Tagore visualised India as leading source of knowledge: President Murmu

Murmu said that though she had the privilege to visit many institutions of learning and eminence, but her first visit to Visva-Bharati remains very special

President Droupadi Murmu on Tuesday said poet laureate Rabindranath Tagore had visualised India as a leading source of knowledge in the global arena, while speaking at the convocation of the Visva-Bharati university, founded by the first Asian to win the Nobel prize.

Murmu, the visitor of the central university, also said that though she had the privilege to visit many institutions of learning and eminence, but her first visit to Visva-Bharati remains very special as it is associated with the memory of one of the greatest thinkers in this world.

"Gurudev had visualised India being the leading source of knowledge....", she said, adding that Visva Bharati was founded based on this principle.

Murmu also pointed out that the national anthems of India and neighbouring Bangladesh have both been composed by the bard - 'Jana Gana Mana' and 'Amar Sonar Bangla' - respectively.

The President recalled her visit to Tagore's ancestral house, Jorasanko Thakurbari, in Kolkata the day before and said this was nothing short of a “pilgrimage”.

"Tagore had left the comforts of city life to come here (Bolpur village) when it was a remote area to realise his dreams of setting up Visva Bharati.....Young students should follow his path to chase their dreams," Murmu said.

Tagore, the first Asian Nobel Laureate, founded Visva-Bharati in 1921. It was declared a central university and an institution of national importance by an Act of Parliament in 1951.

West Bengal Governor C V Ananda Bose and Visva Bharati Vice Chancellor Bidyut Chakraborty also addressed the students having assembled to be awarded degrees at the convocation for the year 2022.