Sir Rabindranath and the Executive

OUR Bombay contemporary, Rast Goflar and Prajamira publishes the following over the signature of “Novalis”:-“Sir Rabindranath Tagore is not a politician and has not identified himself with any party, but his patriotism is as intense as his poetry is lofty and his politics are not those of the “great” Moderate party of which Mr Surendranath Banerjea is such a shining light. I do not think Sir Rabindranath would mind if this secret were now told in Gath or proclaimed from housetops. Some years ago Sir Rabindranath — his fame had not then spread to Europe — read a paper in Bengali and published it in a monthly magazine. The Bengal Government considered the paper seditious and sent an official warning to the poet through the Chief Secretary. What does the reader think of the wisdom of the Bengal Government? The poet acclaimed by the whole world, on whom the Government themselves have conferred a knighthood (to which the poet attaches no importance) was considered nothing better than a seditionist. Rabindranath sent no reply to the letter.”