Staying the course, even if alone

LR Sharma

West Bengal has been in news due to its acrimonious pre- and post-poll atmosphere. Today, it looks just the obverse of what it would have been in the times of Rabindranath Tagore. Bengal stands mutilated by the past 40 years’ long spell of divisive politics. Santiniketan’s founder would not have imagined the level of degeneration to which this land of poets, writers, and social reformers has descended.

Tagore won the Nobel Prize in 1913, a first for India under British rule. Western literati had gone gaga over his ‘Gitanjali’. His vast oeuvre also consisted of song-poems that later came to be known as Rabindra Sangeet. ‘Ekla Chalo Re’ exhorts the listener to continue his/her journey, despite the lack of company, support or guidance from friends and peers. This iconic message reflects in the great deeds of many achievers who might not even be aware of Tagore, but have epitomised the essence of this poem.

Greta Thunberg, born in 2003, was fired by a passion of saving humanity from the catastrophic effects of climate change, and addressed the lawmakers of her country. For many among them, her mission seemed too big for her age, but she persevered. At last, she drew the attention of the world.

Similar is the story of Malala Yousafzai of Pakistan. As a school student, she ignored the threats of bigots who preached that women should not go to school. She resolved to take up the cause of women’s education. The bigots attacked her, but she survived and continued on her mission. She exemplifies the spirit of Tagore’s poem, and became the youngest to win the Nobel Prize.

In our own country, Dashrath Manjhi deserves a mention. He was a labourer of Gehlaur village near Gaya. Gehlaur residents had to travel 55 km to reach Gaya for medical treatment and other needs. Dashrath resolved to carve out a road through the heart of a mountain. But none from his village supported his wild idea. Instead, people started mocking him. But he was fired by the spirit of ‘Ekla Chalo Re’. He persevered in this arduous pursuit for 22 years, and ultimately, succeeded in his mission. The distance between his village and Gaya shrunk to just 15 km. This ‘Mountain Man’ was honoured with the Padma Shri and a postage stamp.

But unlike these celebrities, I was well aware of Tagore and his iconic poem, since my school days. The ‘Ekla Chalo Re’ tagline remained an ideal, sweet hum throughout my life. I retired as an engineer from a government department. The poem made me pursue my dream of earning a postgraduate degree in Hindi from Himachal Pradesh University. It was an odd choice for an engineer. I, too, was dissuaded, but I pursued and succeeded.

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