The Hindu : Sport : Shedding light on Tagore's writings

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Mar 26, 2011
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version

Sport

Sport

Shedding light on Tagore's writings

Special Correspondent

Sahitya Akademi launches his 150th birth anniversary celebrations

PHOTO: S.S. KUMAR

Literary tribute:T. Radhakrishnan (centre) ADGP, Civil Supplies, CID, at a book exhibition organised as part of the 150th birth anniversary celebrations of Rabindranath Tagore, on Friday at Connemara Library in Chennai. Sahitya Akademi's regional secretary A.S. Ilangovan (right) and its Member General Council, Tamil Advisory Board, Era. Mohan are in the picture. —

CHENNAI: Sahitya Akademi launched Rabindranath Tagore's 150th birth anniversary celebrations on Friday with an exhibition of his works, literary seminars and debates at the Connemara Public Library here.

The exhibition includes Tagore's works translated by various writers in English, Hindi, Gujarati, Tamil and other south Indian languages.

There are also works by well-known Tamil writers and translations of well-known works of writers in Hindi and English, including children's books.

Inaugurating the five-day exhibition, T. Radhakrishnan, Additional Director General of Police, Civil Supplies, CID, said: “Literature reflects the people of the time, their culture and helps us understand their attitude. It is the key to opening our hearts and minds. Those who enjoy literature have launched movements to develop art for art's sake and ensure literature gets its place in society.”

According to him, literature should attract the reader and leave them with a message.

Tagore's writings reflect the common man's thoughts though he himself hailed from an affluent family, he said, recalling his short story ‘ Kabuliwallah'.

Sirpi Balasubramanian, convener, Tamil Advisory Board of the Akademi, said Tagore was a multi-faceted writer who wrote with as much élan for children as for adults. Tagore had travelled to Tamil Nadu but apart from a mention of his visit there were no records. This could be one of the reasons why Tagore's influence was not found in the writings by Tamil authors, he said and lauded the Akademi for publishing Tagore's works in Tamil.

The Akademi will hold a panel discussion on Tagore on Sunday at the library, said A.S. Ilangovan, regional secretary of the Akademi. Fifty per cent discount is being offered on Tagore's books on sale at the exhibition.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Sport