Friday, May 18, 2012

Rabindranath in Europe (contd-15)-1921

At 4.30 pm on 26th May Raqbindranath delivered  his desired lecture for winning Nobel Prize. As per ru7les of the Nobel Committee of Swedish Academy the winner of the Nobel Prize had to deliver a lecture.The then British Consul received the Nobel prize and medal on behalf of Rabindranath in 1913 which was hyanded over to Rabindranathy in a ceremony held at Calcutta Govt. house. The proposal of Rabindranath to go  to Sweden did not materialised due to international situation.He came to Sweden cutting short of his programme  this year, in 1921.Rathinderanath wrote in his diary; "Father speaks impromptu.
He is tired, does not5 sp0eak as well. Atmosphere rather stiff."
New India, wrote on 11Aug; "The announcement that the poet was to deliver this lecture at the Swedish Academy gave rise to the rumour in this country that he was going to be awarded the Nobel Peace prize also this year but as a matter of fact  there was no basis for it ."  The 13 page lecture note taken by Akad Nobel Bibliotek of Stock Holm was kept in Rabindra Bhavan.The introductory p0ortion of the lecture comprised of memoirs of Tagore  winning the Nobel Prize ;
" ..when the night came I sat upon the terrace alone, and I asked myself the question what t5he reason could be of my poems being accept5ed and honoured by the West in spite of my belonging to a different race ,...And I can assure you that it was not with a feeling of exaltation but with a searching of heart that I questioned myself and I felt humble at that moment.... I can assure you that the prize which y6ou have awarded to me was not wasted upon myself, I as an  individual had no right to accept it, and therefore I have made use of it for others. I have dedicated it to our Eastern children and students . But then it is like a seed which is put into the earth and comes up again to those who have sown it, and for their benefit is producing fruits. I have used this money which I got from you fror4 3establishing and maintaining the University which I started lately, and it seemed me, that this University should be a place where western students might come and meet their Eastern brethren and where they might work together in the pursuit of truth and try to find the treasures that have lain hidden in the East for centuries and work out the spiritual resources of the East, which are necessary all Humanity....."        
In the dinner Sven Hedin became pleased to be introduced with Rabindranath.