I read your essay on the "true intention" of Tagore in writing the National Anthem.  Its very factual but it hardly disputes the fact that in the original Bengali verses only those provinces that were under British rule, i.e. Punjab, Sindh, Gujarat, etc. were mentioned.  None of the princely states were recognized --Kashmir, Rajasthan, Andhra, Mysore or Kerala.  Neither the Indian Ocean nor the Arabian Sea were included, since they were directly under Portuguese rule at that time. So was Tagore not honoring the British who ruled India?  If so, then he was clearly glorifying the Vidhata of British India.  Moreover, King George V had proclaimed on Dec.12 the annulment of the partition of Bengal.  There was therefore nothing unnatural or extraordinary in a Bengali poet composing or singing a song in praise of the Emperor out of gratitude.  His reliquinshing of his Knighthood does not disprove the fact that Jana Gana Mana was not written in praise of George; it happened 9 years later and he was just disassociating himself from the British because of Jallianwalabagh.  Why, can you explain, was "Vande Mataram" more readily adopted by freedom fighters and common people alike in their protest marches against the British rule?  And nobody sang Jana Gana Mana.  Tagore was a great and unmatched poet, artist and composer, but that hardly is a basis to glorify (or doubt) his patriotism.  I think your essay is doing just that; it glorifies it based on his artistic abilities.

-Harshad

Dear Mr. Sane:

Thank you for your observations re. the "Tagore and Jana Gana Mana" article. Your observations are appropriate and understandable; interestingly, they are along very similar lines as I had earlier received in feedback from another correspondent.

First of all, let me mention at the outset that in raising or debating a speculative issue about someone who is no longer with us is almost guaranteed to be beyond any resolution. It is much like the classic legal scenario wherein the defendant is absent while the prosecution and the defense teams exchange their respective missiles and slingshots. I have no illusion of being able to argue on Tagore's behalf and convince detractors on this issue of the validity of the counterpoint. Why, then, did I even care to write on this subject? The reason, quite simply, is that I was prompted by more than one friend to try and make a case in defense of what they (and indeed I as well) believe to have been Tagore's motivation behind the writing of the poem, and especially since the assumption of his glorifying a colonial monarch can potentially distort the vision of those who are only peripherally familiar with Tagore.

Next, let it be understood that neither Bankim Chandra Chatterjee nor Rabindranath Tagore planned the writing of Vande Mataram and Jana Gana Mana as potential candidates for India's national anthem.  Once again, if people in sizable numbers choose to presume such intentions (incidentally, I do not imply that this is the point of your question; however, this is a very interesting and I believe relevant hypothetical here) on the part of the authors- there is nothing that neither the authors (obviously) nor their defenders can do to induce people to change their views.  Therefore, indeed if more freedom fighters happened to have chosen Bankim's poem (which, incidentally, was by no means free from controversies, especially from Muslim quarters, wherein Bankim was, wrongfully, in my opinion, derided for being rather "pro-Hindu nationalistic") over Tagore's, it was what I would simply describe as poor Rabindranath's sheer misfortune.  Here is the scenario: two authors in advance of the origins of the controversies, write a novel and a poem, respectively, in which they hail their motherland- one as a perennial Devi figure, and the other as a Destiny figure that has guided India through her history.  Now, years later, their fellow countrymen believe what they believe about the intentions of the authors vis-a-vis the poems in question- and a quarrel ensues regarding intentions and inclinations.  Does the fact that the one poem is embraced more than the other by groups of people provide any further proof (or any proof whatsoever, for that matter) of Tagore's imperial glorification?  Imagine, then, how defenseless Tagore is, should any fresh "controversy" arise out of modern Bangladesh, now that Tagore's Amar Sonar Bangla is that country's national anthem, having been so chosen in 1971?

Perceptions and impressions are, to me, intrinsically suspect measures.  I hardly need to dwell upon the manner of poetic constructions that must follow patterns of rhyme, rhythm, meters, length, artistic beauty and content.  A poem (and more particularly a song) is not a dictionary or an encyclopedia.  Thousands upon thousands of extraordinary poems exist that touch upon certain themes (nature, land, people and culture, history, art and personalities), and that can be viewed as quite "incomplete" if examined from an exhaustive, encyclopedic mapping perspective.  To write an anthem for India, if the criteria were to include all geographic locales and ethnic and linguistic varieties of India- I am convinced the result would have to be an encyclopedia, but absolutely never, ever, a poem.  Even so, an encyclopedic work would be fraught with incompleteness. Whom would a writer, willfully or not, dare leave out of the list?  What would prevent him or her from being held up for accountability in view of any perceived omission?  Nothing.  Writing is a creative process, and cannot simply be measured by using scientific arguments and yardsticks.  Thank heaven that writers have the freedom not to prepare exhaustive shopping lists or place their creations under the "controversy" microscope in order to create inspired work.

May I also point out that Jana Gana Mana, the poem, is far longer than the portion commonly represented in the national anthem. And in that extended poem, there are images of the Bhagya Vidhata who is also India's eternal Mother (an image hardly reconcilable with His Royal Highness), and India's guide through triumphs and tragedies throughout history (a history that began long before the first English traders arrived at India's doorstep).  Tagore did not set out to write a geographic or anthropological primer of India or her culture in a short poem.  He did plenty of that, many times over, across the spectrum of his writings.  To understand his intentions, it is far more meaningful to explore the range of his writings, and develop a feel for his psyche and his orientation towards India and the world.

Now a word or two about conspiracy theories.  In this, one may well be reminded of the variety of conspiratorial constructs that are out there with regards to the Kennedy assassination.  Once again, groups of people will believe what they wish to believe, and since most of the principals are absent- it is unlikely that the issue will ever be resolved.  The fact that certain geographic regions of India are absent from Jana Gana Mana would, I trust, appear quite normal to many unbiased admirers of poetry not turned myopic by thoughts of potential conspiracy, especially in a writer who wrote continually on endless ideas, topics and themes.  To defenders of Tagore in this matter, the absence of the places you cite, while quite attractive and seemingly plausible to conspiracy theorists, is no more than an unfortunate coincidence engendered by the limits of space and by the inspired guidelines or impulses of creative beauty.

Finally, as for Tagore writing in gratitude for the British monarch sparing Bengal from the axe of partition- the idea is absurd to the point of being laughable to some, even offensive to others.  From the beginning of the initial partition proposal, Tagore had campaigned (as he did throughout much of his writing career on behalf of India's freedom struggle like few writers of his stature I believe have anywhere) tirelessly against the draconian and divisive proposal.  It is unimaginable that any principled individual, much less one of Tagore's magnitude, would voice his "gratitude" to the very opponent against whose injustice he campaigned so hard.  I cannot imagine this of Gandhi, or Malcolm X, or Martin Luther King, Jr., or Garibaldi.  And while I am prepared to accept Tagore's human limitations in legitimate and incontrovertible areas, in this matter of groveling "gratitude," I take great exception.  I invite people not familiar with Bengal's history from that period to study Tagore's role in trying to unite Bengal and Bengalis against the offensive British proposal- it reads like pure legend, yet much of it is indeed true.  In studying that history, I hope that Tagore's immense capacity to inspire will be better understood, and in the light of that revelation, I hope, his unfortunate inability to inspire India's freedom fighters by the Jana Gana Mana ode to his Motherland will be seen in a more forgiving light.

Best regards-

Monish R. Chatterjee

I was not debating the patriotism or Tagore or his artistic abilities.  Few have surpassed the former and no one comes too close to surpass the later, if anyone dares to compare.  I was merely irked by your effort to show that Tagore meant to be patriotic or rebelling when he wrote that poem.  But you have very well answered that question in your reply.  Thank you very much for that.  As you said there is no need to speak on behalf of Tagore, his work speaks quite loudly by itself.

Anyhow, thanks a lot for such a detailed reply. You truly are a admirer.  Have a good week,

-Harshad

Dear Dr. Chatterjee:

I read with essay on Rabindranath Tagoe on the web page and would like to congratulate you and thank you. TAGORE'S POEMS AND WRITINGS HAVE INSPIRED ME SINCE MY CHILDHOOD and have been my spiritual foundation. I still regret not knowing Bengali and having missed at least a part of the essense of his work.

By the way, do you know where I can find a transcript of his conversation with Einstein, not the one about art and music but the one about the nature of reality, where Einstein says at the end, something to the effect ,"I am more of a religious man than you are!"

Regards, Balakrishnan

[Monish Chatterjee's Response]

Dear Mr. Balakrishnan:

Thank you for your very kind words- it is always good to learn that the thoughts of our great human exemplars have a way of reaching people irrespective of linguistic or cultural barriers.  I agree that knowing Bengali would help seeing/appreciating Tagore's greatness even more- but please by no means consider that an impediment.  That you have been inspired says much about your own inner thirst and intrinsic capacity to recognize that which is uncommon and of a greater magnitude.  Your appreciation of Tagore adds to our hope that his efforts to advance human civilization, in which quest he joined himself with the timeless aspirations of India as a whole, shall in the centuries to come continue to inspire our species to greater heights, and help us see the magnificence of the world around beyond machines, power and "narrow domestic walls."

The several conversations with Einstein are to be found in several sources- I believe the volume "A Tagore Reader," edited by Amiya Chakravarty includes the one you are looking for.  I will confirm this later, and also let you know if there may be any other resource.

Very best wishes-

Monish R. Chatterjee

[ Note from MRC:    The year 2003 was special to me (MRC) in terms of an extended interaction with Jeffrey Orr, a young American from Michigan, who befriended me by email after reading the articles in these pages on Tagore.  Jeff, a progressive and a humanist clearly committed to non-violence and cultural aesthetics in all aspects of life, wanted to organize a forum of the University of Michigan campus that would highlight the messages of Tagore, Friedrich Schiller and Martin Luther King, Jr., especially in response to the U.S. government's unjustifiable invasion of Iraq that occurred earlier that year.  Presented below are a series of email letters that were exchanged between Jeff and myself between 2003 and 2004. ]

From:    Jeffrey Orr  

06/17/2003 10:22 PM

To:    Monish Chatterjee 

Subject: Tagore

I have read a few of your articles on Tagore on the web.  I also read your posts sulekha.com.  I find a lot of reason in your ideas of India and Tagore.  I think that you are one of a handful of people who understand just how important Tagore is. There is a certain tension that exists because his works and ideas are not known to the degree that they deserve to be.  Thus, I think it would be a good idea to have a Symposium on Tagore, and I was wondering whether you would be interested in being on a panel that is almost solely focused on Tagore. I presume there will be a lot of interest from Indians, but I am hoping that it can be done in such a way that it will have a great appeal to non-Indians as well. If we are being true to Tagore, then we cannot help but draw a international audience and build a lot peaceful bridges among various cultures.  If you are interested then I would like to hear your ideas, and discuss with you. My current plan is to organize just 1 symposium here in Ann Arbor.  The date is not yet determined.

FYI:   I am in Ann Arbor, Michigan. I have bachelors in EE and I am working on a Master's in Space Science at U of M. I am American, and I am always trying to learn more about India.

I look forward to your response.

Sincerely,

Jeff Orr

From:    Monish Chatterjee

6/18/03

To:  Jeffrey Orr, Sandeep Mitra

Dear Jeff:

What a wonderful surprise to hear from you!  Since my associate Sandeep Mitra put the Tagore site together about 10 years ago, we have been heartened by notes from unexpected places, usually with deep human concerns and in the spirit of cultural diversity.

The idea of a Tagore Symposium at UM is very good indeed. I have been involved in a few symposia before- a "Rabindra-Mela" in New Jersey in 1993; a Tagore Millennium Conference at UConn in 1998; our own Tagore commemoration at SUNY-Binghamton in 1991.

Please let me know how you intend to pursue the symposium- I would be quite glad to work with you. My whole idea over the years has been to bring Tagore to these shores; I am aware of other Tagore enthusiasts who would gladly join as participants.

Thanks again for perusing our sites, and for your kind comments.

Best wishes-

Monish R. Chatterjee, Ph.D.

Professor, ECE

From:    Jeffrey Orr

06/19/2003 10:34 AM

To:   Monish Chatterjee

cc:   Sandeep Mitra 

Subject: Re: Tagore

I think that Universal ideas and universal culture are themes that resonant throughout Tagore, and given everything that humanity is facing today, we could try to do something very useful toward the end of promoting a "Harmony" of civilizations (which is the counter to the "Clash of Civilizations" philosophy).

My limited understanding of Tagore, tells me that he encompasses the best and broadest ideas of Indian Civilization, while at the same time he represents a universal idea of truth and artistic beauty that can be understood by anyone.

So we cannot fail if we only have the Symposium on Tagore. But I think there could be something even better.

There is one very important poet in the West named Friedrich Schiller.  I have read much of his work. And he has done the very same thing for Western culture that I believe Tagore has done for Indian Culture.  And similarly to Tagore, he poetically and most beautifully represented Universal ideas in his works of poetry, dramas, and philosophic writings.  The irony is that both of these fellows (Tagore and Schiller) wrote volumes of beautiful works which are not given their due recognition.

I think that we could do better to have a symposium entitled "The Harmony of Civilizations, Dialogue on Universal Culture and Ideas". We could present the Western aspect of Universal Culture through Schiller, and the Indian aspect of universal culture through Tagore.  I am well grounded enough in Schiller's work and to make a good presentation. And I have one dear American friend who is philosophically aligned with me on Tagore's and Schiller's ideas as well as the idea of Universal culture and he and I could each do something for this panel. Perhaps you have someone in particular who would be ideal for this Universal them, who could make a second Tagore presentation in addition to yours. I foresee a typical panel presentation which are not too long, and to follow with dialogue and discussion with the audience. It is important to me that the presentations should transcend politics, but yet there are obvious political implications. I want to invite people of all cultures to attend. I do have some regret that I don't know of anyone in the Muslim or Chinese community who could complement our panel. But I am content to limit the panel to Tagore and Schiller for now, because the task in mind is already going to require enough time of mine without trying to search out more panel participants. Nevertheless I feel confident that theme and limited focus has immense value, and if you know of a Muslim who could make a presentation that is consistent with the theme then I will trust in your wisdom.

If you consent to this, I will do most of the work in organizing the logistics and making invitations to the public.  I expect this could have a large attendance here in Ann Arbor, and I am eager to proceed. I don't know the logistics, but I have faith that doors will open up to us on account of our theme, and we will have not a problem finding a meeting hall.

Let me know your thoughts.

Sincerely,

Jeff Orr

From:    Monish Chatterjee

6/20/03

To:    Jeffrey Orr, Sandeep Mitra

Jeff:

Thanks for your follow-up.  I generally like your ideas; unfortunately, I am not familiar with Friedrich Schiller- it would be nice to learn more about him.  By the way, a new book has just been published by Fairleigh Dickinson Press (Rabindranath Tagore: Universality and Tradition), which is an outcome of a Tagore Millennium Conference at UConn in 1998.  I have not seen it yet; I am, however, aware of its contents having attended the conference as a panelist.

Tagore, along with Bertrand Russell, Einstein and others, was staunchly anti-war and a committed campaigner against deluded, blind and hateful nationalism and patriotism.  As a correspondent wrote to me not long ago, Tagore may have been the first true "universalist," and, knowing his Bengali works from the inside, I tend to agree.

Please go forward with your plans, and keep me informed. It is not often that science and technology specialists show the kind of sensitivity to human concerns as you have- I find this most encouraging.

Best wishes-

Monish R. Chatterjee

From:    Jeff Orr

07/07/2003 02:59 PM

To:    Monish.Chatterjee

Subject:   Tagore

Dear Dr. Chatterjee,

I have been working making more progress on the proposed symposium. I have a place in mind and I now have the time to start publicizing it. I was thinking of late August for the date.   Unless, I find another place the meeting time will have to be in the evening. So it will need to be Mon, Tues, Wed or Thur, anytime between the hours of 6-10pm. I will schedule it to accomodate you.

Here is my preliminary title for the event---

"The Harmony of Civilizations and the Universal Culture of Peace" -discovering universal ideas of freedom and truth in the works of Tagore and Schiller.

My phone number is xxx-xxx-xxxx.  I would love to talk with you further about the planned event over the phone.

Sincerely,

Jeff Orr

From:    Jeff Orr  

08/01/2003 07:36 PM

To:    Monish Chatterjee

Subject: Re: Tagore

Dear Dr. Chatterjee,

I had better explain to you more about logistics for the event.  I have reasoned it is easiest to have the event at the Ann Arbor Community Center, and it will entail some cost but it is the best deal in town. I was going to take collections from people to defray the costs.  There is no budget, and I would arrange for you to stay at a good friend's house because my house is too crowded.  My wife is an excellent cook and I promise you some good food should you decide to do come.

I don't know exactly where you are, but I assumed the drive might not be so far from Ohio to Ann

Arbor, MI. I don't think that the event will suffer for lack of more panelists.  I know that the expense might be an issue if people have to travel from far away so maybe it is best not to make promises to others about travel expense that I cannot keep.  I am thinking for now that it will be just you and the Schiller expert, and I would moderate.  It would be a good beginning in my view.  I believe that there will be a good turnout, and your trip won't be wasted. What do you think about the idea of driving here and being guaranteed some travel expense for gas and such.  And having free lodgings with one of my personal friends?  Let me know how you feel about this.

My original assumption was that it would be easier for you to come to an event before school starts. That is why I suggested late August versus September. Is that true?  And if you are still positive about it, then we can talk about a few possible dates and I will try to coordinate something that works for you and the other speaker.

By the way I finally received "The English Writings of R. Tagore" and I have had a chance to read a play, various lectures, and some letters.  Further understanding of Tagore's ideas and sharing them are going to be a central part of my activities for some time.

When the professors and students return, I am going to find someone with money and interest at U of M to organize a really grand Symposium solely on Tagore.  But such an event is currently beyond my means and power.

Sincerely,

Jeff

From:    Monish Chatterjee

8/4/03

To:    Jeff Orr

Dear Jeff:

Thanks for your note with the useful clarifications. I think your plans are very sensible; since I am leaving for San Diego tomorrow (an SPIE conference), I look forward to writing back to you after my return. For now, I believe a date sometime in the 2nd half of September would work well. As for the very warm invitation w.r.t. lodging and so forth, it is very kind indeed- I am more than glad to accept it.

Until my next session before this terminal-

Very best,

Monish Chatterjee

From:    Jeff Orr

08/22/2003 11:29 AM

To:    Monish Chatterjee

Subject: Tagore Event-Ann Arbor

Dear Dr. Chatterjee,

Could you give me a few dates and times in September that would be good for you to you to come here?  Would a weekend be better?

Sincerely,

Jeff

--

"It is beauty, through which one proceeds to freedom"

--Friedrich Schiller

From:    Monish Chatterjee

To:    Jeff Orr

Dear Jeff:

Perhaps a Saturday near the end of September would work well.  This semester at UD I am teaching MWF; on Fridays, I teach a 9 A.M. class that ends at 10 A.M. Technically, I am free after that. If you can settle on a  Saturday (say the 27th), please let me know.  Also, could you outline for me what topic I should talk about and discuss?

Very best-

Monish Chatterjee

From:    Jeff Orr

08/27/2003 12:19 PM

To:  Monish Chatterjee

Subject: Re: Tagore Event-Ann Arbor

It seems that the very moment that I sent you an email, you also sent one to me.  I clicked send and at that exact moment your email appeared in my inbox. How interesting.

Saturday (Sept 27) might not work.  There will be traffic problems from the U of Michigan football game. My schedule is full on Friday and also during the day Saturday.  How about Saturday October 4th with a start time 7pm?

Please be aware that you are welcome to come earlier on Saturday, rest and/or have dinner with us before the meeting. .

Sincerely,

Jeff

From:    Monish Chatterjee

8/27/03

To:  Jeff Orr

 Jeff:

Saturday, Oct 4th should be fine. I have a meeting to attend in Tucson, AZ, and technically the meeting runs Oct 5-9. It turns out that my presentations are on the 8th and 9th; hence there should be a safe cushion between the two.

Hope everyone else is OK for the 4th of October.

Please keep me informed of developments.

Regards-

Monish.

From:    Jeff Orr

09/04/2003 03:05 PM

To:  Monish Chatterjee, Randolph Rothey, Rev Bevel

Subject: Confirmed

[ In this email, Jeff Orr outlines his views on the common intellectual and humane stimuli that moved Friedrich Schiller, Rabindranath Tagore and Martin Luther King, Jr. towards universal values of civilization.  He believes that it is these universal values that should and will move our human world towards non-violence, empathy and peaceful co-existence.  MRC. ]

Dear Speakers,

I am writing to confirm that the room for our event has been confirmed and is reserved. Here are the details:

Title:  "Realizing a World Culture of Peace & Non-Violence"

Place:  Eastern Michigan University-Ypsilanti, Michigan

Bldg:  McKinney Union

Room: Ballroom/Salon-Hold 500 people

Ticket Price: $10

Date: Saturday October 4, 2003

Time: 7-9:30 PM

On the Universal Aesthetics of Schiller, Tagore and Martin Luther King, Jr.

[  Preamble:  You will all have free accommodations.  We will have a dinner for you all at my house at 5 pm before the event.  The event location is very close by my house.  This will give us a chance to chat briefly before the event.  We can also chat afterword.  My address is:  682 Peninsula Ct--Ann Arbor, Michigan 48105.

The plan is to have you all give a speech that is no more than 20 minutes and to then have question & answer session.  I will moderate the event.  I am going to make an event flyer, and maybe even an event poster.  So I would like a 3 or 4 sentence description about who you are, what you do, and maybe what you stand for. I am planning to put a picture of Schiller, Tagore, and Martin Luther King on the flyers and poster.

My thinking is that Rand covers Schiller, Dr. Chatterjee covers Tagore, and Rev Bevel covers King.  ]

When people leave I hope that they go out and immerse themselves into MLK, Tagore, and Schiller. Because we can't give it all to them in 2 hours. I am planning to introduce you all and myself.  I am going to explain what prompted me to hold this event and to try to tie it all together philosophically before you all start your talks. I am planning to elaborate a little on what is common to MLK, Schiller and Tagore.

Schiller and Tagore were both poets, writers of drama, and commentators on history.  Schiller dealt with Western Civilization and thought in the exact same way that Tagore dealt with the subject of Eastern thought.  Schiller and Tagore wrote poems, dramas, and literature with an identical artistic method. They had a consistent view on the need for an aesthetical education for mankind.  Both men contended that Truth and Beauty are one and the same and to understand the full implications of this is not easy.  In Tagore's Essay entitled "The Realization of Beauty" Tagore states:  Through our sense of Truth we realize law in creation, and through our sense of beauty we realize harmony in the universe.  When we recognize the law in nature we extend our mastery over physical forces and become powerful; when we recognize the law in our moral nature we attain mastery over self and become free.  In like manner the more we comprehend the harmony in the physical world the more our life shares the gladness of creation, and our expression of beauty in art becomes more truly catholic.  As we become conscious of the harmony in our soul, our apprehension of the blissfulness of the spirit of the world becomes universal, and the expression of beauty in our life moves in goodness and love toward the infinite.  This is the ultimate object of our existence, the we must ever know that 'beauty is truth, truth beauty'; we must realize the whole world in love, for love gives birth, sustains it, and takes it back to its bosom.  We must have that perfect emancipation of heart which gives us the power to stand at the innermost centre of things and have the taste of that fullness of disinterested joy which belongs to Brahma.

One can find many such quotes from Schiller which convey the same idea.  Both Schiller and Tagore discovered a way to define a Universal idea of truth, freedom, and beauty which existed outside of their particular cultures, and was common to all humanity. Both men engaged in the struggle for political freedom through their writings and ideas.

To me practicing Non-violence is an expression of pure beauty and justice.  One can listen to Martin Luther King's speeches and see that he understood this and much more.  MLK's use of metaphor, continual inclusion of beautiful words of poetry, and his own written and spoken ideas, qualify him as a poet/artist at the same level as Schiller and Tagore.  Although we don't usually think of him that way. We know that he talked of employing "weapons of love" and "non-violence", as well as showing people how to use the power of "moral and spiritual forces" to achieve political and economic justice for all Americans.

All three Men raised the level consciousness of people, and spoke to their hearts as well as their minds. So with that said I feel I have given you guys my idea what ties everything together.  Now I feel that Rev Bevel can speak on the subjects of:

1) MLK- beauty, justice, and non-violence

2) the actual realization of non-violence at every level of society

3) the substance of the mass-movement we need now in the US

4) how we can establish non-violence as one of the key guiding principles of government

Tagore had played a most interesting role of traveling the world to bring about this universal understanding. He had these dialogues at this level of discussion, in Western Countries, in Asian Countries and I don't know where else.  So I was hoping that Dr. Chatterjee could give the audience this aspect of Tagore, which is inclusive of Tagore's ideas, his role in the Indian Freedom movement, and his role to bridge all cultures with a Universal idea of culture.

So I feel what we ought to strive for here, is to get across this universal idea of truth, freedom and beauty, as the basis for realizing peace in society, in government, and among the nations and cultures of

the world. We have three important figures here (Tagore, Schiller, and MLK) they have the same basic ideas of Universal truth, beauty and justice.  They are all engaged in improving the affairs of man while at the same time uplifting man's heart, mind and spirit.  We can have a picture of universal ideas of truth that can create harmony among different cultures, and the establishment of non-violence as the principle of conflict resolution.  There is also a dimension of what occurs at an individual level in people’s daily lives with these same ideas.  We can try to get across what all of this means for us today.

I think that you guys should each keep all this in mind when you come up with your presentations.  I think you should come up with everything based on what you think is right or important to say.

My phone number is xxx-xxx-xxxx.

Looking forward to having you all here.

Sincerely,

Jeff Orr

--

"it is beauty, through which one proceeds to freedom"

--Friedrich Schiller

From:    Monish Chatterjee

9/4/03

To:    Jeff Orr

Jeff:

A very good program, and including King makes a lot of sense in view of your theme.  Interestingly, people usually consider Gandhi as the appropriate pairing with King- your choice of combining King with Tagore and Schiller is rather unique (and I daresay, insightful).

Best wishes for your program.  Look forward to being there.

Best,

Monish.

From:    Jeff Orr

10/03/2003 05:53 PM

To:   Monish Chatterjee

Subject: Decision on Staying Sat night

Have you decided whether or not you will be staying the night Saturday?  Let me know if you are firm one way or the other.

Jeff

--

"it is beauty, through which one proceeds to freedom"

--Friedrich Schiller

From:    Monish Chatterjee

10/3/03

To:    Jeff Orr

Yes, I will stay Saturday night, but may have to leave by, say, 2 p.m. on Sunday.  I am greatly delighted to learn about your daughter's naming ceremony, and hope to attend at least a part of it.

Regards-

Monish.

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