Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and PM Narendra Modi paid tribute to Rabindranath Tagore on his birth anniversary, hailing his contributions as a poet, philosopher, and social reformer who gave India its national anthem.

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Saturday paid tribute to Rabindranath Tagore on his birth anniversary. In a post on X, Kharge wrote, "Nothing is worse than one section of the populace enslaving the opinions of another through force and against their will..." “Nothing is worse than one section of the populace enslaving the opinions of another through force and against their will…” Humble tributes to Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore on his Jayanti. A visionary humanist, poet, philosopher and social reformer, Gurudev’s words gave India… pic.twitter.com/mcF3Z3rLC3 — Mallikarjun Kharge (@kharge) May 9, 2026

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"Humble tributes to Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore on his Jayanti. A visionary humanist, poet, philosopher and social reformer, Gurudev's words gave India its National Anthem and generations a language of freedom, dignity and compassion. His progressive thought and timeless art continue to illuminate minds and inspire humanity," the post read.

PM Modi Pays Heartfelt Tributes

Meanwhile, Prime Minister, Narendra Modi on Saturday paid heartfelt tributes to Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore on the special occasion of Pochishe Boishakh. The Prime Minister said that Gurudev Tagore was a writer, thinker and poet of extraordinary brilliance who also made a mark as an exceptional philosopher, educationist, artist and a timeless voice of India's civilisational soul.

The Prime Minister noted that Gurudev Tagore gave expression to the deepest emotions of humanity and the noblest ideals of Indian culture. He added that Gurudev enriched society with new thought, creative energy and cultural confidence. PM Modi Modi said that the nation remembers Gurudev Tagore with deep reverence and gratitude. He expressed hope that Gurudev's thoughts would continue to illuminate minds and guide people in their endeavours. The Prime Minister wrote on X; "Today, on the special occasion of Pochishe Boishakh, we pay our heartfelt tributes to Gurudev Tagore. Gurudev Tagore was a writer, thinker and poet of extraordinary brilliance. He made a mark as an exceptional philosopher, educationist, artist and a timeless voice of India's civilisational soul. He gave expression to the deepest emotions of humanity and the noblest ideals of our culture. He enriched our society with new thought, creative energy and cultural confidence. We remember him with deep reverence and gratitude. May his thoughts continue to illuminate minds and guide us in our endeavours."

Legacy of the 'Bard of Bengal'

Tagore, who reshaped Bengali literature, holds the distinction of being the first Asian to win the Nobel Prize in the year 1913 for his book of songs, 'Gitanjali' (Song Offerings). Tagore has penned several renowned poems, songs, and literary works, including the national anthem of India - Jana Gana Mana.

Referred to as the 'Bard of Bengal', Tagore started writing poetry at the young age of eight. As an exponent of the 'Bengal Renaissance', he advanced a vast canon which comprised paintings, hundreds of texts, sketches and doodles, and around two thousand songs. One of Tagore's most famous novels, 'Ghare-Baire' (The Home and the World), was adapted into a movie of the same name by India's Oscar-winning director Satyajit Ray. Notably, two of his compositions were chosen as national anthems of two countries, which are India's Jana Gana Mana and Bangladesh's 'Amar Shonar Bangla' (My Golden Bengal)(ANI)

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