It was on the night of the 29th May, 97 years ago, when He spent a sleepless night thinking about drafting a letter to be written to Lord Chelmsford, the Viceroy , repudiating his Knighthood in protest for Jalianwallahbagh mass killing. He was seething inside with sublime agony as none of the political leaders were raising their voice against this heinous crime.
On another such night on the 29th May of this year(2010), I experienced the same pain as Him when I heard the news of a massive train accident which took place just 20 km from my home town. It was (a kind of) sabotage, done in order to satisfy some political issues (for details please see http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/world/south_asia/10178967.stm). I am an ordinary person. The Prime Minister of India will not read my letter. So, I have no way to get even a little solace (of mind) like Him. I could only spend helpless, sleepless nights and scream with several nightmares.
Its true that all over the world, homicide is becoming a common issue and we all are getting used to it until and unless our land is safe, our family is safe. Being an ordinary, a very ordinary person, I had sympathy for people who were affected due to the 9/11 attack. But it was not a sleepless night. It never came into my nightmare. Simply because there are 12 hours’ time gap between world trade centre and my home place.
We often forget the ratio of terrorists to peaceful citizens is 1:some exponential order of 10 (at least of 6th order). It is amazing isn’t it? That In spite of having a poor population ratio the terrorists have the upper hand! It is true that, terrorists are unpardonable. But we are equally sinful because of our own negligence. Our endurance of terrorism is the only reason for the domination of this inhumanity over humanity. Only sympathy, only impulsion is not sufficient to resolve the problem.
Today when I see that the violence is gobbling up my town, my country even the whole world.. I wonder how He could have used His fence against inhumanity, against terrorism if He would have been alive today. He is the one who made me trust on mankind saying that it is a sin to loose faith on mankind. I was probably in class 2 or 3 when the war between Iraq and Kuwait took place. Everyday the picture occupying the 1st page of newspaper, showing blood, death, injured or dead child created a panic inside me as being a child I was too sensitive to bear with those assaults. My mother who is my best friend, explained me His words that, it is a sin to loose faith on humanity and since then I am believing it deep inside my heart in spite of being in the age of violence, in the age of abomination, in the age of betrayal. He is the sun without which life can't survive. Perhaps, that is why he is Rabindranath Tagore, an example of a humankind characterized by own name. His poems, his songs are not only for making a world of fantasy with moonlight, nature and love but also each of them makes one realized about meaning of life, about thinking beyond isolation. His letter to British Govt. refusing Knighthood offered by them to protest Jalianwallahbag mass killing (for details see http://calcuttaweb.com/about/people/rabindranath-tagore/tagore-letter-to-viceroy) , his effort to start the festival of Rakshabandhan in Bengal in order to stop the division of the state which was proposed in 1905, shows us the way to fight for right without any guns, supporting the principle of M.K. Gandhi who was renamed by Him as 'Mahatma' (The Great Soul). His only weapon was his deep trust on humanity which made him so strong to bear with the agony of separation of his near and dear ones...his sons, wife, daughters one after another in his last age . Solitude was never able to stop this legendary person from his creativity. When his youngest son Shamindranath died, he was returning from Hajaribag after the funeral rituals by train and saw the beauty of forest flooded by moonlight from the train window and realised that there is nothing less in the universe. life is far beyond death..it is just a recycle of being alive and being dead, a transformation of soul. He wrote one of his famous song 'Aj jyotshna rat e sobai geche bone/ basanter ei matal samirone' (today everyone has gone to enjoy the beauty of forest in the moonlight night when the air of spring is as imbibed as it can be. But I will not go. Because, I have to wake up for his arrival, I have to clean up my house although I do not know when will he come) from which anyone will get the message of languishment of a lady who is far away from her beau. But which is in fact a song of realisation of the transformation of life from the stage of being alive to being dead. What can be he called as? A philosopher, a patriot, a person of romanticism or a revolutionist? He, with his creation is so magnificent that he touches each and every moment of us... from sorrow to joy, from isolation to unity, from finite to infinity. Today at the eve of his 150th Birthday (9th May, 2010 according to English calender), we can show a true tribute from core of our heart only if we say his words to the God 'I am bowing infront of you as i have insulted myself being selfish, isolated in order to glorify me. Make my ego engulfed in my tears. Please forgive me and bless me so that I will not show off my work , make me feel that I am just serving you in order to fulfill your desires. I need the ultimate peace provided by you and want to hold your elegance inside my heart. Please give me a space in the lotus of your heart and hide me there from being myself ' (a translation of 'Amar matha nato kore dao he tomar...') and feel it deep inside our heart. We have to overcome our aloofness, have to hold our hands , have to love ourselves have to keep trust on mankind to make this universe free from all betrayals, all agony and it is the time to trust mankind right now from each individual. Because, once we are at the edge of our life,each of us want to convey the message to our friends and family that 'the cup of your heart will not be filled up with tears instead with the drink of my sweet recollection. I have come alone and have to go alone as well from this earth. It is only the deeds of mine which will remain, will cherish you every moment and thus I will be alive forever inside your heart. ' (translation from 'Bhora thak smritisudhai hridoyer patrokhani..')
