Opposition ran down Modi’s love for rabindra sanGeet

The controversy generated by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress over Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent comment (in his Mann Ki Baat) relating to the timing of “Rabindra Sangeet” broadcast by All India Radio’s Kolkata station looks like a case of making a mountain out of a molehill. The TMC added more fuel to the fire before Modi’s visit to Shantiniketan on Friday for the university’s convocation. This was the PM’s first visit to Visva-Bharati as the university chancellor. Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina also visited Shantiniketan on the occasion to inaugurate a building constructed by the Bangladesh government there. The two functions were also attended by the state Governor K.N. Tripathi and Mamata Banerjee.

Visva-Bharati presented to the PM the replica of the first edition of Tagore’s anthology of poems, Gitanjali, published in London in 1912. He was also given a replica of the original manuscript of Tagore’s famous poem Chitto Jetha Bhoy AShunno (“Where the mind is without fear…”) both in Bengali and Tagore’s own translation of the poem in English. He was also given a CD with half a dozen Tagore songs sung by Sangeet Bhavan students. The songs included Aguner Paroshmoni Choaon Prane and Anando Loke, Mongol Aloke, two songs mentioned by the PM in his Mann ki Baat in April.

Ayan Bandopadhyay of Debitola village in North 24 Parganas had written to Modi requesting him to touch upon Tagore’s philosophy of peace and brotherhood and harmony in his Mann ki Baat. But the PM’s statement that he used to listen to Tagore songs on AIR at 5.30 a.m., was converted into a controversy by the TMC and the Congress, alleging that in those days no radio station in India aired Tagore’s songs so early in the morning. But many responsible persons to whom this writer spoke to said that Modi was right about the timing he mentioned.

Talking to The Sunday Guardian, Rahul Sinha, BJP national secretary and former president of the party’s state unit, said, “Modi is the first PM to express his love for Tagore songs. He also is a great admirer of Tagore’s teachings.”

He added, “Whether Modi listened to Tagore songs at 5.30 in the morning or six or seven is immaterial. Only nit-pickers dwell upon such things.”