The Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences and the Indian Embassy in Hanoi hosted a seminar entitled “Life and great legacy of Ranbindranath Tagore” on Nov. 9 on the occasion of his 150 th birthday (1861-1941).

At the event, the participants focused on discussing the impacts of the Indian poet, writer and a philosopher’s legacy on the East Asian and Southeast Asian regions, the socio-political context of his works, the thought of life, traditional community and reconstruction of rural areas, and his art legacy values.

Ranbindranath Tagore translated a collection of his poems entitled “Gitanjali from Bengali” into English and became the first Asian to win Nobel prize in 1913.

Tagore was also a social reformer, a patriot and a great humanist who composed both Indian and Bangladeshi national anthems. As a teacher, he paid attention to the concept of adequate and comprehensive education and established the Visva – Bharati University in Shantiniketan town.

He was knighted by the British government in 1915, but several years later, he resigned the honour as a protest against the British policies in India./.