“In his play Muktadhara (The Waterfall), Tagore robustly employs this element of freedom. The play relates the story of an exploited people and their eventual release from it. [Today, when] tribal populations across India are being uprooted with impudence Tagore’s message of freedom, in all its shades, is of utmost relevance.” – Bhaswati Ghosh in “Freedom in Tagore’s Plays” (Parabaas, 9 May 2011)
https://www.parabaas.com/rabindranath/articles/pBhaswati.html
https://indiantribalheritage.org/?p=6357
A most important truth, which we are apt to forget, is that a teacher can never truly teach unless he is still learning himself. A lamp can never light another lamp unless it continues to burn its own flame. – Rabindranath Tagore quoted in Santiniketan (1961, p. 28) India celebrated the 150th birth anniversary of Rabindranath … Read more
Santiniketan’s bell – Photo © Ludwig Pesch Located about 158 km northwest of Kolkata in Bengal’s rural hinterland, Santiniketan embodies Rabindranath Tagore’s vision of a place of learning that is unfettered by religious and regional barriers. Established in 1863 with the aim of helping education go beyond the confines of the classroom, Santiniketan grew into … Read more
Nandalal Bose, Jamini Roy, Gopal Ghose, Gobardhan Ash… and now Ramkinkar Baij (1906-1980). The year 2013 may yet prove to be one of rich retrieval of art heritage, some of it marginalized in Bengal’s collective memory. Although wide recognition did not come to Baij early, he gained the status of a cult figure that ensured a … Read more
HISTORICAL AND SOCIAL CONTEXT India’s indigenous communities are commonly known as Adivasi (“original inhabitants”), a term introduced in the early 20th century and subject to debate ever since: official reports and documents refer to them as “Scheduled tribes” (ST), for instance the Indian Constitution and other legal documents that list “Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups” (PVTG). Some of the nomadic … Read more