On 14^th June 2016, our very own A/P Saranindranath Tagore from the Department of Philosophy was invited by the Lu Xun Cultural Foundation and the Indian Consulate in Shanghai to visit Shao Xing University for the event, “Lu Xun and Tagore: A Dialogue Beyond Time and Space” (鲁迅与泰戈尔：跨时空对话).

As two of the greatest literary giants in the 20^th Century, Lu Xun and Rabindranath Tagore need no introduction. What is little known, however, is the latter’s admiration of China and the Chinese culture, as well as the respect Lu Xun harbored for his work. It is a real shame that across his multiple visits to China in the 1920s, Tagore never had a chance to formally meet and converse with Lu. After almost 90 years, this wrong is finally made right as Prof Tagore, representing his great grand uncle, met the grandson of Lu Xun, Mr Zhou Ling Fei, who now serves as the Deputy Chairman of the Lu Xun Cultural Foundation. Prof Tagore’s presence at this dialogue was hence also a commemoration and recreation of Tagore’s 1920s China visits.

Prof Tagore was joined by eminent Tagore scholar Dr Indra Nath Choudhuri, Dr Sanghamitra Basu of Indira Gandhi National Centre, and Dr Avijit Banerjee of Cheena Bhavan (The Institute of Chinese Language and Culture, founded by Rabindranath Tagore himself). These delegates commented on the popularity of Lu Xun’s works, especially his novels, in India, as well as Tagore’s love of Chinese culture. Similarly, Mr Zhou Ling Fei and delegates from China commented on the popularity of Tagore’s poems in China and Lu Xun’s deep and profound respect for Tagore’s works. Zhou explained that while millions of Chinese marveled at the literary brilliance of Tagore’s poem, Lu Xun, whose own work dwelled on similar themes and reflected similar sensitivities, was able to see deeper into Tagore’s thought and ideas.

Commenting on the two great writers, Prof Tagore strongly believes that Lu Xun and Tagore are artists that will stand the test of time, and he has no doubt that as long as human civilization persists, their works will be passed on and read by countless generations. Going beyond the two literary giants Lu Xun and Tagore, the delegates from both India and China emphasized the importance of continuing the healthy cultural exchange between the two Asian nations.

Please see the following media coverage of Prof Tagore’s visit.

1 Report by Consulate General of India in Shanghai
2 Report by Press Trust of India
3 Report by India TV
4 杭州日报 Report
5 浙江在线 Report
6 浙江日报 Report
7 浙江日报 Report 2
8 新华网 Report
9 钱江晚报(杭州) Report
10 中国新闻网 Report
11 东方教育时报 Report
12 新蓝网/浙江网络广播电视台 Report
13 光明网 Report
14 Other Online Reports
15 Shaoxing University Report

(Prepared by Jeremy Huang with input from A/P Loy Hui Chieh)