The Mahatma and The Poet
In more than the 25 years they had known each other, Gandhi and Tagore exchanged nearly a 100 letters between them. Their contents wide ranging from matters relating to an evolving National Struggle, to affectionate, warm personal enquiries and sharings by two friends. And it was not that they always agreed. Between them were probably some of the most important and soaring debates of Modern India. Yet its amazing to see how they've kept their humanity and deep reverential friendship alive through all the rumble-tumble intensity of those times.
This was the last correspondence between them, sent over telegram. It brought tears to my eyes.
(Gandhi's greetings on Tagore's 81st birthday - 13 April 1941)
To: Gurudev Shantiniketan
Four score not enough may you finish five
Love
In more than the 25 years they had known each other, Gandhi and Tagore exchanged nearly a 100 letters between them. Their contents wide ranging from matters relating to an evolving National Struggle, to affectionate, warm personal enquiries and sharings by two friends. And it was not that they always agreed. Between them were probably some of the most important and soaring debates of Modern India. Yet its amazing to see how they've kept their humanity and deep reverential friendship alive through all the rumble-tumble intensity of those times.
This was the last correspondence between them, sent over telegram. It brought tears to my eyes.
(Gandhi's greetings on Tagore's 81st birthday - 13 April 1941)
To: Gurudev Shantiniketan
Four score not enough may you finish five
Love
Gandhi
(The Poet's reply)
(The Poet's reply)
To: Mahatma Wardha
Thanks message but four score is impertinence, five score intolerable
Thanks message but four score is impertinence, five score intolerable
Rabindranath
posted by naveen at
12:47 PM
1 Comments:
The mutual respect that these two great souls had for each other is worth emulating. They had opposing views on nationalism and many such issues but those disagreements didn't let them cross the lines of respect. Although both walked different paths, they knew the other's commitment to humanity and development of the nation - Gandhiji through his Freedom movement and Tagoreji through Shantiniketan.
Tagoreji conferred the title "Mahatma" to Gandhiji and Gandhiji used to address Tagoreji as "Gurudev".
By
Madhusudhan M, at Sunday, January 02, 2011
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