Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Santiniketan (contd-13)

Rabindranath discussed about Santiniketan with Mohit Chandra and decided to form a committee. On 2 June, 2003, he wrote to Manoranjan Babu that Mohit Babu was given the charge of determining the method of teaching and management of the School. A committee with  Jagadish, Mohit Babu and Dr.Durgadas Gupta  was formed. Mohit Babu would go to Bolpur from Almorah and after doing his duty would   go to Calcutta.  He thought that from now on the school would run smoothly.
Rabindranath was gradually being dependant on Mohit Babu. He was also dependant on publication of his Kabyagrantha on Mohit Chandra.
Rabindranath's mind was compltely occupied with the management of Santiniketan. On 7 June, he wrote to Satish Chandra,
The routine you had sent was seen to be filled up with your labour. You could not be able to go for long with such a routine. Another teacher was essential for you. If you would not get an Engineering student , you should try to find a suitable teacher. Otherwise you would be in great difficulty. If Nagendra Babu was not available, you should try to get Narendranath.
Rabindranath had much respect on Satish Chandra. He was moved by reading his poem 'Duo-Rani'.
But according to him appointment of a teacher in the School was very urgent. He wrote Mohit Chandra , on the same day, that he was too much worried about the school and he would feel relieved on learning that Mohit Babu had arrived there. Now there were only 5 teachers and it was impossible to run the school with only 5 teachers. Appointment of another teacher is essential.
Akshoy Chandra Sarkar was critical about Rabindranath's kabya. He got his son Achyut Chandra admitted in Brahmacharyasram. He also appeared as a critic of the method of teaching in the School.
Achyut did not know how to write good English. There were many words in Bengali which were difficult to translate  in English. As for example, 'Beni pitamatar katha shone na'.English word for  'Katha shona ' was difficult to translate by an ordinary Bengali stiudent.
Akshoy Chandra had some complain for teachers also.
Rabindranath wrote a letter to Jagadananda Roy describing the qualities of Kunjalal Ghosh as a teacher. He was  an excellent and energetic one but he was too much strict. He was not emotional, he was a man of action. He had no similarity in behavior with Rabindranath even - if it was so Rabindranath would have been happy but he would not get any work from him.
Rabindranath wrote Mohit Chandra ,
"I was moved to see the horizon, I could not open my heart to Mountains."
But he wrote two poems on Mountains, one was 'Himalaya' and the other was 'Shilalipi'.