Chhayanaut, a Bangladeshi cultural organisation, will be awarded “The Tagore Award for Cultural Harmony 2015” by the Indian government.
According to Indian High Commissioner in Dhaka, the jury, under the chairmanship of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, unanimously selected Chhayanaut to receive the Tagore Award in recognition of its outstanding contribution to cultural harmony.
The award carries: an amount of Rs1 crore (1 INR=1.17 BDT), a citation in a scroll, a plaque, as well as an exquisite traditionally-handcrafted item, reports UNB.
Established in 1961, Chhayanaut has played a leading role in promoting Tagore's works as well as Bangali culture, music, and literature— all around the globe.
It has built a close bridge of understanding and cultural exchange between Bangladesh and India; especially with West Bengal.
Chhayanaut was part of the movement for an independent Bangladesh and provided a platform for cultural expression and assertion of the Bangali identity.
When Rabindra Sangeet, songs written by Tagore, were banned in East Pakistan, Chhayanaut continued to promote liberal expression through secret renditions of Tagore songs and discussions on Tagore.
The jury's decision recognizes the contribution of the organization to upholding the liberal progressive tradition of universal humanism—and promoting the spirit of cultural harmony.
The annual award was introduced by the Indians government during the commemoration of 150th anniversary of the birth of Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore.
The first Tagore Award was presented to Indian sitar maestro Ravi Shankar, in 2012, and the second was conferred on Shri Zubin Mehta in 2013.
The award is open to all persons regardless of nationality, race, language, caste, creed or sex.
