I’M HARUN BAUL SPEAKING (20)

I’ll build a house, but how long will I stay for?

With growing proximity toward eternity my guru Darvish Aziz Shah Fakir (104) is increasingly being busy in delivering discourses in relation to restructuring the governance of Bangladesh. Perceiving the social, political, economic and ecological performances in terms of sustainability management by the power groups since 1982, the guru reflects his feelings in singing:

কি করিতে এসে ভবে কি কর্ম সবে করিলো

লালন বলে সকল আমার যজ্ঞের ঘি কুত্তায় খেলো। - লালন ফকির

Ki korite eshe vobe ki karma sobe korilo

Lalon bole sokol amar jaggner ghee kuttai khelo - Lalon Fakir

(People tend to do things contrary to what they ought to have done. Lalon cries: my Ghee for offering for worship is all taken by dogs). To the guru the functionality of the persons in power, who tend to deliver their election manifestos futilely, resembles the above. The degrading socio-cultural, political, economic and ecological sustainability scenarios across Bangladesh clearly depict the evidence. The guru asserts that the country’s sustainability icon has lost its historic splendour. The icon of Sonar Bangla comprising of the following natural features hardly exist in the county anymore:

নদী ভরা জল

মাঠ ভরা ফসল

পুকুর ভরা মাছ

গোয়াল ভরা গরু

বাড়ী ভরা গাছ

পাখির কলতান

শিশুর কোলাহল

বাউলের ও মাঝির গান

রাতে বন্য জন্তু ও ভূতের ভয়

“Nadi vora jol Water in river,
math vora fasal field full of crops,
pukur vora maas pond full of fish,
gohal vora garu cow in the cowshed,
bari vora gaas homestead with trees,
pakhir kolotan melodious tune of the birds,
shisur koahol uproar of children,
bauler o majheer gaan songs of Bauls and boatmen,
Rathe banya jantu O vuther voy.” fear of wild animals and Ghost at night.

According to my guru’s perception the principal reason behind the deterioration has been due to:

ঠিকের ঘরে ভুল পড়েছে মন - লালন ফকির
Thiker ghare bhul porese mon - Lalon Fakir
(Errors persist while judging righteousness).

The guru emphasises ‘righteousness’ as one of the moral capital that is underpinned by the synergies between the values such as patriotism, responsibility, honesty, simple living. Most people in politics and governance in Bangladesh lack these values. The country has become so unfortunate that none of the living chiefs of the major political parties who happen to assume power alternatively, though unevenly, can be called patriotic. Rather, the opposite is true, even for the persons on the top of politics and governance. The example of pleasing someone at the cost of nation’s resource-base (গরু মেরে জুতা দান Goru mere juta daan) is painfully perceived by the masses as it is frequently occurring both internally and externally. As a way out, my guru stresses that good governance must be pursued in order to restore all the unsustainability scenarios.

The guru maintains that our education and political system concurrently need a major overhauling for achieving good governance. Education needs to be refurbished with values education for accomplishing moral integrity that would naturally wipe out the prevalent governance infected by corruption, extortion, extravagance, disloyalty and the like, as these are distinctly moral issue. The guru reveals that the moral force or values can come from both formal education and a person’s originating culture and community wherefrom children can learn by seeing others in practice or by practicing values by themselves. The Quran asks people to learn from those who know.

“When you do not know, then inquire of the people of recollection” (Quran, 16:43; 21:7). The Scripture also stresses on to follow the footstep of the blessed personages – living or ever-living - as the practical means to develop character with stewardship integrity. This has been emphasized in the opening chapter of the Quran: “Show us the straight path, The way of those on whom Thou hast bestowed Thy Grace” (Quran 1:6). These are the people with the highest stewardship qualities, and the Quran regards them as immortal, ever living. "And do not say - they are dead - of those who died in the path of Allah. No, never; rather they are alive" (Quran 2:154). "And no, do not even think that they are dead, those who are killed in the path of Allah. No, no, never - rather they are alive. They are getting sustenance from their Lord" (Quran 3:169).

The guru claims that the moral poverty that infects our spiritual as well as cultural spheres is rooted in the so-called democratic political system of the West as imposed upon Bangladesh. It must be replaced. A culturally compatible pro-sustainability political and governance system needs to be installed. To the guru, Khelafat system of governance seems to be sustainable in our syncretistic socio-religious culture. Khalifa connoting God’s vicegerent, steward, trustee, representative, viceroy, caretaker, ruler, agent, inheritor or successor repeatedly appears in the Quran. All the terms intrinsically mean ‘stewardship’ i.e. a person who is given responsibility to safeguard all beings and things in nature in order to maintain a sustainable balance between social and ecological co-existence. The notion of Khalifa or Khelafat is reflected throughout the Quran in various contexts (Quran 2:30; 6:165; 7:69,74,129; 10:14,73; 27:62; 38:26.).

The guru reveals in a song that human vows to God to carryout stewardship duties (while in the womb).

যখন ভিটায় হাও বসতি

দিয়া এলে খোস কবলুতি

হৃদামে নাম রাখবো স্থিতি, ভুলেছো কিরে।

আইন মাফিক নিরিখ দেনা

তাতে কেনো ইতরপনা?

ঐ দিন যাবে রে যাবে রে জানা, জানা যেবে আখেরে - লালন ফকির

Jokhon vitai hao bosoti
Dia ele khosh kobluti
Hrdame naam rakhbo sthiti, vuleso kire.
Ain mafik nirikh dena
Tate keno itorpona?
A din jabere jabere jana, jana jebe akhere – Lalon Fakir

(When you were in the womb, you pledged (in) a covenant that you would always remember your duties. Have you forgotten that? Why deviate from discharging the legitimate functions? You must bear the consequences at the end).

The Quran reveals a covenant between the Sustainer (Rab) and humans to make sure that natural resources are sustained over time and not degraded. “Those who break the covenant of God after ratifying it and sever that which God ordered to be joined, and (who) make mischief in the earth: Those are they who are the losers” (Quran 2:27). For the transgressors, my guru sings:

তুমি সহজে কি সই হবা?

চির দিন ইচ্ছা মনে

আইল ডিঙ্গায়ে ঘাস খাবা?

দাবার পর মুগুর পলে

সেই দিনে গা তার পাবা - লালন ফকির

Tumi shahaje ki soi hoba?
Chiro din ichsa mone
Ail dingae ghas khaba?
Dabar por mugur pole
Sei dine ga ter paba - Lalon Fakir

(Will you be righteous so easily?
Will you continue to transgress your limits?
You will realise when you will be hammered.)

This suggests that nature has its own laws and norms. Whenever these norms are violated beyond permissible limit, nature retaliates, bites back. The increasing phenomena of climate change are widely believed to be the consequence of the rape of nature by the Western democracy of capitalism and consumerism. The Quran also reveals what may happen to people who cross the limits: “Mischief has appeared on land and sea because of that the hands of men have earned, that Creator may make them taste some of them which they have done, in order that they may turn back from evil” (Quran 30:41).

However, all humans are not qualified with stewardship integrity. This is why the Khelafat system of governance is meant to be of deliberative democracy where the most wise, patriotic, honest, competent and simple living persons get elected as Khalifa at various administrative spheres (i.e. from the grassroots to the chief of state) to pursue ‘righteousness’ for the sustainability of diverse things in nature. Baul philosopher Bijoy Sarker sings reflecting righteousness:

ঐ পৃথিবী যেমন ছিলো, তেমনি ঠিক রবে

সুন্দর ঐ পৃথিবী ছেড়ে চলে যেতে হবে।

Ai prithibi jemon silo, temoni thik robe
Sundar ai prithibi sere chole jete hobe.

(We are obliged to leave this beautiful earth, keeping the earth in its natural form). The song reveals that one generation should leave this beautiful earth aesthetically and eco-systematically unchanged for meeting the needs of the generations to come. This notion is also the core of the concept of sustainable development.

The guru repeatedly holds the Western democracy liable for deteriorating political sustainability in Bangladesh, for it inherently induces corruption, consumerism and extravagancy at all level of politics vis-à-vis governance. In Bangladesh culture it does hardly care about the rule of law; rather encourage corruption and muscle power. In contrary, the Khelafat system of governance is meant to inevitably remove all the prevailing misdeeds and restore good governance, just as medicine can heal illness and restore health.

From Islamic standpoint, stewardship or duty of Khalifa is indeed an act of Jihad (striving) against the norms of human’s egocentric nature. This form of Jihad is known as the ‘greater Jihad’ - the constant struggle against the unruly self. This indicates that humans have a tendency to forget the guidance of God and so drift into disobedience. To counter this tendency, each human is required to make Jihad as revealed in the Quran (17:19, 29:5-6, 47:31, 76:22). The guru views Jihadism as the end of education to produce responsible personages – who do not do any mischievous act injurious to humanity and nature.

Since the Quran authorises human as God’s steward (Khalifa) on earth, they are supposed to acquire values from 99 virtues of God. “Colour yourself with the colour of God” (Quran 2:138). This suggests that Islam has a code of outcome-based stewardship development guideline. The guideline includes stewardship education central to belief, values, charity, spirituality and action. All these synergistically generate happiness. The guru asserts that Bangladeshi people are one of the happiest people on earth. The mystics including the Bauls are also highly regarded globally for they eat, sleep and talk less, and offer a smile indiscriminately. They transmit and demonstrate how to integrate stewardship into people’s lifestyle in terms of personal longevity, social coherence and live simply. This implies that an elected Khalifa would intrinsically increase people’s contentment, promote socio-political unity, inspire people to live simply for sustaining economic sustainability, and teach mankind that ecologically sustainable development is the key means to support the other sustainability perspectives in context.

In order to materialise the above, the guru strictly prohibits his devotees not to go for extravagance. “Who pileth up wealth and layeth it by, Thinking that his wealth would make him last for ever! By no means! He will be sure to be thrown into That Hell which Breaks to Pieces” (Quran 104:2-4). Similar guidance applies to over-extraction of finite resources for overconsumption is repeatedly prohibited in Islam (Quran 2:60, 2:205, 5:64, 7:56, 28:4). Islam also prohibits the generation of growth in money by charging interest or excessive profit. Islam considers money just as a convenient medium of exchange. Its use as a commodity to lend or hoard for excessive profit can injuriously deprive others and is strictly prohibited. People can have surplus money to lend to those in need, but with profit sharing, not with fixed rate interest or high profit. Living simply and without greed for more than required is the standard of maintaining economic sustainability.

In other words, “The less you have, the more you are” is universal. Gandhi expanded this concept to incorporate a simple life style asserting that nature produces enough for our wants, and if only everybody took enough for him/herself and nothing more, there would be no people dying of starvation. The Quran revealed the finiteness of many natural resources more than 1400 years ago: “We have counted everything in a clear register” (Quran 36:12); “There is nothing whose treasures are not with Us and We only send it down in a known measure” (Quran 15:12).

Thus, in view of designing Khelafat system of governance integrating (pro)sustainability perspectives as discussed above the guru has advised me to make it public as to how it can be made sustainably functional in the pluralistic culture of Bangladesh. He also advised me to see whether the religio-political manifesto and values of a steadily growing political party namely Khelafat Majlish can be remodeled in pursuit to resurrect our drowning homeland. It appears that the current booklet of the party should be revised to make it more simpler, precise and focused. The following manifestos should also be included in the brochure:

Restoration of traditional values education;
Fish and fruit tree for everyone;
Full support for the people willing to work overseas;
Facilities for small-scale industrial activities;
Narrowing the lifestyle gaps between rich and poor; and
Equitable foreign policy

In order to implement the manifestos, the organisation is required to procure patriotic, honest, competent and living simply or happy-with-less membership. The guru also suggests that there should be a male and a female Khalifa in every Ward, every Union, every Thana and every Constituency. The National Khalifa (male or female) will guide the other Khalifas with ministerial portfolio.

In his concluding discourse, the guru has asked me to seek help from the patriotic non-resident Bangladeshis (NBR) such as Hasan Mahmud (Allama Fate Molla) who can enrich the hypothesis of Khelafat governance integrating the Shariah (ki bole), and Sufi Islam’s and Baul philosopher’s Jihad for sustainable Bangladesh. The guru suggests the following song of Hason Raja as the Jihadic song for the Khalifas as it reveals the spirit of Islamic sustainability.

People say, they say, my house is no good.
What house will I build,
There's nothing here
I’ll build a house, But how long will I stay for?
I look in the mirror,
I see grey hair that I have.
Thinking of this,
Hason Raja hasn’t built a house.

Where will Allah take and keep him,
For that reason he cries.
If Hason Raja knew, how long he would live for,
then he would have built his house and rooms in many colours.
At the end of his discourse, the guru blesses his devotees singing:

তোমরা সব খলিফা র'লে, যে যা বুঝে দিও বলে।

অসৎ অভক্ত জনা, গুপ্ত ভেদ তারে বলো না

বলিলেও সে মানিবে না, করবে অহঙ্কারী।

নেকতন বান্দারা যত, বেদ পড়ে আউলিয়া হতো

নাদানেরা শুল চাছিতো, মনছুর তার সাবেদ আছে। - লালন ফকির

Tomra sab Kalifa role, Je ja bujhe dio bole.
Osoth obhakta jona, Gupta bhed tare bolona
Bolileo se manibena, Karbe ahangkari.
Nekton bandara joto, ved pore auliya hoto
nadanera shul chachito, Monsur tar sabed ase. -Lalon Fakir

(The Prophet (sm) addressed the Khalifas (people with stewardship integrity) to advice people in accordance with their levels of understanding. Dishonest and disobedient people should not be told the higher truth, for they would not accept. All the righteous personages became Auliya by studying the higher truth while the fools used to sharpen their spears. Mansur (Hallaj) was the witness to it (whom they killed).

(To be continued)

Dated 13-03-2012 www.bangladesh-web.com

Md. Amzad Hossain

A.Hossain@curtin.edu.au

Ataikula, Pabna, Bangladesh