A poet’s reflection on a prophet of peace — and what their shared vision still means for a fractured world.
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| ABP archives |
Recently, while going through my archive notes, I came across these beautiful lines by Rabindranath Tagore — the poet-laureate who could well be called the conscience of Indian nationalism — on the apostle of non-violence, Mahatma Gandhi. The two shared a deep and cordial relationship, though that never stopped them from speaking their minds on the pressing issues of their time. More often than not, they differed in their worldviews, even criticized each other’s philosophies of life — yet always with mutual respect, admiration, and a shared devotion to India’s moral and national awakening.
It was Tagore’s life mission to awaken his compatriots — intellectually, culturally, and artistically — to a deeper appreciation of India’s finest traditions. He constantly reminded them that to be truly worthy of India’s rich and varied heritage was not to retreat into insularity, but to welcome and learn from what the wider world had to offer.
Tagore urged his fellow Indians to remember that although they were a distinct nation with a unique historical and cultural identity, they were also an inseparable part of humanity — sharing in its collective joys and sorrows. For him, India had contributed immensely, alongside other great civilizations such as the Persian, Chinese, and Egyptian, to the world’s cultural, intellectual, and philosophical wealth.
Mahatma Gandhi, drawing inspiration and spiritual nourishment from the many wells of Indian and Western religious and philosophical traditions, was Tagore’s equal in cosmopolitan vision and in his appreciation of the deeper threads that bind human societies across the world — far more than a mere political statesman.
However, destiny placed these two noble sons of India — and visionaries of the world — on completely different paths. Mahatma Gandhi lived among the millions of India’s poor and dispossessed, seeking the causes of their suffering, offering solace, and leading a struggle against the Goliath of colonial authority that had devastated the nation’s way of life, economy, and culture.
Tagore, on the other hand, waged his battles in the realm of ideas. He spoke to the mind and spirit, urging his audience to draw from the foundational values of the human soul — to transcend narrow boundaries of nation and faith, and to recognize the deeper unity of humankind in its shared civilizational spirit.
They differed in their methods of resisting foreign rule and oppression — in Gandhi’s use of radical non-violence (satyagraha), often practiced by still-untrained and impulsive masses; in their attitudes toward Western civilization; and in their differing appreciation of India’s intellectual and reformist traditions.
Below is the tribute Tagore offered to Gandhiji when the Mahatma’s principle of non-violence — the sine qua non of human civilization — was facing its severest test. The Second World War had just begun with Hitler’s invasion of Poland, and India had been dragged into the conflict without her consent — asked to fight for the freedom of others under Nazi oppression while still denied freedom for herself.
A Tribute to Mahatma Gandhi
Rabindranath Tagore, 1939
Occasionally, there appears in the arena of politics, makers of history, whose mental height is above the common level of humanity. They wield an instrument of power, which is almost physical in its compelling force, and often relentless, exploiting the weakness in human nature, its greed, fear, or vanity.
When Mahatma Gandhi came and opened the path of freedom for India, he had no obvious medium of power in his hand, no overwhelming authority of coercion. The influence which emanated from his personality was ineffable, like music, like beauty. Its claim upon others was great because of its revelation of a spontaneous self-giving.
This is the reason why our people have hardly ever laid emphasis upon his natural cleverness in manipulating recalcitrant facts. They have rather dwelt upon the truth, which shines through his character in lucid simplicity.
This is why, though his realm of activity lies in practical politics, people's minds have been struck by the analogy of his character, that of the great masters, whose spiritual inspiration comprehends and yet transcends all varied manifestations of humanity, and makes the face of worldliness turn to the light that comes from the eternal source of wisdom.
— From The English Writings of Rabindranath Tagore, Vol. 3: A Miscellany
More than eight decades later, Tagore’s tribute to Gandhi still speaks to a world torn between power and conscience. In an age when the forces of domination once again drown the voice of compassion, their shared faith in the moral strength of truth reminds us that civilization endures not through conquest, but through conscience — not through fear, but through love and appreciation of the bonds of universal brotherhood we share.
Suggested Reading
- Sabyasachi Bhattacharya (ed.), The
Mahatma and the Poet: Letters and Debates Between Gandhi and Tagore
(1915–1941)
A remarkable collection of their correspondence and debates, revealing the depth, honesty, and respect that marked even their sharpest disagreements. Amazon link - Ramachandra Guha, “Traveling With Tagore”
A brilliant essay on Tagore’s global humanism and cosmopolitan imagination, tracing his travels and encounters across continents.Read here - Gopalkrishna Gandhi, “When Grace is Lost
from Life — India Needs to Recall Gandhi, Tagore and the Shower of Mercy” (The Telegraph, 2020)
Gandhiji’s grandson urges India to revisit the moral and poetic legacies of Mahatma Gandhi and Rabindranath Tagore. He reflects on how Tagore’s song became Gandhi’s solace during crisis, especially during the Poona Pact negotiations, and calls for a return to mercy, compassion, and gentleness.
Read here
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