Rabijibani 6 by Prashanta Kumar Pal [Hardcover]

The sixth volume of Rabijibani has been published. This volume covers the period from 1315 to 1320 (1908-1914), marking the history of Rabindranath’s transformation from a Bengali to a global citizen. The narrow nationalism of the Bengal Partition Movement distanced him from the movement, and he turned inward, focusing on the development of self-power through rural development in his estate. He also conveyed this message to the nation during the session in Pabna. However, the emergence of terrorism in the political sphere left him perplexed, further pushing him away from the political arena, bringing him to a more personal, inward space.

During this time, Rabindranath sought to understand his relationships—with God, with humanity, and with his country. It was in this period that the Shantiniketan Lectures and works like Gitanjali, Raja, Achalayatan, and Dak Ghar emerged. It was in this process that the outer layers of the 'I' began to break down—personal identity and the national 'I' merged and blurred. At this time, the call of the world reached him. With a collection of songs, he set out on his global journey. Although he initially sang these songs for himself, his enriched sense of self easily touched the world and he received the Nobel Prize for Literature. The poet of Bengal became the poet of the world.

This history, especially the narrative of his travels abroad and the receipt of the Nobel Prize, has never been explored in such detail before. Just as in the previous volumes of Rabijibani, where meticulously researched and irrefutable new information dismantled many misconceptions and falsehoods, this volume continues in the same vein. Prashant Kumar Pal's investigative writing continues to break down various myths and false structures with logical precision and factual integrity.