Shravan Shuklapaksha 11, Kaliyug Varsha 5116
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1. Writing about Shivaraya (Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj) in Bengali to inspire Bengali people
It was very satisfying for a poet from Eastern India to see that women in Mumbai moving freely in the city without any restrictions. Ravindranath wrote an essay on Mumbai city as ‘Bombai Shahar’ in which he wrote that ‘donations are given generously in Mumbai whereas in Bengal, it was not so; the amount given as donations is very less in Bengal’. Ravindranath explained extra-ordinary character of Shivaraya in Bengali so as to inspire people of Bengal. Shivaraya lived for establishment of ‘Swarajya’ and Ravindranath proclaimed it through his verse.
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2. Lokmanya Tilak and Ravindranath Tagore’s overwhelming respect for each other for Tilak’s patriotism and Ravindranath’s intelligence and work !
In 1898, Pune was hit with epidemic of plague in which many people lost their life owing to indifference of the British and dependence of our people on them. Ravindranath Tagore, very much disturbed with the incidents, had written an article, in Bengali, in his periodical ‘Bharati’; mainly criticizing the way of working adopted to face this crisis. During the same year, Lokmanya Tilak was sentenced to 1-1/2 years imprisonment. Ravindranath Tagore collected donations from people of Bengal and sent the same to Pune for Tilak to fight his case. Ravindranath had overwhelming respect towards Tilak for his patriotism. Tilak too admired Ravindranath’s intelligence and his activities.
Source : Dainik Sanatan Prabhat
