New Delhi, Oct 10 (IANS): A two-day international conference on Rabindranath Tagore opened here Monday with union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee calling for re-affirming faith in the Nobel Laureate's outlook and carrying forward his ideals of universal brotherhood, peace and the spirit of globalisation.
"His ideals and his words are relevant to this world even today as it was when they were articulated. Tagore wanted the world to be united and universal. His values have rekindled the values of today's generations. It has presented an opportunity to people in different parts of the world to appreciate and understand his words," Mukherjee said in his inaugural address at the Azad Bhavan.
"Rabindranath Tagore's Vision of the Contemporary World", which will deliberate on Tagore's vision of human condition, nationalism, civilisation, his interactions with intellectuals, ecology and rural reconstruction with accompanying cultural programmes, is a tribute to the poet on his 150th anniversary.
Mukherjee heads the National Implementation Committee set up to celebrate Tagore's 150th anniversary.
"He was a multi-facetted personality, who made pioneering contribution to different arts. He was a philosopher and left behind a legacy of words, music, art and thought. 150 years after his birth and and 70 years after his death, he remains a radiant presence in our lives," Mukherjee said.
"He fashioned a universal and inclusive vision of humanity and he had something to say to each one of us irrespective of our age and nationality...."
Mukherjee explained Tagore's ideals, quoting from the novel "Ghare Baire (Home and the World)" which advocate peace and reconciliation.
The minister released the Indian edition of "Rabindranath Tagore: A Timeless Mind", published jointly by the Tagore Centre, London and Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), and also inaugurated "Tagore: The Universal Message", a collection of photographs from Shantiniketan.
Addressing the gathering, ICCR president Karan Singh said that "despite personal tragedies, Tagore created works of beauty".
The inaugural session of the conference was also addressed by professors Amiya Bagchi and Indranath Chaudhuri, both Tagore scholars.