Tagore and Pan Asia
“The world has for long been in its grip,--the exclusive winter that keeps the human races within closed doors. But the doors are going to open. Spring has come.”
Rabindranath Tagore
This year we are celebrating the centenary of Rabindranath Tagore’s visit to China in 1924. The visit is a landmark in the history of India-China relations. Rabindranath Tagore is modern India’s foremost poet-philosopher. His visit to China is comparable to the ancient sages and visitors from India to China. During his visit to China, Tagore said, “The impertinence of material things is extremely old. The revelation of spirit in man is truly modern: I am on its side, for I am modern.” Drawing from the Upanishads and the Buddha, his poetry imagined a new synthesis. He argued for a united pan-Asia with fraternal bonds between the great Asian civilizations linking them in universal love. His friendship and influence on the likes of Bing Xin, Xu Beihong, Xu Zhimo, Liang Qichao represent the coming together of the literary and cultural movement in the two countries. When Tagore visited China, his hosts greeted him by saying India and China are two brothers born of the same womb and this is the spirit we want to continue today.
The series of events is being organised by the Intercivilizational Dialogue Project, the Association of Peoples of Asia, an organization started by Nirmala Deshpande for Asian unity and peace, and the Gandhi Global Family, a group dedicated to spreading the ideas of Mahatma Gandhi. As part of year long celebrations, we will host events to examine Tagore's vision of Pan Asia, his links with China, as well as the history of artistic and philosophical exchange between India and China. Events will be held in different cities across India.
Events Planned for the Year
April 3rd, 2024: Event in Santiniketan held by Cheena Bhavan to mark the centenary of Tagore's visit to China. See here for press coverage of the event.
April 13th, 2024: Opening of Photo Exhibition at the Indian Institute of World Culture, Bangalore on Tagore's visit to China to start the year. See here for photographs, press coverage and recording!
April 28th, 2024: Event at Sheshadripuram College, Bangalore looking at how the ideas and concepts of Rabindranath Tagore can show Asia the way forward. See here for the recording, schedule and flyer.
23rd and 24th September, 2024: Event in Delhi looking at the history of artistic and cultural exchange between India and China, in partnership with the Institute for Chinese Studies, Gandhi Peace Foundation, India International Center. See here for more details.
December, 2024: Event in Kolkata looking at the parallel but distinct freedom struggles of India and China, and our path into the future.
April, 2025: Concluding events
In addition to this, a traveling exhibition of artwork and historical photographs that illustrate the relationship between the two nations will be prepared.
We invite organizations and individuals all over the country to be part of this effort to promote peace in Asia and organize meetings, film screenings, talks or cultural performances.
Advisory Committee for the Initiative
Uma Dasgupta, author, historian and Tagore scholar
Manoranjan Mohanty, political scientist and China scholar
Avijit Banerjee, Head of Cheena Bhavana, Visva-Bharati University.
E.P. Menon, peace activist, Bangalore
