Rabindranath Tagore in the 21st Century


Book Description

This critical volume addresses the question of Rabindranath Tagore's relevance for postmodern and postcolonial discourse in the twenty-first century. The volume includes contributions by leading contemporary scholars on Tagore and analyses Tagore's literature, music, theatre, aesthetics, politics and art against contemporary theoretical developments in postcolonial literature and social theory. The authors take up themes as varied as the implications of Tagore’s educational vision for contemporary India; new theoretical interpretations of gender, queer elements, feminism and subalternism in Tagore's literary and social expressions; his language use as a vehicle for a dialogue between positivism, Orientalism and other constructs in the ongoing process of globalization; the nature of the influence of Tagore's music and literature on national and cultural identity formation, particularly in Bengal and Bangladesh; and intersubjectivity and critical modernity in Tagore’s art. This volume opens up a space for Tagore’s critique and his creative innovations in present theoretical engagements.




Rabindranath Tagore for the 21st Century Reader


Book Description

Rabindranath Tagore is the second most popular literature laureate of all time (after John Steinbeck) according to the official website of the Nobel Prize. Writers ranked below him on the popularity chart include Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Pablo Neruda and Ernest Hemingway. Tagore won the prize in 1913, but a hundred years later readers continue to flock to his work because it possesses all the qualities essential to keep it fresh and relevant despite the passage of time-big ideas, complex themes, stylistic brilliance, a deep engagement with nature, beauty, family, love, and passion, and above all, a profound timelessness. Keeping the 21st century reader firmly in mind, this volume brings together some of Tagore's most celebrated works. In The Home and the World, perhaps his most popular novel, intricate issues of devotion-to the motherland and to the family-are explored through a story of two friends and a woman coming into her own. The Monk-King, with its devious priest and marauding armies, is also about the power of sacrifice and loyalty. In 'The Laboratory', Tagore's last short story, he creates a world that is materialistic and amoral with a light yet ruthless touch. In poems like 'Camilla' and 'An Ordinary Girl' he describes the sadness of unrequited love. His drama, Chandalika, is about the angst and helplessness of being in love with an unattainable ideal. Brilliantly translated by Arunava Sinha, this selection of Rabindranath Tagore's fiction, poetry, lyrics and drama is evidence of his position as one of the world's greatest writers and reinforces the enduring nature of his words, emotions and beliefs.




The 21st Century


Book Description

Cover -- Title -- Copyright -- Dedication -- CONTENTS -- Message from His Holiness the Dalai Lama -- Foreword -- Preface -- Acknowledgements -- Prologue -- 1 Building peace: the Bahudha approach -- 2 Interplay of ideas: the Indian story -- 3 Ecological issues in the Himalayan region -- 4 Science, spirituality and ways of living: a plea for integrated education -- 5 Democracy and its consequences -- 6 Good governance: a narrative from democratic India -- 7 The emerging world: challenges and possibilities -- Epilogue -- Select bibliography -- Index.




Cultural Politics in Modern India


Book Description

India’s global proximities derive in good measure from its struggle against British imperialism. In its efforts to become a nation, India turned modern in its own unusual way. At the heart of this metamorphosis was a "colourful cosmopolitanism," the unique manner in which India made the world its neighbourhood. The most creative thinkers and leaders of that period reimagined diverse horizons. They collaborated not only in widespread anti-colonial struggles but also in articulating the vision of alter-globalization, universalism, and cosmopolitanism. This book, in revealing this dimension, offers new and original interpretations of figures such as Kant, Tagore, Heidegger, Gandhi, Aurobindo, Gebser, Kosambi, Narayan, Ezekiel, and Spivak. It also analyses cultural and aesthetic phenomena, from the rasa theory to Bollywood cinema, explaining how Indian ideas, texts, and cultural expressions interacted with a wider world and contributed to the making of modern India.




Gandhi in 21st Century


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Gandhi and 21st Century


Book Description




Leadership for 21st Century Learning


Book Description

The challenge of managing education effectively is formidable. Written by two education managers, this text explores the issues associated with good leadership in educational and training institutions. It is based on their own work and on a series of detailed interviews with eminent leaders.




Rabindranath Tagore, the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1913, and the British Raj


Book Description

Rabindranath Tagore is the most famous composer of Bengali lyrics and won the Nobel Prize for literature in 1913. This book includes the full text of his prize-winning book, Gitanjali (Song Offerings), in its English version along with an introduction by W.B. Yeats that was published in London in 1912. Up until Gitanjali, Tagore was not popular in Bengaland his name was not even mentioned in The History of Bengali Language and Literature by Dinesh Chandra Sen, which was Published by the University of Calcutta in 1912. The author examines how the Hindu mystic poet was influenced by the great fictional epics Ramayana and Mahabharata and other ancient Hindu religious books, especially Upanishads. He also explores how Christian and Islamic literature and culture influenced the poets writings. Discover the untold story of how Tagores connections with influential Jews of England, other European countries, and the United States may have contributed to him winning the prize that led to his fame.




Development Concerns in the 21st Century


Book Description

With reference to India; contributed articles.




Geopolitics, Democracy and Peace in the 21st Century


Book Description

This book examines a wide range of issues that are expected to play a dominant role in shaping the 21st century. Delineating key concerns in geopolitics, democracy and peace, it studies the functions and influences of educational institutions, progressive religious and social groups, communities, international institutions such as the United Nations (UN); and forums promoting inter-faith dialogue. The author underscores how the century may be forged by a pluralist ethos: multiple and diverse nation states, centres of power, faiths, cultures, economies, and languages. He stresses the need to nurture moral strength and enlightened leadership for a life of compassion, peace and holistic development. In his second edition, the author further examines what the future holds for democracy. The volume takes stock of the recent developments in world politics, and highlights the urgent need for the Bahudha approach — inculcating a culture of dialogue and debate for peaceful resolution of conflicts. Lucid and engaging, this book will interest scholars and researchers of political studies, international relations, public policy, governance and development studies.