Tagore’s comments from Prime Minister Modi at Visva-Bharati University draw strong reaction to Trinamool Congress

New Delhi:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, addressing Visva-Bharati University in Bengal today in its centenary, said that the vision of its iconic founder Rabindranath Tagore was the essence of “Aatmanirbhar Bharat” or self-sufficient India. He also said that the university embodied Indian nationalist sentiment during Independence with the guidance of Rabindranath Tagore.

“Guided by Gurudev (Rabindranath Tagore) Visva-Bharati presented a strong image of Indian nationalist sentiment during Independence. Gurudev He wanted all of humanity to benefit from the spiritual awakening of India. Atmanirbhar Bharat’s vision is also a by-product of this sentiment, “Prime Minister Modi said in a virtual address to Visva-Bharati University in Shantiniketan.

“Be it Visva-Bharati University, Banaras Hindu University, Aligarh Muslim University, Delhi University, Jamia Millia Islamia University, Andhra University, Anna Malai University, and several others are top-notch institutions. and they arose around the same time, around the same time and fueled India’s thirst for knowledge. Today, as more and more people are getting a good education, we now have to work to build a strong and wise, one that is self-sufficient. We must be inspired that they have contributed to making India great over the centuries and millennia. We must also consider the India that our freedom fighters envisioned when they fought for our independence. That is why that we are now in the stage of creating an Aatmanirbhar Bharat. “

The tribute to one of Bengal’s most famous sons is significant at a time when a tough campaign for next year’s election has seen Trinamool’s ruling Congress and its main rival, Prime Minister Modi’s BJP, fighting for the legacy. status and larger icons.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress accused the center of “insulting” her by not inviting her to the event. However, the BJP presented the letter from the university inviting the chief minister and accused her of insulting the Tagore institution by not attending the function.

A debate has also emerged over the prime minister’s attempt to highlight Tagore’s connection to his home state Gujarat, perhaps as a retort to Mamata Banerjee, who has repeatedly said that she will not allow Bengal to become Gujarat.

“When I speak of GurudevI can’t stop talking a bit about your visits to Gujarat. He used to visit his older brother who was stationed there. He even wrote two of his famous poems while in Gujarat. The reason I say all this is because it shows how in India it has always been about diverse cultures coming together and living in harmony. We are a nation of diverse cultures, languages, clothing, food and much more, but many things unite us and it is this unity in diversity that is our greatest strength. It’s all about ‘Ek Bharat, Shresth Bharat‘”said the Prime Minister. He also referred to Tagore’s sister-in-law, saying that she introduced the modern sari to India.

The Trinamool Congress reacted sharply to the Prime Minister’s comments and also criticized him for “mispronunciation and factual”.

Bengal Minister Bratya Bose said the attempt to link Tagore and Gujarat was inexplicable.

“Tagore’s brother who was in Gujarat was not the older brother. His wife’s name was Gyanadanandini, not what the prime minister said. The story about Gyanadanandini and the pallu sari is a myth, not true,” Bose said. .

He also criticized Prime Minister Modi’s comments on Visva-Bharati symbolizing nationalism. “The prime minister spoke of nationalism, Tagore said that nationalism was the most divisive. Using religion to divide was not what Tagore advocated. His novel ‘Gora’ was about religion and what it eventually means to man. His novel ‘Ghare Baire’s message was that nationalism is an addiction that divides, “commented the senior Trinamool leader.