Rationale behind China’s overtures
China recently invited journalists from a select media network to Beijing, entertained them, and arranged interactions with select officials who parroted the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) line on Indo-China ties.
Cheena Bhavan of Visva-Bharati University and the Chinese Consulate General in Kolkata jointly organized a two-day international conference to commemorate the centenary of Rabindranath Tagore’s visit to China in Santiniketan.
Sanjay Kumar Mallik, acting vice-chancellor of Visva-Bharati University, Charge d’Affaires of the Chinese Embassy in India Ms Ma Jia, acting Consul General of China in Kolkata Mr Qin Yong, dean of Cheena Bhavan were present at the inaugural ceremony.
Ten experts on Tagore from JNU, Banaras Hindu University and Vivekananda International Foundation attended the two-day conference, which concluded today.
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Seven sessions were held during the two-day seminar where Tagore’s visit to China was discussed at length. Message of eternal friendship, writings on China, Tagore and other travellers, Tagore’s tryst with Chinese literature and art, his vision of India, China and the World was discussed.
Ms Ma Jia said Tagore’s visit to China is of great significance and will play a major role in promoting exchanges and mutual learning between the two major civilisations of China and India. “Tagore called for peace and justice, and expressed support to the Chinese people at that time.”
After returning to India, Tagore set up Chhena Bhavan in Santiniketan to strengthen the Sino-Indian friendship. This was the first centre to promote the two ancient cultures during British rule. Over a century ago, Chinese scholars came and started staying in Santiniketan. Visva Bharati over a century ago was a seat of learning where painters, scholars, educationists came and started staying at Santiniketan which was a village. Their attraction was Rabindranath, whose thoughts had attracted scholars from across the globe. The Western scholars took enormous pain to reach Santiniketan just to enjoy the company of Tagore. They lived in thatched huts and soon their pain was converted into happiness and bliss.
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