Dr. Rajshree Bhattacharya, Bengal Music College
“Naginira charidike feliteche bishakto niswas,
Shantir lalit bani shonaibe byartha parihas—
Biday nebar age tai
Dak diye jai
Danober sathe jara sangramer tare
Prastut hoteche ghore ghore.”
(Prantik, Poem 18)
“নাগিনীরা চারিদিকে ফেলিতেছে বিষাক্ত নিঃশ্বাস
শান্তির ললিত বাণী শোনাইবে ব্যর্থ পরিহাস—
বিদায় নেবার আগে তাই
ডাক দিয়ে যাই
দানবের সাথে যারা সংগ্রামের তরে
প্রস্তুত হতেছে ঘরে ঘরে।”
(প্রান্তিক, কবিতা ১৮)
Introduction
The socio-political crisis of the twentieth century found one of its most profound interpreters in Rabindranath Tagore. His later poetry and prose bear the marks of a deep anguish at the collapse of moral civilization under the weight of aggressive nationalism, imperial expansion, and mechanized warfare. The eighteenth and final poem of Prantik (1937), written on Christmas Day, stands as a prophetic warning against the gathering storm that would culminate in World War II.
Tagore’s poetic metaphor of “poisonous serpents breathing venom” while ironically preaching peace is a scathing indictment of political hypocrisy. The poem is not merely lyrical; it is a call to moral preparedness. Beneath its symbolic language lies a clear appeal to confront destructive forces threatening humanity.
Historical Context: War Before the War
Although World War II formally began in 1939, many historians argue that its Asian phase effectively commenced in 1937 with Japan’s full-scale invasion of China. The atrocities of the Sino-Japanese conflict, including the Nanjing Massacre, deeply disturbed global intellectuals, including Tagore.
Tagore had visited Japan multiple times (1916, 1917, 1924) and had admired its aesthetic discipline, artistic refinement, and the ethical influence of Buddhism. However, the rise of militarism transformed his admiration into disappointment. In his earlier lectures in Japan, later published as “Nationalism” (1917), Tagore had already warned against the dangers of aggressive nationalism that dehumanizes societies.
The Tagore–Noguchi Correspondence: Universalism vs. Nationalism
A crucial episode illuminating this ideological conflict is the correspondence between Tagore and the Japanese poet Yone Noguchi. Initially bound by artistic admiration, their friendship deteriorated over Japan’s expansionist aggression in China.
Tagore condemned Japanese militarism as a betrayal of its cultural and spiritual heritage. Noguchi, however, defended Japan’s actions from a nationalist standpoint. Their exchange reveals a profound intellectual divergence:
- Noguchi upheld national pride and political sovereignty, even if enforced militarily.
- Tagore upheld universal humanism, insisting that nationalism must never override moral responsibility.
Tagore’s stance was so uncompromising that he preferred Japan’s defeat to the triumph of militarism, even though Japan was indirectly sympathetic to India’s anti-British struggle. This placed him at odds with nationalist revolutionaries like Rash Behari Bose, who urged restraint in criticizing Japan.
The episode underscores Tagore’s unwavering commitment to humanity over nation—a position that cost him friendships but strengthened his moral authority.
From Spiritual Prayer to Political Protest
Tagore’s transformation during this period is striking. On 7th Poush, 1939, at the Upasana Griha (Glass Temple) in Santiniketan, instead of merely chanting the Upanishads as in previous years, he delivered the powerful address “Proloyer Srishti” (“Catastrophe Born”). This speech signaled a shift from contemplative spirituality to urgent political engagement.
Tagore, the lifelong apostle of peace, now spoke of resistance—even invoking modern weaponry such as the “machine gun.” This was not a contradiction but a moral evolution. For Tagore, peace without justice was hollow rhetoric. The suppression of tyranny became, paradoxically, a prerequisite for universal love.
His argument aligns with his essays in Kalantar (1937) and later culminates in his celebrated address “Crisis in Civilization” (1941), where he mourns the collapse of Western humanist ideals yet reaffirms faith in the resilience of humanity.
The Philosophical Foundation of Resistance
Tagore’s thought must not be mistaken for militant nationalism. His critique was directed not against nations per se, but against the mechanical, dehumanizing structure of modern political nationalism. In Nationalism (1917), he wrote:
“Nationalism is a great menace.”
Yet, by the late 1930s, he acknowledged that passive idealism could not counter organized violence. His call for struggle in Prantik reflects an ethical realism: when “demons” threaten civilization, moral resistance becomes necessary.
This duality—universal love combined with readiness to resist oppression—places Tagore within a broader humanist political philosophy. His worldview transcended binaries of pacifism and militancy; instead, it sought a just world order rooted in dignity, equality, and spiritual unity.
Optimism Amid Ruins
Despite his anguish, Tagore remained an eternal optimist. In “Crisis in Civilization”, delivered months before his death in 1941, he expressed hope that a new civilization would arise from the debris of war:
“I shall never lose faith in Man.”
For Tagore, the crisis of humanity was not the end of history but a moral testing ground. The destructive forces of nationalism and imperialism would ultimately give way to a renewed ethical consciousness.
Conclusion
The socio-political debate surrounding Tagore’s late writings reveals a thinker deeply engaged with the global crisis of his time. The poem from Prantik is more than a prophetic warning—it is a moral summons. Through his critique of Japanese militarism, his break with Noguchi, his ideological distance from revolutionary nationalism, and his later political speeches, Tagore articulated a vision of resistance grounded in universal humanism.
In an era again marked by polarization, war, and ideological extremism, Tagore’s voice retains urgent relevance. His message reminds us that true civilization rests not on power or conquest, but on the ethical awakening of humanity.
References
- Tagore, Rabindranath. Prantik. Visva-Bharati, 1937.
- Tagore, Rabindranath. Kalantar. Visva-Bharati, 1937.
- Tagore, Rabindranath. Nationalism. Macmillan, 1917.
- Tagore, Rabindranath. “Crisis in Civilization” (Sabhyatar Sankat), 1941.
- Dutta, Krishna and Robinson, Andrew. Rabindranath Tagore: The Myriad-Minded Man. Bloomsbury, 1995.
- Sen, Amartya. “Tagore and His India.” The New York Review of Books, 1997.
- Hay, Stephen N. Asian Ideas of East and West: Tagore and His Critics in Japan, China, and India. Harvard University Press, 1970.
- Dasgupta, Uma. Rabindranath Tagore: A Biography. Oxford University Press, 2004.