Rabisarani

Rabindranath back in Santiniketan.

Sent by the Shah of Persia as he'd promised during the poet's visit last year, Prof. Agha Poure Davoud arrives in Santiniketan as visiting professor and is received by the poet.

George Bernard Shaw arrives in Bombay in course of his world travel. Rabindranath sends a cable inviting him to Santiniketan. Shaw declines, says he is too old, but adds, ‘My only regret is that I shall be unable to visit you.'

Back in Kolkata to deliver Kamala Lectures. Delivers a three-part address in the Senate Hall of Calcutta University on 16th, 18th and 20th January.

The three parts together constitute the address Manusher Dharma.

Delivers a lecture Manabsatya at Vidyabhawan,Viswa-Bharati. It's a sequel to Manusher Dharma.

Mayor of Kolkata - Dr.Bidhanchandra Roy presides over the anniversary celebrations of Sriniketan.

Dhirendramohan Sen assumes dual charge of Sikshabhaban and Pathbhaban.

Minister Sir Vijayaprasad Sinha of Bengal Government comes to inaugurate the first tube well successfully sunk and operating in Santiniketan.

Gandhiji launches the weekly Harijan from Yervada Jail in Pune. Rabindranath sends an English translation of Satyendraath Dutta's famous poem Methar for publication in the inaugural issue.

Rammohan centenary begins in Kolkata with an inaugural meeting held in Senate hall by Calcutta University. Rabindranath delivers an English address on Rammohan Roy in which he asserts -- "Rammohan was the only person in his time, in the whole world of man, to realize completely the significance of the modern age."

As Ramtanu Lahiri Professor of Calcutta University delivers another address- Sikshar Bikiran which unfortunately retains its relevance even today--"…If we have to turn to English to study the subjects which one must know to maintain self-dignity, then the mother tongue is doomed to suffer eternal humiliation because of this. Will those Bengalis who know only the Bengali language forever remain marginal and marginalised?...even now Bengali boys hang their heads in shame if they have to admit 'I know the Bengali language only.'

Still in Kolkata; sees a performance of the dance-drama twice on two days.

Goes to see Madhu Bose's silent picture based on the short story Dalia.

Under Pratima Devi's direction and ably assisted by Asit Halder - Director, Lucknow Art College, male and female students of Santiniketan perform Nabin and Sapmochan at a music conference in Lucknow -- the first performance of its kind outside Santiniketan.

Back in Santiniketan.

Stimulated by the success in Lucknow, poet wants to stage Sapmochan in Kolkata; revises and expands the play.

Back in Kolkata.

Two consecutive performances at Empire Theatre on 29th & 30th March respectively, poet present on the stage.

Madan Mohan Malaviya calls on him in Kolkata and draws his attention to the British-inspired politically motivated 'campaign of lies' in Europe against India and urges the poet to protest.

From Sriniketan puts forth a long statement emphasizing the need to counteract anti-India propaganda in the west not merely by "sporadic oratorical display" but more substantially by establishing "fully equipped information centres in the West from where the organized voice of India may have the opportunity to send abroad her judgment and appeal."

On this last day of the Bengali year writes the poem Abhyudaya.

Pens the play Banshari.

Gives a public reading of the play to the residents of the ashram.

Holidaying in Darjeeling during the summer vacation in Santiniketan.

After many years, the poet returns to the task of compiling a comprehensive glossary of technical terms and terminlogy in Bengali; Calcutta University appoints the young lecturer Bijanbihari Bhattacharya to assist him. But for various reasons the project fails to make much headway.

Gandhiji goes on a 21-day fast in Yervada Jail with the avowed objective of self-purification. Rabindranath sees no point in it and in a telegram sent to the Mahatma, urges him to withdraw the fast.

Writes the poem Premer Sona on Saint Ramdas, translates it into English and sends it to Gandhiji.

After Gandhi's release from jail and the withdrawal of the Civil Disobedience Movement, a leaders' memorial is sent to the government urging the release of thousands of political prisoners from jail. Rabindranath is the first to sign it.

Prisoners - mostly revolutionaries at Cellular Jail, Andaman, go on an indefinite fast in protest. Extremely perturbed Rabindranath sends a cable from Darjeeling urging them to withdraw the hunger-strike. They desist.

A sub-standard Urdu translation of his poem GuruGovinda which shows the Guru in a poor light angers Sikhs and leads to protest meetings. Rabindranath has a trying time convincing Sikh intellectuals that he is not at fault (Tagore's reply to Teja Singh on 9th June, 1933). The ripples will cease when he'll visit Lahore in 1935.

The Times publishes an appeal to the Government for the release of Political Prisoners in India, sent by sixty prominent Indians headed by Rabindranath Tagore.

Gymkhana Club, Darjeeling, invites him, the poet reads his poems and their English translations, Viday Abhisap is recited and Sreemati Debi performs an exquisite dance.

Noted teacher of the ashram vidyalaya, Jagadananda Ray dies.

Tagore writes four poems in Darjeeling during the period May-June,1933.

• Ashad

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• Yaksha28th May,1933

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• Bichched30th May,1933

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• Duhkhi17th June,1933

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Back in Santiniketan.

Vriksharopan and Varshamangal celebrated.

Uday Shankar, who has already won international renown as an exponent of Indian dance, visits Santiniketan and performs before the poet.

Resentment has grown in Bengal that the Hindus here have got a raw deal as a result of the Poona Pact. Gandhi faces flak; the poet isn't spared either because he was at Poona when the pact was hammered out. Rabindranath is embarrassed and issues a statement in self-defence which states--"...Never having experience in political dealings, while entertaining great love for Mahatmaji and complete faith in his wisdom in Indian politics I dared not wait for further consideration."

News arrives of Deshapriya Jatindramohan Sengupta's death in Ranchi. In a brief speech delivered to the residents of the ashram, poet mourns his death.

Writes Tasher Desh and Chandalika. While the first is based on an early short story of his, the latter has a pertinent social message -- the heroine, an untouchable herself, revolts against untouchability. In this case too, he falls back on Rajendralal Mitra's book which has been for long years a kind of source book for him.

Writes the essay Kalantar (Parichay , Sravana 1340).

Tasher Desh and Chandalika are performed by a troupe of students and teachers of Santiniketan at Madan Theatre with the poet on stage on 12th, 13th and 15th September.

Delivers a lecture on Chhanda at Calcutta University.

The daily Forward requests him for a message for the occasion. Rabindranath writes an English poem which begins -- "Freedom from fear is the freedom I claim / for you my motherland…"

Spends the Puja vacation here in Santiniketan. The Poet is busy writing lectures for the proposed Andhra tour.

Sarojini Naidu promotes a Tagore Week (Rabindra Saptaha) in Bombay (now Mumbai). Rabindranath arrives with a large party of 45 persons which includes a troupe of Santiniketan students, to a massive and spontaneous reception at Victoria Terminus.

Vice-chancellor of Bombay University gives dinner in his honour.

Sapmochan performed at Excelsior Theatre.

Delivers address The Challenge of Judgment at Regal Theatre.

Sarojini Naidu says that the lecture should be widely disseminated because it has a message which should be broadcast over the country.

Tasher Desh performed.

Tasher Desh is performed again with additional songs and dance sequence.

The poet is felicitated by Persian Youth Association at Atia Begum's garden palace.

Donations worth Rs. 65000/- collected for Visva-Bharati.

Delivers the address The Price of Freedom at Cowasji Jehangir Hall. Sarojini Naidu presides.

Leaves Bombay (now Mumbai) for Waltair.

Received by Prof. Radhakrishnan, Vice-chancellor of Andhra University. Delivers Sir Krishnaswami Aiyer lectures on 8th, 9th and 10th December.

Felicitated by students.

The poet arrives in Hyderabad. Delivers Message to Youth at a garden party arranged by Osmania University.

Speaks on the Ideals of an Eastern University at a public meeting at Secunderabad.

Meets the Nizam of Hyderabad who had earlier donated one lakh rupees for Visva-Bharati for creating a Chair of Islamic Culture.

Back in Kolkata.

At the Senate Hall speaks on Bharatpathik Rammohan Roy -- the last lecture delivered on the occasion of the death centenary of Rammohan.

Addresses All India Women's Conference and says -- "…It is not that woman is merely seeking today her freedom of livelihood…but against man's monopoly of civilization. Woman must come into the bruised and maimed world…The union of man and woman represents a perfect co-operation in the building up of human history on equal terms in every department of life..."

Publications in 1933 include the remarkable novellas Dui Bon, Malancha and the play Bansari.