Baishe Shravan

No, it’s not a film by Mrinal Sen or Srijit Mukherjee, but, a date stuck in the root of Bengalee - the day when dearest poet Rabindranath Tagore was died. We know it is the day to ponder over sitting in the corner of room how the poet wrote all of his poems and songs mixed all the emotions, feelings, sentiments, experience and realisation one can gather lifetime. We silently hear his songs and poems and realise the profundity of a life he spent.

     Rabindranath Tagore ignored all the sad deaths of his dear ones with a strong will that enriched his creations throughout. He had the philosophy "ভাল মন্দ যাহাই আসুক সত্যেরে লও সহজে" and never escaped. 

   At the age of 80, he died on "Baishe Shravan" when the monsoon sky wept too. It was the day, when a great life had stopped but, at the same time, the beginning of post-realisation of a great life whom the then society did not recognised. 

   80 years passed. But still, the humiliations of a great poet by some section are continuing. They're jealous by his fame and vast popularity. Caricature of his creations, parody of his songs were the old practice by some section at the time when the poet was lived, but to some extent, it was a healthy opposition. Time and tide wait for none. The oppositions are no more, but, the opposition is still continue - they’re trying to prove that they can do anything opposit by the songs of Tagore. And it is not healthy.

  I'd like to draw one more important point here. Rabindranath Tagore had suffered severe grief, sorrow throughout his life. He had to face untimely death of his dear ones, one by one, since the beginning of his life. He was a poet, but, had a strong mind. He silently suffered the grief, sorrow but never allowed them to grab his will, his mind. He always tried to place a high stand of his motto, his idea, his dream in his life. 

He did not escape, but, overcome the sorrow by his strong willpower. He wrote, there're grief and death, "তবু্ও শান্তি, তবু আনন্দ, তবু অনন্ত জাগে" - he searched the 'infinite' throughout his life, by different parts of his songs, whether it is 'prem' or 'puja' - it doesn’t matter. So, give up the idea that only sad songs of 'puja' part to sing or listen on Baishe Shravan, but the longings of the poet to touch the 'infinite' by all sections of his songs touches our heart.

Therefore, one must sing or listen all kind of songs of this great poet whether it is 'puja' or 'prem' or 'prakriti' or bichitra' or 'swadesh' on Baishe Shravan unhesitatingly. And only then we can pay our homage, respect and love to the great poet properly.