DHAKA: The Vancouver Tagore Society celebrated the International Women`s Day by arranging an event titled "Tagore and Women Empowerment" at the Richmond Council Chambers, British Columbia, Canada.

In her opening speech, Linda Barnes, Acting Mayor of the City of Richmond, said "Rabindranath Tagore wished to bring out into the open, and consciously, and critically look at the position of women in society. He wanted his stories to be the mirror in which men will see themselves in new light because it`s necessary to change the way men look at themselves in order to change the lives of women".

The Acting Mayor also talked about the significance of International Women`s Day and the City of Richmond`s commitment to women`s right, multiculturalism and diversity in her speech.

Councillor Linda McPhail of City of Richmond, Consul General of India in Vancouver Ravi Shankar Aisola and Ms. Priti Aisola were among the dignitaries present at the program.

In his welcome speech, President of Vancouver Tagore Society, Lee Tan, reminisced his childhood memories at Nobel-laureate Rabindranath Tagore`s Santi Niketan Asram, particularly on Tagore`s effort at establishing a girls` school and dormitory at Santi Niketan.

Noted vocalist Shankhanaad Mallick enthralled the audience with his bare-voice (khali-golay) singing of a Tagore song "Bhoy Hote Tobo Obhoy Majhe" (Away from fear into your fearlessness).

A short video documentary summarizing Tagore’s multi-faceted work for empowering and uplifting women was projected in the screen. The documentary was produced by Zahur Ashrafuzzaman.

The central feature of the event was screening of world-famous film-maker Satyajit Ray`s movie Ghare-Baire (The Home and the World) based on the novel of the same title by Rabindranath Tagore.

An enlightening and invigorating panel discussion was held. The panel of distinguished scholars and authors Shila Sengupta, Ashok Bhargava, Bernice Lever and Dr. Tirthankar Bose talked about Tagore`s views on role of women in family and society and their struggle for emancipation and how subtly and intricately he portrayed these in his novel. Spontaneous participation from the audience made the discussion evermore lively and engaging. The panel discussion was moderated by Duke Ashrafuzzaman.

BDST: 1225 HRS, MAR 13, 2014