Shivraj Singh Chouhan pays tribute to Tagore on death anniversary

Key Takeaways

Shivraj Singh Chouhan paid tribute to Rabindranath Tagore on his punyatithi , 7 August .

Tagore won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1913 , the first Asian to do so.

His composition Jana Gana Mana was adopted as India's national anthem on 24 January 1950 .

Chouhan described Tagore's works as a continuing inspiration for national progress and social upliftment.

Indian political leaders across parties routinely honour Tagore on his death anniversary, reflecting his trans-partisan cultural stature.

On the death anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore, Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan offered a solemn tribute to the poet-philosopher whose words became the soul of a nation — and whose legacy, he said, continues to guide India toward progress and social uplift.

Posting on 7 August, Chouhan wrote in Hindi: 'राष्ट्रगान जन-गण-मन के रचयिता, नोबेल पुरस्कार से अलंकृत, महान कवि व अद्वितीय कथाकार गुरुदेव रबीन्द्रनाथ टैगोर जी की पुण्यतिथि पर विनम्र श्रद्धांजलि अर्पित करता हूँ' — 'I humbly pay tribute to Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore, composer of the national anthem Jana Gana Mana, Nobel laureate, great poet and unparalleled storyteller, on his death anniversary.' He added that Tagore's immortal works, exemplary life, and noble thoughts 'will always inspire us toward the progress of the nation and the upliftment of society.' Tagore's enduring place in India's identity Rabindranath Tagore was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1913 — the first Asian to receive the honour — for his collection Gitanjali. His composition Jana Gana Mana was adopted as India's national anthem by the Constituent Assembly on 24 January 1950, embedding his voice permanently into the republic's founding fabric. Poet, novelist, playwright, painter, educator — Tagore's range was singular, and his founding of Visva-Bharati University in Santiniketan remains a living institution. Every 7 August, India marks his punyatithi (death anniversary), and political leaders across party lines offer public tributes — a practice that reflects how thoroughly Tagore transcends partisan identity. He belongs, in a real sense, to the idea of India itself. Chouhan's tribute follows that long-standing tradition, invoking Tagore not merely as a literary figure but as a moral compass — one whose ideals of national progress and social reform remain as relevant today as they were in the pre-independence era that shaped him.

Point of View

Making such posts a low-risk, high-resonance gesture. That Chouhan frames Tagore's legacy in terms of 'national progress and social upliftment' echoes the BJP's broader cultural nationalism vocabulary, anchoring a universally revered figure within the party's ideological register. It signals nothing new in policy terms, but reinforces the government's consistent effort to claim custodianship of India's founding cultural icons.

NationPress

7 Aug 2026

Frequently Asked Questions

When is Rabindranath Tagore's death anniversary?

Rabindranath Tagore's death anniversary, known as his punyatithi , falls on 7 August every year.

Who composed India's national anthem Jana Gana Mana?

Rabindranath Tagore composed Jana Gana Mana , which was adopted as India's national anthem by the Constituent Assembly on 24 January 1950 .

When did Rabindranath Tagore win the Nobel Prize?

Tagore won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1913 for his poetry collection Gitanjali , becoming the first Asian to receive the Nobel Prize in Literature.

What did Shivraj Singh Chouhan say about Tagore?

Chouhan said Tagore's immortal works, exemplary life, and noble thoughts 'will always inspire us toward the progress of the nation and the upliftment of society.'

Why do Indian politicians tribute Tagore on 7 August?

7 August is Tagore's death anniversary, and leaders across parties pay tribute to honour his foundational role in Indian literature, the freedom movement, and national identity.