As assistant professor in Chinese language, Mahatma Gandhi International Hindi University, I wish to point out a few more similarities between the visits of Chinese President Chiang Kai-shek (to be pronounced Jiang Jieshi) in February 1942 and President Xi Jinping (“ >Talking trade and peace with China ,” Sept. 20). President Jiang visited Calcutta and Santiniketan (February 19, 1942) with Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru and met Rathidranath Tagore, son of Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore. He donated a sum of Rs.80,000 of which Rs.50,000 was given in the memory of Gurudeva and Rs.30,000 for completion of extension work in Cheena-Bhavana (the first department of Sino-Indian studies in India) of the Visva-Bharati, founded by Rabindranath Tagore and Tan Yunshan in 1937. He also made donations of Rs.50,000 in the Chinese currency in 1935, and Rs.20,000 each in 1945 and 1946 respectively. On September 19, President Xi conferred the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence Award on the Department of Chinese Language and Culture (Cheena-Bhavana) of Visva-Bharati. Other recipients include Dr. Dwarakanath Kotnis’ family, the Dr. Dwarakanath Kotnis Memorial Committee and the India-China Friendship Association.
Anirban Ghosh,
Wardha, Maharashtra
