The Prime Minister has announced a prestigious international award to be instituted in his name of Rabindranath Tagore. Describing the Nobel laureate as a multi-faceted genius,Dr Manmohan Singh said the award aims at recognizing very distinguished contributions towards the promotion of international brotherhood and fraternity.Inaugurating the 150th anniversary celebrations in New Delhi today he hoped, that the award will be presented by the end of the commemoration period. Dr.Singh said a wide range of projects are being undertaken as part of the anniversary celebrations to make Tagore's work more accessible to a wider audience and to preserve his works for posterity.Underscoring his commitment to the revival of Viswa Bharati, he said it stands as a living symbol of the poet's enduring faith in the learning ability and creative power of the young mind and free spirit. The Prime Minister said that a wide range of projects are being undertaken as part of the celebrations to make Tagore's works more accessible to a wider audience and preserve his work for posterity.Expressing its commitment to fight the scourge of terrorism, Bangladesh today assured India that its territory will not be allowed to be used by elements working against the interests of any country. Speaking at the function Planning Minister of Bangladesh Rtd Air Vice Marshel A K Khandekar said his countrymen cannot forget India's support to their freedom struggle. Khandekar, a retired Air Vice Marshal, who had also participated in the 1971 war for the freedom of Bangladesh referred to the spontaneous support Bangladesh received from the government and the people of India. Recalling the great bonds of friendship between India and Bangladesh, he said it was Indira Gandhi who recognized the country even before it was formally declared free.Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee said Tagore, who penned the national anthems of both India and Bangladesh, gave new interpretations and new meanings to all traditional ideas.He said the joint celebrations of Tagore's 15th birth anniversary by India and Bangladesh has unique significance and first of its kind in cultural exchanges with our neighbour.The UPA chairperson Mrs. Sonia Gandhi said that the message of Tagore is more relevant today than before as he stood above religion, caste, creed and colour barriers. Mrs. Gandhi recalled the association of Nehru Gandhi family with Shanti Niketan. Meanwhile, Tagore was not merely a man of letters and a poet for Sri Lanka. He was much more. He was instrumental in the cultural renaissance of Sri Lanka, speakers at a meeting organised here to commemorate the 150th birth anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore said. The Sri Lankan Postal Services secretary Hemasiri Fernando released a stamp and first day cover to mark the occasion celebrating the 150th birth anniversary of Tagore. Sri Lankan Culture Secretary Vimal Roopasinghe, handed over a commemorative volume on Tagore to the Colombo University Vice Chancellor Kshanika Hirimburegama. Indian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, Ashok K. Kantha, who presided, said that ‘by remembering Tagore and fathoming his centrality as a splendid figure of Asian cultural renaissance, we are trying to evaluate our own age, along with its plethora of cultural expression and creative norms. With the myriad streams of his classic artistic oeuvre, Rabindranath Tagore has become a touchstone for the creativity of our times.’