C O N T E N T S No.266 May/June 2011

FRONTLINE 4 ACTION FROM THE GRASSROOTS

TIMELESS TAGORE Celebrating the life of the Nobel prize-winning poet Rabindranath Tagore (1861-1941) 8 UNIVERSAL TAGORE Mark Tully

Introducing the poet and his vision 10 WHOWAS RABINDRANATH TAGORE? Ketaki Kushari Dyson

Although best known as a poet, Tagore’s long life was packed with many other outstanding achievements 14 WE ARE ALL RELATED Rabindranath Tagore

Tagore shares his thoughts on the unity of all life 16 THE GREAT TRUTH Rabindranath Tagore

The poet reveals his vision of ‘right’ education 18 IN THE FIELD Reba Som

The often overlooked story of Tagore’s pioneering work in rural development 20 A MEETING OF MINDS Tagore and H.G.Wells

Excerpts from a 1930s’ conversation that shows how much the two men had in common

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22 THE MATHEMATICIAN ANDTHE MYSTIC Andrew Robinson and Dipankar

Home HowTagore and Einstein tussled with the big question:What is reality? 24 A PRECIOUS LEGACY Ursula King

Tagore and the Elmhirsts: the founding of Dartington Hall, Devon 28 TAGORE FESTIVAL HIGHLIGHTS 1-7 May, Dartington, Devon 32 KEYNOTES: THE JIBAN-DEBATA William Radice

Exploring that mysterious force that underpinned Tagore’s life and work 36 THE RELEVANCE OF TAGORE Deepak Chopra

How Tagore’s poetry and philosophy are as relevant today as ever 40 A VISION TO SERVE Satish Kumar

Sharing a personal selection of Tagore’s transformative poetry 42 A VISUAL EXPRESSION Sanjoy Kumar Mallik

He may have started painting later in life, but Tagore’s work still influences modern Indian art

44 KABULIWALLAH A short story by Rabindranath

Tagore

REGULARS 1 WELCOME Satish Kumar 50 VOICE FROM THE SOUTH

Vandana Shiva 52 A SENSE OF PLACE

Fiona Reynolds, The National Trust 54 OCCASIONAL DIDYMUS John Moat 55 LETTERS

REVIEWS 56 IN MY OWNWORDS How Meron Shapland felt Tagore guiding her selection of poems for her book A Taste of Tagore 57 KINSHIP WITH NATURE Shanta Acharya welcomes I Won’t Let

You Go; a new English translation of Tagore’s poetry

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58 THE PROFESSOR AND THE POET Kenny Munro is intrigued by the friendship between Tagore and Patrick Geddes as revealed in Bashabi Fraser’s A Meeting of Two Minds 59 THE MEANING OF EXISTENCE

Chris Clarke learns why Einstein and Tagore had so much to discuss, in Andrew Robinson’s Einstein: A Hundred Years of Relativity 60 LEADING BY EXAMPLE Rupert Sheldrake reviews HRH The Prince of

Wales’ new book Harmony: A NewWay of Looking at OurWorld 61 PALE GREEN Elizabeth Wainwright reviews Paul Collier’s

The Plundered Planet 62 IN MY OWNWORDS Michael Meacher tells why he wrote

Destination of the Species:The Riddle of Human Existence

MEMBERS 64 COMMUNITY PAGE 65 RESURGENCE GROUPS 66 READER OFFERS 67 PARTNER WITH RESURGENCE

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Issue 266

www.resurgence.org

WEB EXCLUSIVES Frontline online: more repor ts on grassroots initiatives

TAGORE ON FILM An extraordinar y and rare clip offering a rare insight into the life and travels of the poet and philosopher Rabindranath Tagore

CHILDREN’s BOOKS Introducing the new children’s books corner, featuring beautifully illustrated books by Jackie Morris, Tudor Humphries and Axel Scheffler

Resurgence Sumer Camp 2011 Celebrating 45 years of Resurgence and 21 years of Green and Away. Join us for a weekend of talks, music, dance and crafts. Updated programme and booking forms available online at www.resurgence.org/summercamp

BLOGS New blogs on topical issues including Nature, science, conservation and more

THE EDITORIAL TEAM IS ON TWITTER Susan Clark, Editor : @suzresurgence Elizabeth Wainwright, Deputy Editor : @LizWainwright Rachel Marsh, Ar t Director : @altrecphoto

TAGORE FESTIVAL: 1-7 MAY 2011 This special issue of Resurgence has been produced to coincide with theTagore Festival, celebrating the 150th bir th anniversar y of poet, philosopher, ar tist and author Rabindranath Tagore www.tagorefestival.com

Front cover: Portrait of Rabindranath Tagore, by Sir William Rothenstein (front view), 1912 Image: The Trustees of the British Museum/ Copyright care of the Artist’s Estate/Bridgeman Art Library

FOR CONTACT INFORMATION FOR RESURGENCE OFFICES AND AGENTS, PLEASE SEE THE INSIDE BACK COVER

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