International Conference on Rabindranath Tagore Today

RABINDRANATH TAGORE (7 MAY 1861 – 7 AUGUST 1941), MOST EMINENT MODERN BENGALI POET AND LITTERATEUR, IS ALSO CRITIC, ESSAYIST, COMPOSER AND EDUCATOR. HE WAS THE FIRST INDIAN AND FIRST ASIAN TO WIN THE NOBEL PRIZE FOR LITERATURE IN 1913.

“The Indian heart will again be full when our education is a blend of the Vedic, Puranic, Buddhist, Jain and Islamic minds. That is how India will grasp the unity in its diversity.

We must rediscover ourselves in this connected way or else our education will not be our own. No nation can thrive on imitation.”

- Rabindranath Tagore, 1919, in Uma Das Gupta ed., Rabindranath Tagore, My Life in

My Words, Penguin Books, 2010, p. 196.

Welcome

International Conference

on

Rabindranath Tagore Today

“Where the Mind is without Fear and the Head is held High”

7 – 8 April, 2011

Department of English

Chaudhary Charan Singh University, Meerut, India

Contact

Dr Arun Kumar, Professor & Head, Department of English

Chaudhary Charan Singh University

Meerut - 250005 - Uttar Pradesh - India

drarun_kumar72@rediffmail.com

Cell: 91 – 98977 06116

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KEYNOTE SPEAKER

Uma Das Gupta

Santiniketan

UMA DAS GUPTA did her postdoctoral research on Rabindranath Tagore and the history of the institutions he founded at Santiniketan and Sriniketan, 1940-41. Her recent publications include The Oxford India Tagore: Selected Writings on Education and Nationalism and Rabindranath Tagore: A Biography. Her forthcoming publications include a collection of Tagore’s writings on India’s history and culture. Das Gupta taught at Jadavpur University, Calcutta and Visva-Bharati University, Santiniketan and was Head of the United States Educational Foundation in India for the Eastern Region.

Call for Abstracts (200-300 words maximum)/Papers (designed for 15 Minute delivery; maximum)/Bio-Briefs (150-200 words).The deadline for submission by Registered Post is

15 March 2011.

The mission of the Department of English at Chaudhary Charan Singh University, Meerut is to offer Rabindranath Tagore scholars and other interested persons an opportunity to share in the study and appreciation of the life and works of the author.

Registration:

INR 2,500/-

INR 1,000/- Research Scholars/Student Fee

Registration Form

INR 2,500/-

INR 1,000/- Research Scholars/Student Fee

Your registration fee includes: breakfast and lunch on 7^th April, Thursday and 8^th April, Friday and all conference sessions, kit and materials.

Presenter registration closes on March 15 2011.

The detailed programme will be posted on the conference website shortly after this date. Attendee registration will remain open until the conference facility fills.

First Name ………………......... Middle …………………………. Last Name ……………………….

Affiliation …………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Address for Correspondence ………………………………………………………………………………

E-mail Address…………………………………………………………………………………………….......

Cell ……………………………………………… Tel ……………………………………………………........

Cheque/Demand Draft No. /Date ………………………………………………………………………..

Bank Name ………………………………...............................................................................

Do you need accommodation? …………………………………………………………………………….

Please enclose an Abstract and a Bio-Brief for inclusion in the programme.

Payment Method (Please tick one):

- Personal Cheque/Demand Draft favouring Dr Arun Kumar and payable at Meerut.

- Cash (in person only)

- INR 2,500/- Registration Fee

- INR 1,000 Research Scholars/Student Fee

Please PRINT and fill out a separate form for each registrant.

Mail by Registered Post to:

Dr Arun Kumar

Professor & Head, Department of English

Chaudhary Charan Singh University

Meerut – U.P. – India

drarun_kumar72@rediffmail.com

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Rabindra Jayanti: 150th Year Celebrations

‎University of Hyderabad
along with
Hyderabad Bangalee Samity
and
Department of Culture, A.P.
is pleased to host
Rabindra Jayanti: 150th Year Celebrations

Basanta Utsav: Roop-Raag
4-6 February 2011
At
Ravindra Bharati, Hyderabad

4th February, Friday
6 pm
Introduction: Dr. M.T. Ansari and Dr. Nandini Bhattacharya, UoH

Welcome: Prof. Vinod Pavarala
Dean, S.N.School of Arts & Communication, UoH

Sri Basuthakur,
President, Hyderabad Bangalee Samity

Inauguration
by
Sri Jayesh Ranjan, IAS
Secretary to A.P. Government
Department of Culture and Tourism

Welcome Messages
by
Smt. Chandana Khan, IAS
Principal Secretary to A.P. Govt., Primary Education
And Sarvasiksha Abhyam

and

Dr. Kanta Rao, IPS
Director of Cultural Affairs, Ravindra Bharati, Hyderabad

4th February, Friday
6.30 pm
Chandalika
A dance drama in Kuchipudi style
Director: Dr. J. Anuradha
Dance Department, S.N. School of Arts and Communication, UoH

Introduction: Dr. J. Bheemaiah
Synopsis:
Chandalika (1933), a dance drama by Tagore, tells the story of a ‘untouchable’ woman, Prakriti, her mother and their sufferings in a caste based society. Prakriti’s love for the Buddhist ascetic Ananda, and the consequences of such asymmetrical desire in a society (informed by caste, class and gender hierchies) brings about the crisis of the play to the fore.
Prakriti’s mother’s use of ‘magic’ to ‘tame’ Ananda and ‘force him’to accept Prakriti (even though his emtails the going back on his monastic vows of chastity) brings the play to its climatic point. The audience is invited to witness the resolution of this crisis and see how the play engages with questions of love and humanity.
8 pm
Raktakarabi
Director: Sri Manish Mitra
Kasba Arghya, Kolkata

Introduction: Smt. Chandana Khan
Synopsis:
Raktakarabi (translated as Red Oleanders, 1925) is acclaimed as one of Rabindranath Tagore’s finest plays. It describes a conflict between mechanized forces regimentation and the independent human spirit. In this play Nandini represents that independent spirit which cannot be crushed even within an oppressive system and who symbolizes the hope that springs eternal in the human heart.
The lay narrates the tale of a king who remains invisible behind the iron curtain and orchestrates an oppressive, soul-killing, subjugating system. Nandini leads the people towards the identification of the mechanisms of regimentation and their final destruction.

5th February, Saturday
6 pm
Welcome: Prof. Mohan G. Ramanan
Dean, School of Humanities, UoH

6.10 pm
Rabindranath’s Paintings: Smt. Chandana Khan
Tagore’s Vision of Culture as Civilisation: Sri Samik Bandopadhyay

7.30 pm
Raja
Director: Abhijit Sen
Natyam, Kolkata
Introduction: Dr. Anindita Mukhopadhyay
Synopsis:
Raja is the story of Queen Sudarshana’s search for Raja (The King of the Dark Chamber), and final journey towards the realization of the King. Sudarshana’s companion (and her other self) Surangama (an old man playing the choric role) and Thakurda, also help her understand that the Raja (or by association the coveted one) must be discovered (and accepted) within before he may be realized without. In the process the play engages within questions of form/formlessness, beauty/ugliness in a haunting manner.

6th February, Sunday
6 pm
Valedictory Message by Guest of Honour
Sutirtha Bhattacharya
IAS, Chairman, A.P. Power Generation Corporation
Prof Sayed E. Hasnain
Vice-Chancellor, University of Hyderabad
6.30 pm
Vote of Thanks
Prof. Tutun Mukherjee, UoH
7 pm
Raag-Anurag
A Jugalbandi musical concert of Hindusthani Classical and Rabindra Sangeet.
Shreya Guhathakurata and Parthasarathi Desikan,
Narration: Saswati Guhathakurata

All are welcome

No Entry fee…Its Free for all

Please join us and make it a big success

HCU bus will start @ 4 Pm everyday form post office and bring back you after the program finishes…

See You then @ Rabindra Bharati