লালন ফকিরের মাজার

লালন ফকিরের মাজার

Tuesday 10 April 2012

I'M HARUN BAUL SPEAKING (5)


In my last discourse (www.bangladesh-web.com/news dated May 21, 2001); I took a break with the statement that political 'leaders should visit different Sufi Mazars (tombs) including that of the Mazar of Lalon Fakir. Lalon's way is a way of 'syncretism'.

The Fakir tradition is inherently a 'syncretistic' tradition. The Pundits of this discipline are in agreement as to the syncretic charisma of Fakirs. Lalon Fakir's syncretistic revelations are followed and practised by Baul community maintaining the tradition of the 'charismatic syncretism'.

Mosques provide the front row(s) for dignitaries including political leaders, who enter there. The Khadems (officiants) of Mazars facilitate visitors with the spirit of 'syncretism' in wider contexts of the term. The visitors become apt to synthesize themselves at one. They experience ecstasy and 'spiritual orgasm' evolving from the synergy of mundane and transcendental spirituality, as manifest by visitors in diverse ways. Devotees are taught how to mirroring each other's mind using the third eye. This is fundamental to administering charisma. Lalon's Mazar is a popular place for developing all these mystical possessions.

সত্য বলো সুপথে চলো, রে আমার মন Satya bal su pathe chal, o re amar mon. (Reveal the truth and remain on the 'straight path'). This is the seed 'spell' (mantra') obtainable from Lalon's Mazar. This 'mantra' may not result in winning several 'political PhDs' for the 'helms(wo)man' of this riverine country, but it has the power to acquiring 'smooth sustainability' in power politics. নৌকার সরকার, বার বার দরকার 'Naukar sarkar, bar bar darkar' (the 'boat-mark' government is repeatedly needed) would not only be the slogan of some, but of the millions - yet spontaneously. The main barrier to people's spontaneous support to 'naukar sarkar, bar bar darkar' lies with the party politicians. Do they deserve to be re-elected? Probably not, unless they can attune themselves with the concept of 'sustainable development' in geo-environmental and cultural perspectives of Bangladesh. Naukar sarkar claim themselves as ever best for 'development'. Bauls clearly see that they are far from even understanding it in Bangladesh context. They seem to know very little about the links between energy, poverty and the environment. Many politicians are like উপরে ফিটফাট, ভিতরে সদরঘাট 'upore fitfat, vitore sadarghat' - looks gorgeous outwardly, though awkward inside.

The first problem that is clear with political leaders, even with many bureaucrats and technocrats, is that they miserably fail to reveal the 'truths' about the country and its people. They lie in revealing Bangladesh as a non-resourceful poor country requiring so called aid from abroad. They seem to be little knowledgeable about the technological significance of abundant renewable resources of the country.

The second problem lies with their ignorance of 'poverty alleviation'.

Poverty alleviation is neither possible nor desirable. Alleviating poverty will lead to alleviating the Zakat (alms giving) pillar of Islam. Isn't it? Poverty of some sorts existed in golden Bengal, exist now and will continue to exist in the future. Poverty or dependence is considered to have so many causes - political, geographical, environmental, cultural. Apart from religio-cultural causes, geo-environmental causes do exist. The government machinery, in conjunction with the international aid organisations and local NGOs, have been combating poverty since the birth of the nation in 1971. It still persists in growing dimensions, seemingly as an unending phenomenon. Political cause is evident in hindering in poverty alleviation program. The very (wrong) intention of the politicians often leads to elevate poverty.

Bauls do not consider the political cause of poverty as a big thing. The 'activist' Baul followings at home and abroad can stand up to remove the awkwardness of the politicians' mind in the one hand, and enlighten them with the 'mantra' of 'sustainable development', on the other. A couple of Baul followers' entry into the caretaker government could initiate that process.

I hear একটি বাড়ী একটি খামার 'ekti bari ekti khamar' (one homestead, one farm) time and again. It is an achievable proposition. At the same time, it is futile provided village homesteads are not facilitated with reliable and affordable energy supply. My Guru, the nature worshipper Aziz Shah Fakir, living at the Mazar of Darvish (saint) Kalu Shah Fakir of Churaikole, Kushtia teaches about the synergy of renewablesমাটি, আগুন, পানি, বাতাস mati, agun, pani, batas (earth, fire/energy, water and air) where energy is the driving force.

Most of the people in 'agro-productivity' sector who live in 86000 plus villages of the country are dependent on renewable resources. They are in need of affordable energy supply from renewables and 'lagsoi prajukti' (appropriate technology) to achieve 'self-reliant livelihood', not poverty alleviation. Poverty or affluence is irrelevant to the people of self-reliant society. The synergy of reliable energy supply to the village households and protection, conservation and regeneration of our environmental renewable resources along with their optimal utilisation through 'lagsoi prajukti' can achieve self reliant-livelihood sustainably. Bangladesh has everything that would help acquire it. Politicians and their officiants must endorse this fact in belief and action. Why should they run after aid? Lalon says:

আপন ঘরের হয় না খাবার
কি দেখতে যাও দিল্লী লাহোর
সিরাজ সাঁই কয় লালন রে তোর
সাধাই মনের ঘর গেলো না।
Apon gharer hoyna khabar
Ki dekhte jao Delhi Lahore
Seraj Sain koy Lalon re tor
sadai moner ghor gelo na.
(Ignoring your own resources why do you go to seek other's. Seraj Sain reminds Lalon about this awkwardness of human mind).

My guru Aziz Shah Fakir elucidates why that happens:

চোখ থাকিতে হোলি কানা গুরু না বুঝে
আপনি রাজা আপনি প্রজা,
আপন দোষেই পাও গো সাজা,
আজিজ শাহ কয় হারুন পাগলা
প্রকৃতি প্রেমে থাকে না মাঝে।
Chokh thakite holi kana guru na bhaje....
Apni raja apni proja,
Apon doshei paogo saja,
Aziz Shah koy Harun pagla
prakriti preme thake na maje.
(Without venerating guru, blindness persists.... One is the subject of one's own kingdom; yet falls in misery due to one's' own fault. Aziz Shah says that Harun is not in love with the Nature).

The Guru suggests me to live with my interpreter while he lives in Bangladesh for about six months in a year at his home in Lakshmipur village (near Ataikula, Pabna), so I can disseminate the Baul views on the sustainable solution to energy, poverty and the environmental problems in Bangladesh.

The esoteric Bauls conceive energy as the primordial element in the form of 'sakti' (energy) wherefrom life evolves to be desolved to evolve again and again. Lalon asks to seek energy from within.

যে লীলা ব্রাক্ষণদের উপর
সে লীলা এই বান্দা মাজার
হালে আপন জন্মের বিচার
সব জানতে পাই।
আপনার জন্ম লতা
জাঙ্গাতার মূলতি কথা
লালন বলে পাবি সেথা
সাঁই পরিচয়।
Je lila brahmander upar
Se lila ai vanda majhar
Hale apon janmer bichar
sob jante pai.
Aponar janma lata
Janga tar multi kotha
Lalon bale pabi setha
sain porichoy.
(Life's career that is in the universe is in human body. Finding one's own (mystery of) birth reveals all. Finding the original source of energy of one's birth has a clue to the Supreme Energy - says Lalon)

Energy is at the root of everything. Persisting poverty for many people and environmental depletion is due to the lack of energy in village Bangladesh. Energy is panacea. It can beget self-reliant livelihood and self-generating and sustaining ecosystem. Villagers lack energy (electricity and gas). It is far reaching for any government unless environmental energy is harnessed. The scope of harnessing energy from sunshine, wind, tides and biomass are enormous in Bangladesh. They are 'nitya' (free flowing) and abundant. It can meet the rural energy needs facilitating energy-driven productivity and self-reliant livelihood in villages.

Baul wisdom suggests that the resource-base of no country is so poor that it should not be able to meet the minimum social needs of its population. The problem is one of political commitment for facilitating its work-force to enabling access to the resources in order to become self-reliant. In Bangladesh today, the estimates of the so-called 'poverty gap' show that if only about 10 percent of the national income/resources could be redistributed in favour of the poor, it would be possible to lift everyone above the 'poverty-line'. Since such redistribution is politically unfeasible in accordance with the development norms of the existing political parties of the country, provision for renewable energy system is feasible under the current development programs. Should a family enjoys sustainable growth in achieving self-reliance providing scope of productivity for the growing working hands, the question of limiting family size become irrelevant. This suggests that the question of over-population also become irrelevant to a self-reliant country with sustainable growth and (renewable) energy-driven rural productivity.

Renewable energy is also a pre-requisite to environmental fix.

Dated 04/06/2001 www.bangladesh-web.com

Md. Amzad Hossain

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