnage. He vociferously opposed the reservation
of separate assembly constituencies on the basis of religion. He took initiative in collecting funds from
many peoples including Maharaja of Tripura in order to help Jagdishchandra Basu for his foreign
travel.
Many national leaders of those days including Mahatma Gandhi held him as their source of inspiration
owing to the unity of preaching and practice exemplified in his life and Mahatma Gandhi honoured
him by the title 'Gurudev'.
The ABKM appeals to the countrymen to commemorate the occasion of his sesquicentennial birth
anniversary to make his nationalist thoughts exert influence in contemporary Bharat