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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May/June 2011