India News and Travel Times Provides India-centric and other News and Features

The Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh, on Sunday said his government has set up a national committee with several senior union ministers, state chief ministers and many eminent scholars to suggest, formulate and plan a number of events to rekindle public interest in Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore's rich cultural legacy. Inaugurating an art exhibition titled the Master's strokes, art of Rabindra Nath Tagore here, Dr Singh said, though Gurudev did not have any formal training in art, through his own efforts. He developed a highly imaginative and spontaneous visual vocabulary. "His work displayed a superb sense of rhythm and vitality and his techniques matched his highly developed and refined creative expression. His art was the bridge that connected the individual with the world at large," he added. Dr Singh informed that the government has also constituted an Implementation Committee headed by Finance Minister, Shri Pranab Mukherjee, to work out the operational details of the proposed celebrations and to ensure that is a really a befitting tribute to Tagore. Noting that Tagore's genius as a poet, dramatist, philosopher, educationist and composer won him universal acclaim, Dr. Singh said his genius as a painter was, however, less well known, perhaps because he began painting when he was well into his 60s. Dr. Singh said he was happy about the National Gallery of Modern Art commencing national celebrations by showcasing some of the "precious contributions of the versatile genius of Indian art. He noted that Tagore made 3,000 paintings and drawings in the last 17 years of his life. He said the largest part of the treasure was when he was at the Vishwa Bharati University , which has taken a decision to come out with a publication of Tagore paintings and drawings called 'Chitraa-vali' with assistance and support from the Ministry of the Culture. " The Ministry of Culture and the NGMA are working together on a grand exhibition of Tagore's paintings in Paris next year. This will mark his one hundred and fiftieth birth anniversary in the very city where he displayed his art for the first time in 1930, before a discerning and appreciative audience," he added.

PM says national committee to renew public interest in Tagore