Tagore instilled self-esteem, cultural consciousness, spirit of freedom: HM Shah on literary titan’s 84th death anniv
New Delhi: On the 84th death anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday paid heartfelt tributes to the literary titan, lauding his immense contribution to India’s cultural and national identity. HM Shah said Tagore’s timeless works instilled self-esteem, cultural consciousness, and the spirit of independence in the nation during its freedom struggle.
Taking to social media platform ‘X’, the Union Home Minister wrote, “Respectful tributes on the death anniversary of Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore, the great litterateur, composer of the national anthem and global propagator of Indian philosophy.”
“During the freedom struggle, his timeless creations paved a new path by infusing the nation with self-esteem, cultural consciousness and the spirit of independence. By establishing Visva-Bharati University, he strengthened education based on the Indian knowledge tradition and gave the country the pride of the national anthem. Gurudev’s thoughts will continue to inspire nation-building for ages,” HM Shah added.
Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, also paid homage and said, “Remembering the true soul of our National Anthem ‘Jana Gana Mana’, Indian polymath, Nobel Laureate, and social reformer Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore ji on his death anniversary.”
Tagore, born on May 7, 1861, passed away on August 7, 1941, at the age of 80 due to severe uraemia and a blocked urinary bladder.
Widely revered as the “Bard of Bengal,” Tagore was not only a poet but also a composer, painter, playwright, and a reformer who reshaped the cultural and intellectual fabric of the Indian subcontinent.
In 1913, Tagore became the first non-European to win the Nobel Prize in Literature for his collection of poems, ‘Gitanjali’. His deeply spiritual and lyrical verses brought Indian literature to the global stage. He holds the rare distinction of composing the national anthems of two countries — India’s ‘Jana Gana Mana’ and Bangladesh’s ‘Amar Shonar Bangla.’
Tagore’s legacy includes more than 2,000 songs, forming the foundation of the Rabindra Sangeet genre. Over his long career, he produced eight novels, 84 short stories, numerous plays, essays, and thousands of poems that explored themes of humanity, freedom, and identity.
He renounced his Knighthood, awarded in 1915 by King George V, as a protest against the Jallianwala Bagh massacre in 1919 — a symbolic act that solidified his stature as a moral voice of resistance.
His connection with Bangladesh remains profound, having composed many works in places like Shilaidaha, Shahzadpur, and Patishar. In 1921, he established Visva-Bharati University in Santiniketan, envisioning it as a hub of global learning rooted in Indian tradition.
Tagore’s enduring influence continues to shape generations, both in India and abroad.