Living a dream Rbindranath Tagore and rural resuscitation

One of India’s most celebrated litterateurs, Rabindranath Tagore (1861-1941) was a social, political, religious and aesthetic thinker who towered over his countrymen. However, while his contribution to Bengali literature is well documented, his work on rural resuscitation has gone largely unnoticed. It is imperative to place Tagore’s constant ideological progression and his attempts to put innovative ideas into practice in the context of changing nationalist outlook on programmes geared towards rural revitalization during the anti-imperialist struggle. This study seeks to highlight that aspect of his immense creativity as he strived to give a voice to the multitudes of hapless villagers in colonial Bengal and secure for them a dignified existence. It is hoped that this book will provide a critical review of Tagore’s ideas and work on rural development which would be useful at a time when rural uplift programmes are perceived as crucial for socio-economic regeneration of countries where majority of the people are rural dwellers.