Friday, May 7, 2010

The Tagore My Tagore

It was he, the great poet philosopher Rabindranath Thakur who shaped my mind to a great extent. In youth, yes, I was able to sing variety of songs, but my voice perfectly matched with Tagore songs. I started getting popular in signing his songs in my baritone voice. It was he who made me closer to the world of poetry. Wherever I went, whoever I met, a request would come through for a Tagore song. It was my weakness I never learnt classical music. Yet I was the master in truly copying his songs recorded by Hemanta Mukherjee and my dearest Jeorge Biswas. In those days, the songs the public would listen to my voice would invariably question the name of my music teacher. My well wishers thought one day I'll be a popular signer. But I failed to fulfill their aspiration.  Now I hardly find time and energy to sing songs.

It was rhythm in his poems that inspired me to write verses. Of course, the content of my poems was different. Those were more of social perspective than personal. It was he...he..and he who moved around my head that moved me closure to the melodies of Baul singers in rural Bengal. It was he who made me to take my first human rights lesson and observe the world from all angles. The internationalism what Tagore analysed a century ago, is still relevant in the current perspective. The great philosopher of our time who could foresee the pride of nationalism will soon be faded away with the globalisation. Thus he defeated all his contemporaries in his thinking and deeds. The university he founded a century ago bears the name of Viswabharati (international). 

It was his spiritual backing that gave me extra force in my essay writing and even publishing my short stories etc. In fine, I can conclude I never felt his absence even after 150 years of his departure. His influence will continue so long I live on this earth.