Dhaka-Delhi joint celebrations start

The Bangladesh-India joint celebrations of the 150th birth anniversary of Nobel laureate poet Rabindranath Tagore began in the city Friday, reports bdnews24.com. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the three-day celebration at the Bangabandhu International Conference Centre in presence of Indian Vice-President M Hamid Ansari. She also released four commemorative stamps on the occasion. At the inaugural session, a replica of 'Padma Boat', used by Tagore, was handed over to the Indian vice-president, who arrived in Dhaka on Thursday to attend the programme. Writer Ahmed Rafiq and singer Ajit Roy were also honoured with Rabindra Award for their lifelong contribution to Tagore studies. With Information and Cultural Affairs Minister Abul Kalam Azad in the chair, the inaugural programme was addressed, among others, by State Minister for Cultural Affairs Promode Mankin and acting secretary to the ministry Suraiya Begum. The programmes in Delhi will begin today (Saturday) where planning minister A K Khandker will lead a delegation on behalf of the Bangladesh prime minister. Hasina will not be able to attend the Delhi programmes as she will take part in the LDC-IV conference in Istanbul then. The decision to jointly celebrate the 150th birth anniversary of Tagore was taken during Hasina's visit to New Delhi in January last year. Hasina told the inaugural programme that her government had taken initiatives to set up Rabindra University at Shilaidaha in Kushtia and to preserve the memories of the poet in Patisar and Shahzadpur. As part of the joint celebrations, a special train, 'Sonar Tori' would run between Dhaka and Kolkata, she added. The prime minister said Rabindranath had married Bhabatarini, a lady from Khulna. "Later he named her Mrinalini." The Indian vice-president said both countries had separately celebrated Tagore's birth centenary half a century back, but "this time we are celebrating the poet's 150th birth anniversary jointly". "I am delighted to be here today to represent the government of India," he said. Bangladesh has allocated Tk 60 million to celebrate Tagore's 150th birth anniversary programmes. The allocation is Tk 200,000 at divisional level, Tk 100,000 at district level and Tk 50,000 at Upzaila level. Apart from exhibitions of Tagore's paintings, seminars, workshops, commemorative publications and joint productions and performances of dance and dramas, based on the stories written by Tagore, Rabindra Sangeet and a film, will be organised in India as part of the programmes. The Indian government had constituted a National Committee, under the chairmanship of prime minister Manmohan Singh, and a National Implementation Committee, headed by finance minister Pranab Mukherjee, to oversee the celebrations. Dhaka and Delhi are also planning to launch a tourism circuit called 'Rabindra Tirtha', which would include Jorasanko, Shantiniketan, Shilaidaha, Shahzadpur and other places related with Tagore's legacy in both Bangladesh and India. During the inaugural ceremony in Delhi, the National Implementation Committee members will present to Indian Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh and AK Khandker important commemorative items, including Rabindra Chitravali, which is a distinctive- first of its kind - compilation of around 2000 paintings of Tagore brought out with support of the Ministry of Culture of the Indian government. A set of DVDs of "Tagore Stories on Film" and Satyajit Ray's documentary on Tagore will also be released on the occasion. The DVDs were put together from restored archival materials by India's National Film Development Corporation and subtitled in English. A commemorative stamp on Tagore will also be released, along with commemorative coins. Speaking at the inaugural function, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina called for building a prosperous, modern, non-communal and democratic Bangladesh in line with the dreams of great poet Rabindranath Tagore and Bangabandhu. She said Rabindranath had started his innovative research on education, rural rehabilitation, development and social disparities on the soil of Bangladesh. The Prime Minister said the dream country of Rabindranath was free from poverty and illiteracy where the farmers and workers would get the freedom of movement with their heads high and the women get the right to survive. She said Bangabandhu had fought all through his live to materialize the same dream. "We want to establish a welfare state," the Prime Minister said and vowed to fight unitedly against poverty and hunger - the enemies of South Asia. "I believe, if a country or a region is economically poor, its mental and cultural development is hampered. That country or nation cannot stand with its head high," she said. Sheikh Hasina said, "In our childhood we used to listen the recitation of Tagore's poems in deep voice of the greatest Bangalee of all time and Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman." She said, "My study of Rabindranath began from my father. Later, during my university life as a student of Bengali literature, I had the opportunity to know Rabindranath and his literature extensively." The Prime Minister mentioned the presence of the Indian Vice President in the 150th birth anniversary programme of Tagore and said the great poet, who penned national anthems of Bangladesh and India, remains friendship and bridge between the two countries. The Prime Minister said, "We achieved independent and sovereign Bangladesh and Sonar Bangla as dreamt by Rabindranath at the call of Bangabandhu through the War of Liberation and in exchange for the lives of three million martyrs." She said the songs and poems of Tagore had inspired the people during the Liberation War to sacrifice life for the country. The Prime Minister said Rabindranath will remain as a glittering star in our mind as long as Bangladesh, Bangla language and Bangali culture last and his creation, dreams and philosophy do not keep his identity limited as Bangali and Indian. "Crossing the areas of home, he is truly a Biswa Kabi," she said.