Thanks for the release. Despite me being a huge fan, I personally feel that it is a travesty to compare Gandhi and Tagore in spirit. One sacrificed immensely for humanity, other was a brutal feudal lord in trade. In reality, these two people couldn't be further away from each other in practice. It is very easy to confuse 'person' Tagore with 'poet' Tagore, especially by overzealous fans. The two personas of Tagore are completely isolated from each other in Tagore's life. One had no influence over the other. Here are some facts you may want to look at.

"Not only Zamindar Rabindranath or the entire Tagore dynasty did not have any record of donating anything, he did not have any reputation of making any donation towards primary schools, orphanage or dam constructions in Shahzadpur, Shilaidoh or Patishor. On the contrary, conniving threat from Tagore dynasty, Kangal Harinath Majumdar published narrative of Tagore dynasty's oppression and setting of arson to the entire villages." [Prof Ahmed Sharif, Rabindruttor Trityo Projonmey Rabindra Mullayan, Quaterly Uttaradhikar, published by Bangla Academy, Baisakh-Ashar issue, 1393].

In a letter written to Manoranjan Banerjee in Agrahayan 19, 1309 Tagore clarified his position on the issue of salutation in these words, 'No non-hindu customs would be allowed into this school; It is imperative that students express their respect to Brahmin professors by touching their feet (pronum) and utter namasker to non-Brahmin teachers as per the rules set aside by Manu Sanghita.' " [Satyendranath Roy, 'Rabindra Manoney Hindu Dharma', The Desh, Autumn issue, 1905, p.305]

Narayan Choudhury had this to say about Tagore, "Tagore had always been supporter of Zamindari system. It would be very hard to present any proof that he was saddened on seeing repression on the subjects. He even opposed the transfer of lands to the subjects on the argument that that measure would pave the way to misappropriation of lands." [Promoth Choudhury, Ryot'er Katha (introduction section) and Bataynik'er Patra].

in 1894 he raised the tax levied on his subjects. He even purchased new Zamindari from the Martin Company. There had been incidents of rebellion by the subjects due to raising of tax and collection of tax by force. Tagore suppressed that rebellion with great success! One Ismail Mollah led the rebellion against Tagore in Shilaidoh.

"Tagore was not accustomed to tolerate any unfavourable criticism of him. Had there been nobody to protest in his favour, he used to defend himself by writing under pen names. Tagore-lover and Tagore-blessed Annadashankar Roy said, 'Tagore used to remove or destroy any evidence of his mistakes, criticisms or misdeeds with utmost care.' " [Prof Ahmed Sharif, Rabindruttor Trityo Projonmey Rabindra Mullayan, Quaterly Uttaradhikar, published by Bangla Academy, Baisakh-Ashar issue, 1393].

Tagore was not only a devout hindu but a highly anti-Muslim character. Even Prof Ahmed Sharif passed the following comments about him, "It does not bear any shred of liberal non-communalism on his part when almost all of his subjects in his Zamindari were Muslims, slaughtering of cows was banned, increased amount of taxes were collected by force or new hindu settlements were established to repress the protesting voices." [Prof Ahmed Sharif, Rabindruttor Trityo Projonmey Rabindra Mullayan, Quaterly Uttaradhikar, published by Bangla Academy, Baisakh-Ashar issue, 1393]


"Nirod C. Choudhuri commented about Tagore, "Never before in the history of Bengal, a famous Bengali, pure Bengali Hindu better than Tagore was ever born." Tagore handed down his verdict like this way, "British rule is all about God's rule. To rebel against it is sin." He said, "Although Muslims are followers of Islam, they are Hindu in race; They are basically 'Hindu-Muslim'." [Dr Badiuzzaman, Bidrohi Rabindranath Paschim'er Shimantey, 2000].

"Though a Brahmin, Tagore married 11-year old Mrinalini Devi at his age of 22 years. He married off his three daughters at the ages of 15.5, 12 and 14 years, respectively. Since his blossoming youth, his life revolved around Brahmo society, worshipping in temple, and Tatyabodhini magazine. Although Tagore, throughout his entire life, was devoted to the welfare of Brahmo society, and religious duties, there exists no clear proof about the emergence of shapeless Brahmo or Vedic Brahmo ideology in his mindset. Gods and Goddesses of Hindu mythology enveloped his thought process in his emotive world." [Prof Ahmed Sharif, Rabindruttor Trityo Projonmey Rabindra Mullayan, Quaterly Uttaradhikar, published by Bangla Academy, Baisakh-Ashar issue, 1393].

A devout Rabindra researcher Probodhchandra Sen had this to say about Tagore, "... Like Bankimchandra, Rabindranath was not solely devoted to the cause of Bengal rather to that of Mother India. Actually, he never showed distinct respect towards Bengali culture and tradition. For Bangladesh, he left behind the proposition of assimilation with India. ... There is hardly any influence of the history of Bengal in the works of Tagore." [Probodhchandra Sen, Bhor'er Paakhi O Ananya Proshongo, 1998, p.281]

"However, he did not harbour the same feeling towards the British. Rather he nurtured profound love, confidence and respect for them. The reason behind his indifference towards politics of self-governance in the country, non-chalance about the establishement of independence movement was this love for the British. Novels like 'Ghorey-Bairey', 'Char Odday' and some essays are worth recalling in this respect. He did not have propensity to establish self-governance for India. He was expectant of good governance by the British. Essays like 'Rajkutumbo', 'Ghushoghushi', 'Swadeshi Samaj' etc are to be recalled here. It is to be kept in mind that brutal killing at Jaliwanwalabagh did not move him an inch to renounce his Knighthood; it took 46 days for him to come to that decision due to some internal pressure. The 40-year old poet composed 'Matrishokashchash' to mourn the death of Queen Victoria; Knighthood delighted him to his heart's content, and in 1911 the grateful poet composed, on behalf of the Hindus, the hymn 'Jonogon Mon Odhinayok' to extol King George V for repealing the Bengal Partition Act." [Prof Ahmed Sharif, Rabindruttor Trityo Projonmey Rabindra Mullayan, Quaterly Uttaradhikar, published by Bangla Academy, Baisakh-Ashar issue, 1393].