রবীন্দ্র চিঠিপত্রে নারীভাবনা / Tagore's Thoughts on Women in His Letters

Abstract

Various aspects of Rabindranath Tagore's personal life concerning women are reflected in his letters. He himself stated that letters create a new sense, as it were, for observing and understanding people (as mentioned in Chhinnapatra). Therefore, to provide a complete understanding of his views on women, we have included his letters in this discussion. The discussion, in the context of women's social position, includes his opinions on child marriage, the Sati practice, the condition of women in the family, the division of labor between men and women, and comparisons between Western and Indian women. He encouraged women in various creative pursuits, such as writing, studying, publishing their work, and how to write effectively, as well as contributing to the well-being of the family. His letters also address the shortcomings and weaknesses of women in these areas and how they can be overcome. He believed that a change and development in the status of women was necessary, a conviction that deeply motivated him. The foundation of his vision for women was deeply rooted, and he desired that women's progress should come from within themselves. His letters reveal his involvement in women's development initiatives, such as establishing a girls' school alongside the boys' school in Santiniketan, creating a women's department, appointing a woman as the head of the children's education department, and planning to provide all kinds of education to girls at Visva-Bharati.