Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Rabindranath at Lucknau with Atul Prasad

                                                                                           House of Atul prasad at Lucknow  Rabindranath and Andrews became the guest of Atul Prasad at Lucknow.They attended at least once in a meeting there.The details of this meeting were published in the magazine "Mahila" in an essay titled "Prabase Rabindranath Thakur and Andrews Saheb";
" Our respectd Poet and the respected foreign friend ultimately had come to this province of Hindusthani.The Bengalee Youngmen's Association had assembled to welcome them.Having noticed  the poet addressed them about the literature and the nature of the good and bad in the behaviour of Bengalees."
The poet said;
"  If we discuss the history of different countries it becomes evident that the development of knowledge, Religion, and literature were spread from Bengal and Magadh. In course of time it started from west and came to east but the east had developed it further and spread it in and around India. It is east which has spread Knowledge and  Religion to Tibet, China, Japan and other places.
Even now a days there are so many learned men in our country that the knowledge of the learned people of the foreign are insignificant. Still the rate of progress of the literature of our country is so slow. The poet said about his experience in America. The Professors of that country in Sanskrit and Tamil are having less knowledge than that of the ordinary teachers of our country. But from the very childhood they have learnt the scientific method of teaching and with the help of that they can utilise properly which they have learnt. There are so many learned men in our country, to speak frankly, they are deeply absorbed  in knowledge and wisdom.They cannot do any progress without the help of scientific method of training. Even today, we have to take the help of English writers for imparting philology. Of course, we must be grateful to them.  But should we remain under the skirt of a woman ? ... Now  Bengalees are going to different parts of the world. If they, from their own place, discuss about the points of similarity and  dissimilarity with the language of that place and the Bengali and write it in a paper or if they themselves collect ideas and deposit them to a particular place and collect local tales of the females then with the help of these then the intellectuals of our country may discover some theories of History and Philology.They may also send their information to our Sahitya Parishad.
It is said that Bengalees have attained greatness in many spheres. But the thing is this, Bengalees are not respected as before. May be the problem is to both. It is because of pride of one and the competition to others. Bengalees had a prlde of greatness to others , in respect of wisdom and Religion. ......"     
Andrews delivered a small lecture. Rabindranath came back to Calcutta from Lucknau on 14th June.