President Prabowo Subianto and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that 2026-2027 will be designated as the year of India-Indonesia educational and cultural diplomacy, dubbed the "Tagore-Dewantara Year," referring to the great Indian poet Rabindranath Tagore and the Father of Indonesian Education, Ki Hajar Dewantara.
In his joint statement with President Prabowo, PM Modi reiterated the bonds of friendship between educational figures of the two countries that have existed for approximately 100 years, namely when Tagore visited Taman Siswa in Yogyakarta and met with Ki Hajar Dewantara in August 1927.
For Modi, Tagore's historic visit to Taman Siswa 100 years ago has contributed significantly to the people-to-people relations between the two countries, which have existed even before Indonesia and India became independent.
"Our two countries will celebrate with great enthusiasm the historic visit of Rabindranath to Indonesia a hundred years ago, Ki Hadjar Dewantara, a great figure from Indonesia who was the first Minister of Education of Indonesia. He contributed significantly to development in Indonesia, and his views on the world of education have had a major impact on the world. Therefore, we will commemorate the 100th anniversary of Ki Hadjar Dewantara, the Year of Educational Diplomacy, " said PM Modi at the Merdeka Palace.
