Shantiniketan (WB), Dec 20: Union Minister Amit Shah paid homage to Rabindranath Tagore during a visit to the Vishva-Bharati on Sunday, crediting the Nobel laureate for turning Shantiniketan into a centre for cultural exchanges.
He said that as the Vishva-Bharati nears its centenary year, Tagore’s teachings should spread across the world, helping Indian knowledge and culture achieve international acclaim through his works.
“Tagore has not only enriched the philosophy and literature of India, but also made Shantiniketan a base for connecting Indian culture with that of many other countries,” Shah told reporters at the end of his two-hour-long visit to the central university. He said the bard’s teachings point to the fact that the purpose of education is to overcome narrowness and know the truth.
Talking about Tagore’s contribution to the freedom movement, he said that there were two views of nationalism, the chief proponents of which were Mahatma Gandhi and Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, and both derived their inspiration from the same source.
“I firmly believe that it was not the Nobel prize that acknowledged Tagores works, but it found its own acknowledgement by honouring Tagore,” Shah said.
The home minister said the Nobel laureate had also endeavoured for upliftment of villages along with betterment of healthcare and cleanliness. (PTI)
