6/16/2019 INSPIRATION: Rabindranath Tagore and his impact on Mauritian intellectuals - Le Mauricien

INSPIRATION: Rabindranath Tagore and his

impact on Mauritian intellectuals
27 Oct 2011 17h20

“The Indo-Mauritian intellectuals seem to me to understand fully the value and interest of their
situation. Placed between motherland India, the liberal England, and France all the time lively here,
that intelligentsia is placed at the convergence of three rich and noble civilizations, whose meeting is
enriched in our privileged Island. These intellectuals cloak it with pathos and poetry from which gush
forth clear spring, savoury and refreshing for the mind and the heart” – Robert Edward-Hart
Tagore Mentions Mauritius in his Memoire
Rabindranath Tagore, the great Indian thinker wrote in his reminiscences in 1912  – “Into the pages I
have wept many a tear over a pathetic translation of Paul and Virginia. The wonderful sea, the breeze-
stirred coconuts’ forests, on its shores and the slopes beyond lively with the gambols of mountain
goats – a delightful refreshing, mirage they conjured upon that terraced roof in Calcutta. And oh! The
romantic courting that went on in the forest paths of that secluded Island, between the Bengali boy-
reader of little Virginia with the many a colourful kerchief round her neck.”    
The mention of a story with a Mauritian background by the Indian poet in 1912 has tremendous
importance, because only a year later Tagore was to receive the world’s most coveted honour – “The
Nobel Prize” for literature by the Swedish Academy. It was meant for his immortal work, the “Gitanjali”.

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6/16/2019 INSPIRATION: Rabindranath Tagore and his impact on Mauritian intellectuals - Le Mauricien

Mentions of Tagore’s Nobel Prize in Mauritius

When Rabindranath Tagore received the “Nobel Prize” for literature in 1913, the Indo Mauritians had
two weeklies – the “Hindustani”, started by Manilal Doctor in 1909, and the “Mauritius Arya Patrika”,
initiated by the Arya Samaj in 1911.
However, in 1913 there were two dailies (out of six) that had published the news of Tagore’s success.
The Planters and commercial Gazettes, had published an article of Asworth Brigs entitled – “The
Great Man of Bengal”, and Le Radical had inserted another article entitled – “La Bayadere”, meaning
the dancing girl. The rst article is in English and the second one in French. The rst was published on
11th and the second one on 29th December 1913.
In “The Great Men from Bengal”, Asworth Brigs has praised profusely the Indian poet mainly for
“Gitanjali” and “Gardner” in following terms – “There is a great man in Bengal. His name is
Rabindranath Tagore. He is a lover of mankind and a star in the rmament of the poets. The English
people will welcome him with open arms when they know him better. He is inspired with Carlyle’s
heroes”.
He added – “Rabindranath Tagore’s original works were of course in Bengali. He has translated them
into rhythmical English prose. One cannot tell what they have lost in the translation but as they stand,
they are of extreme beauty.”
The second article in Le Radical said: Today we are giving our readers an insight of good literary talent
of a Hindu poet, Rabindranath Tagore, laureate of Nobel Prize for literature in 1913. Then follows the
poet‘s famous poem entitled , “The Dancing Girl” in French version, which describes, the poignant
dialogue between Buddha’s disciple Upgupta and the dancing girl.
After that, the available materials on the great poet are found in the Indian Miscellany, edited by
Soliman Mohabat. The rst Issue of this monthly magazine appeared in 1919. In its rst issue, and in
subsequent issues, there are several poems of Rabindranath Tagore from his works, the “Gardner”
and the “Crescent Moon”. Moreover, in the pages of this monthly are published the poet’s journey to
Japan, Canada, and the United States of America, together with the excerpts of his speeches
delivered in those countries.
Tagore in Mauritius Indian Times
The rst Indo-Mauritian barrister Ramkhelawon Boodhun in collaboration with Ghanesseesing
Kawalessursing had started a bilingual daily –“The Mauritius Indian Times” in 1920. It consisted of
two pages of articles in English and French and two pages in Hindi. It is in this daily that on January
1921, an article of Laura Valda from “L’humanité” entitled “Rabindranath Tagore” was published and in
that article the poetic genius of Rabindranath Tagore was glori ed.
Effervescence of the Indo-Mauritian youths
Ever since the awakening of enthusiasm of the Indo-Mauritian youth for a new experience in the
1920s, it was natural that the budding intellectuals would draw their inspiration from the work of
Rabindranath Tagore. This was possible by the diffusion of the poet’s works in the columns of the
“Sociologist“1924 –32, “The Vigilant” 1929-30, “The Mauritius Mittra” 1924-32, “ The Mauritian Arya
Pratika” 1924-39 and the “Student Own”1931-32. In the columns of all these papers, articles on
Rabindranath Tagore were published from time to time.
In the thirties of the 20th century, the main events that are considered to be the milestones within the
Indian community were the commemoration of the ftieth death centenary of Swami Dayanand in
1933 and two years later, the holding of the Centenary Celebration of Indian Immigration at the
Dayanand Dharamshala on 29 December 1935. T.K. Swaminathan had come from Madras to
participate in the historic function.
According to K. Hazareesingh, Mahatma Gandhi did not approve of the idea of celebrating a centenary
that would bring home the memory of bitter experience of our ancestors but on the other hand the
Shantiniketan poet, Rabindranath Tagore, did send a message for that historic occasion. It read:
“India is struggling to solve its immediate problems at this time which she is unable to solve: while
lacking physical power and political prestige, she fails to save from indignity and injustice those of her
children who have gone out to seek their fortune abroad. We have our only recourse today in moral
appeal to civilized humanity and at the same time, we must develop the power and character that can
assure us human treatment whenever we may nd ourselves.”   
Queer as it may seem, it was just after the Centenary Celebration and through the initiative of R. K.
Boodhun, R. Neerunjun and C. C. Pillay that the Indian Cultural Association was founded. And on the
day of its establishment at Plaza Theatre, Rose Hill on 26th April 1936, John de Lingen, a Scottish
eminent poet had pronounced a masterly lecture on – “The Life and Philosophy of Rabindranath

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6/16/2019 INSPIRATION: Rabindranath Tagore and his impact on Mauritian intellectuals - Le Mauricien

Tagore”. The lecture was attended by intellectuals of all bounds, including the master poet of
Mauritius, Robert Edward Hart.

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