Book exploring Tagore as a social worker, editor & journeyman unveiled

KOLKATA: Journals have always played a vital role in shaping Bengali literature and culture. The very first Bengali periodical, Dig Darshan, was published in 1818 by the Srirampur Baptist Mission. Then came Bangadarshan, edited by Bankimchandra Chattopadhyay and later by Rabindranath Tagore, which carried forward the tradition of literary discussions.

In fact, Tagore’s journey was closely tied to journals. Publishing journals was a tradition in the Tagore family, said Anil Acharya, a well-known Bengali scholar and publisher of ‘Onyo Rabindranath’ under Anustup. Along with Subhendu Dasmunshi, Acharya has explored Tagore’s many roles — as a social worker, editor, singer, short story writer and journeyman — in the book. Acharya, who was appointed as a Tagore National Scholar by the Ministry of Culture in 2012, shared that the book has been flying off the shelves at the 48th International Kolkata Book Fair. He also pointed out an interesting section on flowers — specifically, those named by Tagore himself. “We’ve already published two volumes on Tagore. This third book, released at this year’s book fair along with 18 other new titles, has a fascinating chapter on flowers he named.

He had a habit of doing this because people would often write to him, asking for names for their newborns,” Acharya, who founded the Bengali literary quarterly and little magazine Anustup in 1966. The conversation then shifted to Tagore’s connection with Bengali journals. Tagore practically grew up with journals. At a young age, he contributed to Balak, a children’s magazine started by Jnanadanandini Devi, said Acharya. He further added, over the years, the Nobel laureate edited at least eight of them.

“A huge chunk of his work first appeared in journals. For instance, in Sadhana, he wrote about 36 short stories and two novels. Even in journals where he wasn’t the editor, like Prabasi, all his novels were published. That just shows how much journals have shaped Bengali literature,” said Acharya.

The last journal Tagore edited was Bhandar, a political journal that featured stories about the freedom movement. “Almost 75% of whatever he wrote was first published in journals. And it wasn’t just prose or drama — his travelogues, like Europe Jatrir Diary, also came out in journals,” Acharya added.

Journals still matter for today’s Bengali writers, but Acharya feels a lot has been lost to social media. “Journals are where literary thinkers breathe. But now, people are glued to social media, posting their poetry there instead.

That said, there’s still a serious crowd—if you walk around the book fair, you’ll see plenty of young readers searching for books that actually mean something. So, there’s hope,” he said. Among the 19 books Anustup has published this year, some highlights include works on the centennial celebration of Mrinal Sen, influential dramatist and theatre director Badal Sircar and Swami Vivekananda.