Coin release heralds Tagore’s 150th birth anniversary celebrations

NEW DELHI - A commemorative coin to mark the beginning of the yearlong 150th birth anniversary celebrations of Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore was released by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee here Sunday.

The coin was released at a glittering cultural gala at the packed Meghdoot theatre at the Rabindra Sadan here.

This is the second commemorative coin to be released by the Indian government as a tribute to the poet on his birth anniversary. “We released the first coin during the birth centenary celebrations,” Mukherjee said.

The first commemorative coin was issued in 1961.

“The coin is significant because it perpetuates the legacy of Tagore, who is a global icon,” Mukherjee said.

Paying homage to the poet, the finance minister outlined his role in the “evolution of modern India and his contribution to its growth and the spirit of nationalism”.

Tagore was a pioneer, having spearheaded several social reforms that were ahead of their times, the minister said.

The minister said talks were on with the Bangladesh government to “carry forward the cultural pact” that India had inked with the country in January “which centres on the shared legacy of Tagore between both the nations”.

Mashiur Rahman, a top aide of the Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina “had recently called on me and I discussed the cultural engagement,” Mukherjee said.

“Tagore spent considerable time in Bangladesh. His family owned considerable land in Shelidah in Bangladesh and Tagore managed it for a long time. His tenure in Bangladesh was marked by fecund literary activity,” Mukherjee said.

In January this year, India had agreed to increase the annual scholarships to Bangladeshi students to 300 and had proposed a joint celebration of the 150th birth anniversary of Tagore in 2011.

A special culture programme, Rabindra Pranati, featuring Tagore’s songs set to regional dance choreography, marked the occasion.