Rabindranath Tagore became a Nobel Laureate in 1913 in recognition of his poetic brilliance. His poetic work "Gitanjali" was especially venerated throughout Europe.

This prolific author wrote a number of dance dramas, plays, short stories and novels. He was also an artist.

This years very entertaining Rabindra Jayanti Musical & Drama evening was organized as usual by MBA Pusat PJ at the Indian High Commission’s Netaji Auditorium on May 31 2003. The celebration of Tagore was presented via Songs, a skit by the children, and a themed play by the adults …

The theme for the song items was World Peace – to reflect upon the different aspects of the new and awakened world that Tagore had envisioned – a world without greed, jealousy and war – a world coming together with peace and happiness. Smriti Paul organized the song events sung by about 15 adult members of the community.

One of Tagore’s specialties was writing humorous poems which had a strong appeal amongst the younger members of the community. One such poem, Juta Abhishkar was dramatized by Sunita Pramanik. The play based on Tagore’s imagination, relates how the use of a shoe came about in a royal household. The children of the Bengali community in their costumes acted out this humorous and very entertaining skit.

Tagore and Women

The last part of the evenings programme highlighted two different aspects of Tagore’s views on women.

The 1st plays’ theme touched on the oppressed and the subjugated status of women in society. Nomita Datta enacted the part of Chandra in a skit called “Shashti”. In Shasthi, Tagore portrays the oppression of women in the hands of men - even from men within their own family - in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s.

And the 2nd play was themed to depict the complex and different characters of women as written by three of Tagore’s dance dramas - Shyama, Chandalika and Chitrangada.

Dr Esha Sinha Roy and Mrs Anjali Mukherjee did a great job in producing and directing these very illustrative skits on life during Tagore’s days.

Thanks also to all those who participated and organized this event - it was a great show!

Play: Chandara by Nomita Datta

Nomita Datta tells the story of Chandara – to convey the life of women during the days of Tagore …

In one of the plays staged during the celebration of Rabindra Jayanti, the audience encountered Chandara – a women character taken out of Tagore’s short story Shasti or “Punishment”.

Like many other women, apparently ordinary, but with extraordinary qualities (which can be found in many of Tagore’s portrayal of women), Chandara is an example of defiance. Deliberately accused by her husband of a crime not committed by her, Chandara finds herself a puppet manipulated on a string in a male- oriented society. Set in a time when women could hardly voice their protests, Chandara chooses to embrace the noose rather than wait for her husband to prove her innocence as he “promises”. That is her way of protesting against the false accusation brought against her. To do so, she has to make the supreme sacrifice – her life, but that is her defiance, her challenge, and her victory in a world where justice for women was rarely just.

Sitting within the confines of the prison, Chandara narrates the events that led her to her present predicament. Married to Chidam, and sharing the same roof with her brother-in-law and his wife Radha, life went on with its ups and downs. Radha’s inadequacy in looking after her four year-old son often led to altercations between the two of them which was well-known to the neighbours. And Chidam, like some men, tried to keep his wife Chandara within his grip and would not tolerate any infringement upon his independence, however unlawful it may be.

In spite of Chidam’s shortcomings, Chandara accepted life as it was, consoling herself that at least Chidam loved her and that was enough. But hiding under this deceptive consolation was no longer possible when one day things took turn for the worst. Chidam’s brother Dukhiram, having come back from work that day found that there was no food at home and in rage, killed Radha, his wife. Quick to react on this was Chidam, who found it quite easy to shift the blame on Chandara who was, after all, known to have had fights with Radha quite often. For Chidam it was important to save his brother first, and only then find out some ways or means to wring Chandara out of the clutches of law (if at all possible). To Chandara it was appalling that she should be falsely implicated for the murder by no other person than her husband, who also suggested making up other stories in court later to save her from the arms of the law.

But Chandara is no longer to be taken for granted. She decides to give herself in as the murderer to show Chidam that she is not to be played around with – to be called the murderer when Chidam wanted it, to make up stories again when he wanted her to be free. She now had to proof that she is “someone” too, not just a woman who danced to her husband’s tunes. Given the time and circumstance, the only way she could do it was by accepting the punishment for a murder she did not commit – and be hanged!

Chandara remains invincible till the end. She “wins” by treating death as a choice rather than as a punishment. Her self-sacrifice becomes revenge and a kind of victory. She proves her dignity and worth by refusing to save herself from the false accusations. She is a woman of substance who demonstrates far more worth than one would expect from someone in a low position as she was in the society of those day.