I am a Bengalee and living in Bangladesh. I was educated under the Calcutta University, Dhaka University, and several universities of the USA, including the Harvard University. My study of Rabindranath Tagore is since 1957.

Some latest study and analysis establish the fact that there are much differences in the value of Rabindranath Tagore with Nobel Prize and Rabindranath Tagore without Nobel Prize. Your opinion may be useful in my future writings.

My latest studies are:

1. The detailed study on the Terrorist Movement period in Bengal, Bihar and Orissa during the last decade of the 19th century and the early 20th century;

2. Rabindranath Tagore’s literature published during this period both in English and in Bengali;

3. Internet literature on Rabindranath Tagore in several blogs, nobel.org blog and other publications from Calcutta and Dhaka; and

4. Some messages from the Swedish Academy.

The subject I have referred to is important and my request is that all concerned may kindly help me in my research and studies on the subject with high seriousness.

IMPORTANT NOTE: It is worthwhile to add in this message that Rabindranath Tagore was awarded 1913 Nobel Prize for Literature not as an Indian or as a Bengalee. He was given the prize as an “Anglo-Indian” writer. He was not introduced to the Nobel Committee. A British diplomat received the prize and it was delivered at his Calcutta residence. More interesting is that none of the Nobel Committee is reported to have even seen the book of poems entitled “Gitanjali”. Reportedly only one member of the committee saw the book. None of them knew that Tagore’s language was Bengali. Reportedly Rabindranath Tagore was not even short-listed for the Nobel Prize consideration. Logically it was a London arrangement with the Swedish Academy.

A.B.M. Shamsud Doulah
Dhaka, Bangladesh
shamsuddoulah@yahoo.com