Rabindranath Tagore’s poem “the sunset of the century”, composed on the occasion of the advent of the new year in 1900, expressed his deep anguish in the context of what he called “the blood-red clouds of the West” and “the whirlwind of hatred” encircling large parts of the world.
Hundred and twenty-five years later, the contents of that poem are poignantly resonating when 2025 has set in and a new calendar commenced.
Tagore’s poem served as an indictment of glorification of nation
The poem forms part of Tagore’s book “Nationalism” which, with its emergence in the Western world and Japan, caused war, bloodshed and resulted in the weaker countries in Asia and rest of the planet being dominated by powerful nations.
The poem, written on the dawn of the new year of 1900, constituted an indictment of unbridled glorification of the nation. It led to justification of armed conflicts and war on the basis of nationalism and violent pursuit for possession of territories of other nations and coercive appropriation their resources.
“The naked passion of self love of Nations, in its drunken delirium of greed is dancing to the clash of steel and the howling verses of vengeance,” wrote Tagore. What he composed in 1900 is getting reflected in the twenty first century when the same uncritical invocations are made to put nation at the exalted level by subordinating the life and liberty of the people to it.
Crony capitalism, the new template
We usher in the new Year of 2025 at a time when crony capitalism is defining the template of our nation, commandeered by people like Narendra Modi. We are odiously witnessing the enthronement of the nation first principle based on what Tagore called the “drunken delirium of greed.”
Nationalism being advocated by the ruling leaders of India is based on the fulcrum of Hindutva which fans hatred and toxicity and targets people with violence and vengeance on account of the faith they pursue and the way of life that they follow.
The “whirlwind of hatred” which Tagore flagged in the context of nineteenth century Europe is ominously encircling our society and people. Hindutva forces rejoice in making the whirlwind spin with accelerated speed and devastatingly trapping all that give sanity and strength to people.
The unabated violence in Manipur
In “the sunset of the century”, Tagore looked at India with hope and wholesome expectation. Asking India to “keep watch”, he persuasively appealed to, “bring …. offerings of worship for that sacred sunrise”.
Proceeding further, he added, “Let the first hymn of its welcome sound in your voice, and sing,
“Come, Peace, thou daughter of God’s own
great suffering, Come with thy treasure of contentment, the sword of fortitude,
And meekness crowning thy forehead?”
Hundred and twenty five years later, Tagore would have been outraged on seeing several parts of India, especially Manipur, caught in the spiral of unabated violence arising out of “the whirlwind of hatred.”
Manipur Chief Minister Biren Singh apologising for his inability to restore peace in that beleaguered land speaks volumes for the ineptitude of the people invoking Hindutva in place of the Constitution to rule the territory.
What new year would mean for those women, men and children of Manipur who saw their fellow human beings ruthlessly displaced and killed, houses burnt, places of worship devastated and women subjected to brutal forms of sexual harassment.
Tagore would have been bewildered to see the devastation wrought on Manipur and the nonchalant attitude of the people, with the mandate to rule, to deal with the colossal human suffering.
Stand against the powerful
Tagore urged, on the eve of January 1, 1900, “Be not ashamed, my brothers, to stand before the proud and the powerful with your white robe of simpleness”. Every word he uttered sounds so contemporary when quite often the phrase “speak truth to power” is quoted in the context of the onslaught of those controlling the State apparatus at present in India and employing coercive measures by criminalising dissent.
‘What is huge is not great’
Tagore’s exhortations, “Let your crown be of humility, your freedom the freedom of the soul,” along with “And know that what is huge is not great and pride is not everlasting” are of immense significance for the India of 2024-25.
Media is now monopolised by those who rule India and they employ it for propaganda purposes to relentlessly project a leader as huge. The projection of huge as great is inherently sham and shallow. Tragically the celebration of such bogus greatness solely on the ground that it is huge, exposes the worthlessness of those who do so.
Nehru’s vision on new year
Thirty-three years after Tagore wrote his poem “the sunset of the century,” Jawaharlal Nehru, in a letter to his daughter Indira Nehru written on January 1, 1933 stated that it was his third consecutive new year in prison.
He observed matter-of-factly that with the arrival of new year the earth completed another cycle around the sun without according any recognition to special days or holidays or caring for, in his words, “the innumerable midgets that crawl on it, and quarrel with each other, and imagine themselves – men and women – in their foolish vanity, the salt of the earth and the hub of the universe”.
“The earth ignores her children”, Nehru said and remarked, “but we can hardly ignore ourselves…” He then remarked that on new year day people “….look back and grow reminiscent, and then look forward and try to gather hope.”
However, on January 1, 1933, he observed with sadness, “In our own country the fight for freedom goes on, and yet many of our countrymen pay little heed to it and argue and quarrel among themselves, and think in terms of a sect or a religious group or narrow class, and forget the larger good”.
During the last eleven years in India, it is not people who quarrel on the basis of their faiths or sects but they are provoked and incited to do so by the leaders of India with the mandate to govern the country.
They are dividing people on the basis of religion and remain supremely indifferent when the Hindutva leaders with affiliation to BJP are calling for genocide of Muslims and openly advocate for their social and economic boycott in complete disregard of the Constitution.
Tagore’s aforementioned poetic utterances, “Be not ashamed, my brothers, to stand before the proud and the powerful” are so apt for the purpose of fearlessly interrogating those in power and ruling India and hold them to account.
People should be mindful of words of Tagore who wrote that what is huge is not great and those leaders projecting themselves as high and mighty are in fact proving that they have the feet of clay. On the occasion of the new year 2025, the vision of Tagore and Nehru are of abiding significance to defend the idea of India.
S N Sahu served as Officer on Special Duty to former President of India, K.R. Narayanan.
