Encyclopedia of India–China Cultural Contacts v2.c10.s2.t20.30

v2.c10.s2.t20.30

A great friend of the Chinese people - throughout his life, Tagore has always cherished the boundless friendship and deep affection for the Chinese people. In 1881, at the age of 20, he published an article entitled *The Death of Opium trade in China*. Here, he strongly condemned the dumping of opium in China by the British colonists who had been poisoning the Chinese people. He accused the British of forcing the Chinese people to swallow the opium in order to seize huge profits for themselves. This perhaps was the first voice for justice condemning the evil opium trade. From then, for 60 years till his death, China has always occupied a special place in the heart and mind of Tagore.