Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson exchanged special commemorative gifts on Monday, highlighting the deep cultural ties between India and Sweden. PM Modi expressed gratitude for receiving facsimiles of two handwritten epigrams by Rabindranath Tagore from the Swedish Prime Minister. He praised Tagore’s enduring vision of human dignity and brotherhood that transcends generations and geographies.
Following the exchange, Swedish PM Kristersson shared details of the gesture, presenting facsimiles of Tagore’s handwritten epigrams to PM Modi. Kristersson emphasized Tagore’s Nobel Prize in Literature in 1913 and the poems’ discovery in the Swedish National Archives, underscoring the strong relations between Sweden and India.
The official statement revealed that Kristersson gifted replicas of Tagore’s handwritten epigrams, accompanied by a brief note and a photo from Tagore’s 1921 visit to Uppsala University. The originals, found in the Swedish National Archives, were penned by Tagore during his visits to Sweden in 1921 and 1926. In return, PM Modi gifted Kristersson a collection of Tagore’s literary works and a specially crafted Shantiniketan bag, reflecting Tagore’s philosophy of art’s integration into everyday life.
Rabindranath Tagore, the first non-European Nobel Prize in Literature recipient, was unable to personally receive the award in 1913 but was later welcomed by King Gustav V during his 1921 visit to Sweden. The gift exchange coincides with the centenary celebrations of Tagore’s 1926 visit, adding significance to the symbolic gesture between the two leaders. Prime Minister Modi’s visit to Sweden aims to bolster bilateral relations, culminating in the conferral of the ‘Royal Order of the Polar Star, Degree Commander Grand Cross’ in recognition of his contributions to India-Sweden relations.
