Debate: Tagore vs Gandhi 

Rabindranath Tagore and Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, two great Indians of the late Nineteenth and early Twentieth century had between them a kinship and appreciation of deepest character. They both were for Indianism, humanism and emancipation of dispossessed.

On them Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru in 1941, wrote in his jail diary, “Gandhi and Tagore, two types entirely different from each other and yet both of them typical of India, both in the long line of India’s great men…, I have felt for long that they were the outstanding examples in the world today. There are many of course who may be abler than them or greater geniuses in their own line. It is not so much because of any single virtue but because of the tout ensemble, that I felt that among the world’s great men today Gandhi and

Tagore were supreme as human beings. What good fortune for me to have come into close contact with them”.

Tagore and Gandhi have both made significant contributions to their respective fields – Tagore to literature, Gandhi to political thought. They lived during the same, turbulent period of Indian history; both were opposed to British colonialism and unchecked capitalism. At the same time, they had many differences.

From the Non-cooperation Movement to spinning the charkha, Tagore and Gandhi differed on many issues. But they developed between them a fellowship. 

Tagore: First to call Gandhi a Mahatma

Tagore was the first to refer to Gandhi as the “Mahatma” or “Great Soul”. Gandhi hailed Tagore as “Gurudev” or “Revered Teacher”. To the outside world Tagore never hesitated to project Mahatma Gandhi as the spiritual soul of India. These two giants of history met for the first time in 1915. But there already existed a great sense of respect and admiration between them.

How the Kinship Developed?

In 1912-13 a Gujrati Barister, Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, was busy in organizing Satyagraha in South Africa to protest against atrocities on Overseas Indians. Ironically, it was an Englishman, Charles Freer Andrews, who was the link between these two men.

Soon after Gandhi’s return from South Africa, Andrews arranged for a week-long stay for Gandhi in Shantiniketan, Tagore’s famous intellectual institution. However, Tagore was not in Shantiniketan during this period, but Gandhi stayed to meet and interact with the members. He stayed for a week but the impression he left was everlasting. To this day, the institution observes “Gandhi Day” on 10 March. On this day, the servants and cooks enjoy a holiday while students and teachers do all the work.

Tagore and Gandhi met for the first time on 6 March 1915 at Shantiniketan. This meeting was followed by many others. From this date till 1941 (when Tagore passed away), Gandhi and Tagore maintained a regular correspondence through meetings, letters, and telegrams. They debated on topics like truth, freedom, democracy, courage, education, and the future of humanity.

These letters – today available for the public to read – offer a rare and deep insight into the opinions of these two great men. More than that, these letters offer a poignant example of what it means to be both friends and intellectual adversaries, to stand by one’s convictions with equal parts dignity and respect for the other’s, to seek above all else to advance the public good rather than the private ego. 

Mutual respect despite differences

Meanwhile, Gandhiji plunged into the freedom movement through his non-violent, non-cooperation movement changing Congress first 30 years’ movement of petition and constitutionalism to a movement of action.

• Tagore fully supported Gandhi against the Rowlatt act and he uses Mahatmaji in his letters and was hopeful that Gandhi can lead us towards the path of conquest. However with the adoption of non-cooperation movement which comes out in different shapes like civil disobedience, burning of foreign clothes, strikes, hartals, fastings, charkha and non-payment of taxes.
• In 1921, Tagore entered into a controversy with Gandhiji regarding the methods used. Tagore did not like the ideas and thinking of Gandhi and termed his Non-Cooperation a political asceticism and burning of foreign clothes as selfish nationalism.
• Tagore believed that Gandhi’s egoism can lead India towards destruction and Gandhi is leading the people blindly. In short, their differences in ideas were based on non-cooperation, burning of foreign clothes, charkha, fasting, Hindi-Urdu as a national language.
• Gandhi and Tagore differed on several other issues too. The most famous example of these was Gandhi’s controversial response to the 1934 earthquake which wreaked havoc in Bihar and Nepal. Gandhi called the disaster “a divine chastisement for the great sin we have committed against those whom we describe as Harijans (untouchables).” This observation ignited a public debate between Gandhi and Tagore.
• In his letter, Tagore expressed “painful surprise” at “this kind of unscientific view of things”. Tagore confessed himself “profoundly hurt” and said Gandhi’s words ignited the “elements of unreason” which were the “fundamental source of all the blind powers that drive us against freedom and self-respect”.

These differences, though, were overcome through vibrant debate and the pervading sense of mutual admiration between the two men. Tagore salutes Gandhiji’s spirit and the sea change he had brought into the lives of Indians but was unable to follow him in his steps.

Debates in Yerawada

In May 1932, Gandhi began his famous fast in Yerawada Jail to protest against separate electorates for backwards Hindus. The result of this fast was the historic Poona Pact between Gandhi and Babasaheb Ambedkar.

Gandhi and Tagore were in regular correspondence during this time. One time, concerned for his friend’s health, Tagore travelled to Yerawada and visited Gandhi in the prison. During the meeting, it has been reported, Gandhi asked Tagore to sing one of his self-composed songs and the two of them debated at length about the British idea of awarding separate electorates to backwards castes in India. When the Poona Pact was signed, Tagore was present with Gandhi. He also sang a hymn to mark the occasion.

Last meeting at Shantiniketan

Mahatma Gandhi visited Tagore’s school and university in Shantiniketan on four occasions – twice with Kasturba Gandhi and twice alone.

• In 1936 Rabindranath reached Delhi with his Dance Drama team after visiting Allahabad and Lucknow with the purpose of collecting funds for Vishwa Bharati to tide over the money crunch.
• Mahatma Gandhi was sad to see that his Gurudev at such an old age moving around collecting funds. Gandhiji met him and arranged the money.
• In 1940, a year before Tagore’s death, Gandhi along with Kasturba Gandhi went to see the ailing poet, where Tagore asked him to take charge of Vishwa Bharati after his absence. In 1951 after Independence, Vishwa Bharati was taken over by the Government of India as a Central University.

Rabindranath attended a number of Congress sessions in Calcutta where he composed songs and sang. ‘Jana Gana Mana’ the National Anthem was the opening song for the second day of the Congress Session in 1911. Tagore died on 7 August 1941. Less than seven years later, Gandhi was killed on 30 January 1948. 

Close Friends and Intellectually Opponent In Nature

Gandhi and Tagore were, politically and ideologically speaking, extremely different. But that did not stop them from forming a strong bond of fellowship, based on mutual respect for one another’s efforts and differences. Their individual impacts on India are incomparable, their legacies are immortal, their friendship was eternal.

By summarizing the whole debate between Gandhi and Tagore, we came to the conclusion that both Gandhi and Tagore were close friends and intellectually opponent in nature.

• Both Gandhi and Tagore were great personalities who sacrificed their every portion of life for the welfare of their country. They respected each other a lot and were friendly related.
• However there were differences in their ideas, thoughts. Their arguments were not based on learning, knowledge, understanding and emotions. Both gave names to each other like Tagore gave the name Mahatma to Gandhi and Gandhi gave him the title Gurudev.
• The poet was an imaginative thinker, while as Gandhi was a reflective thinker. Both were the worshippers of Satyam, Shivam and Sundram. The poet was known for his universality and his love for humanity. This came to know through his songs which he played during swadeshi movement in Bengal and Gandhi got inspired with these songs.

According to Jawaharlal Nehru, both Gandhi and Gurudev were one hundred percent India’s children, the inheritors, representatives and expositors of her age culture. The surprising thing is that both of these men should differ from each other so greatly. No two persons could probably differ as much as Gandhi and Tagore.

At a time of great polarisation in our country, when we are dividing ourselves based on politics and religion and viewing those with different views with distrust and suspicion, the relationship between two of India’s greatest sons must serve as an example. 

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