Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Rabindranath and League of Nations

After coming over to Shantiniketan , a representative, M.S. Marvin,  from  the Dept. of Culture of the League of Nations, came to Shantiniketan on 12th Jan, 1926. The biographer of Rabindranath wrote;
" He said about the activities of League of Nations in the field peace keeping. But his lecture was not pleasing in relation to the gravity of the subject. Because the auditorium was knowledgeable about the current politics and  critical  to some extent. When Rabindranath met Mr. Marvin, he read about the league of Nations. The poet said, it is sad that no great man from Europe comes to the east.  Very few of them, who comes to the east are not philosopher in nature  nor  are artistic type .The English men started business  in this country and became the ruler. This type of people came to India in a great number. But the European civilisation was not only meant only for ruling India. The cultural side was not also negligible. If that can be done then the union between east and west will be successful."
After coming to his own country, Mr. Marvin wrote in "Manchester Guardian" on 23rd June, 1926, He (Tagore0 is the attraction and the stimulous, and one can see a doubtful prospect for the settlement [ Santiniketan] if these were withdrawn.