PM Modi invokes Tagore’s ‘Kabuliwala’ at Visva-Bharati University convocation

2 mins ago | By : ILT Staff Reporter

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KOLKATA Prime Minister Narendra Modi shared the dais with his Bangladesh counterpart Sheikh Hasina and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee at the 49th convocation of Visva-Bharati University on Friday (25.05.2018). He invoked the legendary story ‘Kabuliwala’ of Rabindra Nath Tagore, who had found the Visva-Bharati University. He started his speech in Bangla language amidst chant of ‘Modi, Modi…’ from the crowd, who had arrived in huge numbers to brave the hot, humid weather.

Around 10,000 post-graduate and 1,000 PhD students received their certificates on Friday.

Breaking tradition, Visva Bharati University had invited West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to be on the stage at the convocation ceremony. This will be the first time a West Bengal chief minister attended the varsity’s convocation since Siddhartha Shankar Ray in the 1970s.

While addressing the function, PM Modi urged the students of Visva-Bharati to make 100 villages around Santiniketan in Birbhum district of West Bengal self-sufficient to mark the central university’s centenary in 2021.

Modi said the 100 villages should have power connection, LPG gas supply, the children should receive vaccination, the villagers should be able to fill up forms digitally.

The PM started with apologising to the student. He said, “First of all, as the chancellor of Visva Bharati University, I apologise. When I was coming here, some students were telling me with gestures that there is no arrangement of drinking water. I want to apologise for all the inconvenience caused to you.”

Invoking Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore, who founded the Visva Bharati University, and his iconic short story ‘Kabuliwala’, Modi said he felt privileged to spend time on “Tagore’s soil”. “Tagore was a global citizen and wanted Shantiniketan to be a home for the world… Tagore wanted students in India to have a wider global view and always gave priority to the identity of India,” the PM said.

Later in the day PM left for Jharkhand where he is going to inaugurate different project worth Rs 27,000 crore, including the revival of closed Sindri plant.