WRT: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mukto-mona/message/27072

--- In mukto-mona@yahoogroups.com, "Dr Biplab Pal " wrote:
> This will be a good addition to our ongoing debate on Tagore on
Feminism.
>
> Nobel Lauriet Amartya Sen who was born and brought up in
Shantiniketan (and his name was given by Tagore himself) is
undoubtedly one of the best expert on Tagore.
>
> Lets read what he has to say on Women in Tagore' real life ( I
hope after this article Avijit will change his mind on Tagore's
Feminism in his personal life). I have already showed that he did
feminist construction in his literature . If I get time, I will show
his deconstruction as well.
>
> Needless to say to the readers that we can trust more on Amartya
Sen than on Humayun Azad when it comes to understanding Tagore.
>


Just because Amartya Sen is "Nobel Lauriet" (in economics, not in
literature) or just because he boroght up in Shantiniken, does not
make him "more trustworthy" compared to Dr. Humayun Azad. Its a
falacy. Humayun Azad was not only a versatile, prolific, and non-
conformist writer in Bangladesh, he was a reputed resarcher on
Linguistics, Juvenile Literature and other critical works. He has
published several books on this issue. He used to teach Rabindra
liturature in Dhaka University as his course syllebus. "Nari" (book
was banned by the government, and later freed by the Highcourt) was
written in feminist perspective, where as his
Rabindraprabandha/Rastra O Shamajchinta (Socio-Political Thought in
Rabindranath's Essays) touched the social and political
perspectives. He has other good articles papers and books etc. on
this issue. For example :

Bangla Bhashar Shatrumitra (Friends and Foes of the Bangla
Language), Bangla Bhasha (Vol 1, Vol 2), Tulanamulak O Aitihashik
Bhashabignan (Comparative and Historical Linguistics), Arthabignan
(Semantics), Pronominalization in Bengali, Dvitiya Linga (A
Translation of Simone de Beauvoir's The Second Sex, Adhhar O Adheya
(Form and Content), Pratikryashilatar Dirgha Chayar Niche (Under the
Long Shadow of Reactionary Thought) etc.


Throwing comments like "he's doing gallary show" without knowing his
work or without reading a single book, liturature or critical work
of Dr. Azad is merely childish. Forget about Amartya Sen and Dr.
Azad for instance, Tagores anti-feminist comments are quite explicit
in his writing, speeches, personal mails and autobiography etc.
(some I already quoted in my Bangla writeup). Readers may also check
how he viewed women in his writing after Rama Bai's lecture or his
famous debate with Krishnabhabani. It's quite clear that he viewed
women as very inferior compared to their male counter part.
No "The Appeal to Authority" (Argumentum ad populum) will change
these facts.

Avijit

P.S. I have read that piece before...