I’m Harun Baul Speaking (part 20), published on March 13, 2012 was paused with Lalon Fakir’s revelation:
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) instructed the Khalifas to advise the general people in accordance with their levels of understanding. The dishonest and non-devotees should not be told about the higher truth, for they are likely to reject it. All the righteous people can become Auliya (Godly) by understanding the higher truth while the fools are engaged in sharpening
their
spears.
The
case
of
Mansur
(Hallaj)
bears
witness to it (whom they killed).
Guru Aziz Shah Fakir (104) relates the above notion of the Prophet Muhammad to his Khalifas in political terms of the Khelafat governance. It clearly suggests that under the Khelafat system of good governance, the citizens should be dealt with in accordance with their level of understanding. This wisdom is also equally applicable in the cases of dealing with economic and other needs of the people of a given time and place. Linking the concept to the case of present governance Bangladesh, the guru recognises a lack of good governance (Sushason) that persists at the heart of the present untenable situation in Bangladesh. He emphasises good governance as the jugular vein of a nation; and the practice of Khelafat’s good governance duly powered by the Islamic deliberative democracy can revitalize the sharply depleting happiness, traditional self-reliance, religiosity, patriotism, family and social bondage and eco-spirituality. The Khelafat system of governance is therefore a sustainable alternative that can transform Bangladesh to be (re)branded as the happiest nation on earth.
Bangladesh being predominantly a fertile land of population growth, agriculture and fisheries, it is a superior country for long-term sustainability. But unfortunately, the country has hardly experienced good governance that could potentially allow for political stability, and foster the human-nature interconnectedness through sustainable development. The guru stresses that the rising degradation of natural resources, water crisis, the widening gaps between the rich and poor, corruption, crimes and gender conflicts, are largely due to persisting mal-governance. The guru also stresses that politicians’ commitment to good governance has not been possible because it is integrally connected to people’s values system; and the current political as well as cultural values system of Bangladesh is at its worst. This values system is severely inflicted with selfishness and self-centricity that is intensely opposed to share things with fellow beings and care for natural resources. This disconnection of sharing and caring leads people to disengage themselves from their spiritual core of self-reliance and happiness.
Against this backdrop, the guru explores ways to restore just governance within the framework of the Khelafat system as was implemented by the Prophet Muhammad and the first four Khalifas of Islam (Abu Bakr, Omar, Osman and Ali). The guru asserts that the Khelafat system can create competent, honest, responsible and patriotic civil servants, activists and other actors. In this context, the guru adds that a Khalifa as a human representative or Vicegerent of God on earth can be a person of any colour, culture or religion, who, in congruence with the Quranic revelation, can coulour oneself with the colour of God. This means that a Khalifa has to acquire collective knowledge, lessons and wisdom for governance purposes and also for transmitting them to other people in order to maintain individual, familial, social, economic, religio-cultural, political and ecological sustainability. Then, how to acquire diverse knowledge for achieving Khalifaship (stewardship) integrity in order to keep natural system healthy for human sustainability? Most religions talk about acquiring diverse knowledge. The knowledge of nurturing nature and the realization of human’s absolute dependence on eco-resources intrinsically help acquire the wisdom for understanding the inner meaning humanity (i.e. know thyself). The notion of human as the Ashraful Mukhlukat (the best of creation) is embedded in this concept.
The notion of ‘Know Thyself’, which has been propagated by the great people of most religions throughout the history of mankind is integrally linked to the inter-connectedness between human and nature. This view suggests us to ‘know thyself’ in terms of our surrounding environmental manifestations. Considering this, most teachers teach that ‘know thyself’ require a pathway to know: who you are, who is your Sustainer, where you were, why you are here, where you go hereafter, what elements you are built of, what is the purpose of your life, what is your position in the environment, and what role you are required to play for your survival amidst other beings and non-beings for now and for tomorrow. When you understand all these and know about how your surrounding ecosystems function, it is likely that you know your own self. To make the notion more objective oriented, the Bauls, follow ‘know thyself’ in accordance with prophet Mohammad’s “Know thyself to know your Sustainer (of the environment)”. Lalon says:
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 upor
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.
(That
what is in
the universe (macrocosm) is in
the human body
( microcosm). By
understanding one's
own (mystery of)
birth, one
can know all.
By searching out
the root source
of one's life’s career,
one can lead
to a clue
towards knowing
about the
Supreme Lord
(the Sain) - says
Lalon).
The Bauls believe that God has housed all things of the universe in the human body. This has made human body a microcosm of the universe. They also strongly hold the view that human body is the abode of God while heart is His throne. This assertion inspires Bauls to spiritualise ‘know thyself to know thy Sustainer’. The issue still remains as to how to know what is in the macrocosm? The Baul gurus show the pathway how to know oneself by contemplating about the microcosm. Lalon reveals:
সে বড় আজব কুদরতি, আঠারো মোকামের মাঝে জ্বলছে
এক রূপার বাটি।
কে বুঝে কুদরতি খেলা, জলের মাঝে অনল জ্বলা।
Se boro ajab kudrati, atharo mokamer majhe jolse ek ruper bati.
Ke bujhe kudrati khela, joler majhe onol jola.
(That is an incredible mystery. A manifesting lamp illuminates the house of 18 dimensions. Who does understand the mysterious play (?) where fire is sustained in water).
Most non-Baul promoters of this view maintain that a qualified master (guru) is essential for teaching about how to ‘know thyself’. This is, of course, true; but it is neither essential nor practical for all the Khalifas and their co-workers (teachers, health workers, religious leaders) at the Ward and Union level. It is reasonably adequate for them if they know how to integrate the management of human and other beings and non-beings on earth for sustainable coexistence. It is not so difficult for the Khalifas as they have spiritualised their acquired stewardship values such as patriotism, simplicity, justice, honesty and eco-spirituality practices in terms of nurturing finite natural resources. But, the Khalifas of the Thana level and above are required to be vigorously trained by the adequately qualified masters of sustainability spirituality. The naturalist Baul gurus and Marfati Pirs of Bangladesh are recognized masters of sustainability sciences.
Guru Aziz Shah Fakir claims that particularly qualified masters who can train the Khalifas for pursuing good governance are rare. The Pirs, priests, monks and Sanyasins with diversified integrity are not currently abundant in the country. That is why we need to find alternative ways. The guru stresses that for a country like Bangladesh where both people and nature are bestowed with multiplicity of cultural, geo-environmental and natural characteristics, the Khalifas can be adequately trained to understand the relationships between human survivability and ecological systems. It is to emphasize that humans are completely dependent on ecological resources for their sustenance, whereas eco-world is unrelated to humans for their self sustainability.
The guru reveals that natural diversity manifests diverse signs for the wise. Thus, nature is the house of knowledge, understanding and the source of acquiring moral values and wisdom. This clearly indicates that pondering about the natural world is essential for attaining stewardship integrity for upgrading people’s morality, happiness and economic self-reliance. In case of any failure on the part of the local Khalifas, they can seek help from the respective Thana Khalifas to take appropriate measure for correction.
In order to provide self-reliance and happiness for people, each Ward Khelafat as part of National Khelafat system, must implement the Dawa program. The guru sings a Dawa song:
পাড়ে কে যাবি
নবীর নৌকাতে আয়
রপ কাস্থের নৌকা খানি নাই
ডুবার ভয়।
বেচারা নাইয়ে যারে
তুফানে যাবে মারা
এক ধাক্কায়।
Pare ke jabi nabir naukate ai.
Rop kasther nauka khani nai dubar bhoy.
Beshara neye jara
Tufane jabe mara
Ek e dhakkai.
(Ride on to the boat (Tarika) of the Prophet, if one who wishes to go across (the river of life). The boat is made of such a timber (virtues)) that has no fear of drowning. But those who are undisciplined boatman, they will ruin by a single blow).
The guru observes that Islamic original political culture as devised by the Prophet has hopelessly failed to demonstrate its ingeniousness over the global political culture, only due to the lack of maintaining the chain (Silsila) of succession after the fourth Khalifa Hazrat Ali. In fact, this deviation has eventually resulted in the downturn of Islamic governance worldwide; and currently, it has probably reached to its worst. However, the Sufi Islam that is still prominent in Bangladesh has the Tariqat (way) for safeguarding the politicians (Khalifas) who chose to embark on the Prophet’s and the four Khalifas’ Shariah of good governance.
The renowned Fatemolla is the guru of Sharia matters. As a vicegerent of the Creator, he must have moral obligations to outline the implementable Sharia governance of the Prophet and the four Khalifas for the spiritualistic cultural framework of Bangladesh. The Molla can comfortably compile a Sharia-based encyclopedia of good governance in Bangladesh culture where The Jama’ati Aqidah (creed) and Tabligi Aqidah will be left out for their incompatibility. Harun Baul colours them as ‘Beshora Neye’ (the uninitiated boatman). The undisciplined politicians, religious bigots, ignorant pundits and egoistic civil servants who now own in the country’s governance are the Beshora Neye according Harun Baul’s sustainability assessment criteria. Consequently, the political culture in the land of Sufis which has been devoid of the spirit(uality) of Sufism, is justifiably failing to demonstrate the Banglalee cultural ingeniousness over the Western socio-political culture.
However, a new Nauka (boat) is to be built under the guidance of the Tarikat of the Sharia of Khelafat’s good governance system in order to carry out the following sustainability precepts and practices:
1. Practice of Religious and Cultural Values (ধর্ম ও সংস্কৃতির আমল)
Culture reflects the colour of a religion. Secularism of Sufi spirituality is prominent in Bangladesh and therefore communal conflict is almost non-existent. Khalafat governance will enrich the culture by wiping out the impurities generated by the Western democracy. Guru Aziz Shah Fakir has the code of life(style), religion and culture – the main aspects of human life. The following examples manifests guidelines for the aspects.
a.
Satya bal
su pathe chal,
o re amar
mon (সত্য বলো
সুপথে চলো, ও রে
আমার মন)
(O
my mind, always
tell the truth
and remain on
the 'Straight Path').
Guru Aziz Shah Fakir says that this is
the seed ‘spell’
(mantra) for
all religions.
b.
The second mantra
is:
মানুষ গুরু নিষিদ্ধ যার
সর্ব সাধন সিদ্ধ হয় তার।
Manush
guru nishtha jar
Shorbo
shadhon siddha
hoy tar.
(All
aspirations are
fulfilled if
endeavours for
learning are
guru-centric)
c.
Thirdly:
আগে কি সুন্দর দিন কাটাইতাম
গ্রামের নওজোয়ান, হিন্দু
মুসলমান
মিলিয়া বাউলের গান আর মুর্শিদী গাইতাম (বাউল
আব্দুল করিম শাহ)
Age
ki sundar din
kataitam
Gramer
naojoan, hindu
musalman
Milia
bauls gaan
ar murshidi gaitam
– Baul Abdul Karim
shah
(What a delightful time we had in the past. The village youths from the Hindu and Muslim communities used to sing Baul and Mushidi songs together).
There are
hundreds of
examples in
this context that
are practical in
nature. Whatever we learn
needs to
be practiced. The
Sufi culture requires the Khalifa
to ‘learn from
the people who
know’ and follow
the path and
doings of
the blessed people
who are known
as the Aulyia
or friends of
God. Teachings of a wise master or a Khalifa – formally or otherwise – is primarily to teach people how to practice charity, modesty, live simply, honesty, truthfulness, tolerance, respectfulness, trustworthiness, responsibility, discipline, sociality, care taking and nature nurturing. These values can cause to vanish growing corruption, cheating, bestiality and lawlessness as water can extinguish water. The legal framework of the Khelafat governance is to implement the moral principles so that people’s mindset becomes values-driven. The corrective measures are to be provided in order to treat the odds.
2. Fish and tree for everyone (সবার জন্য মাছ ও গাছ)
Everyone needs fish and fruit trees. This is achievable should the Ward Khalifas know how to initiate and implement fishing and plantation programs in their respective area. To avail fish and fruits for everyone, watersheds need to be maintained so that they are deep enough to hold knee-level water in the summer as a poem reads:
আমাদের ছোট নদী চলে বাঁকে বাঁকে,
বৈশাখ মাসে তার হাটু জল থাকে।
(ameder soto nodi chole babnke banke;
boishakh mashe tar hatu jol thake)
Fishing, especially the immature, fingerlings and mother fish with eggs must be stopped seasonally, and fish export can be allowed only after meeting the local people’s needs. Plantation for regeneration and restoration of fruit trees in abundance must be done throughout the banks of watersheds and roadside including some timber trees, cane, bamboos and medicinal plants and herbs on the roadsides. If this is implemented, it will not only help avail fruits and meet household needs for those who have no place to grow, but also meet the needs of the present and future healing of illness, it will also ensure environmental sustainability. Perceiving this, Baul Bijoy Sarkar reveals:
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 implies that one generation should leave this beautiful earth aesthetically and eco-systematically unchanged for meeting the needs of the generations to come; and next generation will be obliged to follow their ancestor’s tradition. This notion is also the core of the concept of sustainable development.
3. Full support for the people willing to work overseas (কাজের জন্য বিদেশ যাত্রীদেরকে টাকা ধার)
Almost every family with workable manpower wants to send a family member overseas. The Ward Khalifas can implement this national project giving financial support from the Khalifa’s local development fund to those who are in need. Producing exportable workforce with values, quality and skill is the holy responsibility of the Khalifas. This responsibility will inspire the Ward Khalifas and the candidates (present and future) to introduce adequate logistical
support
for
the
same).
4. Facilities for small-scale industrial productivity (ক্ষুদ্র ও কুটির শিল্পের অবাধ বিস্তার)
This will help families needing extra income. The Khelafat system of governance can launch a revolutionary industrial transformation process towards achieving economic self-reliance as Gandhi propagated. The households can spin, weave and make their own dresses and sell to others. Cotton, jute, silk, wool and other local fibers can be used. This provision can employ a huge amount of workforce including women, children, and the aged. The Khelafat governance can introduce a policy that the country’s local needs for garments are to be wholly produced locally.
5. To narrow down the lifestyle gaps between rich and poor (ধনি দরিদ্রের জীবন যাত্রা মানের বৈষম্য কমান)
This can be achieved through a national policy which can motivate the rich or elite class to come closer to the poor in their dress and food habit; addressing poor with respect; and sharing each other’s joy and sorrow. A national policy with wide manifestation of better-off people’s brotherhood/sisterhood mannerism to the ordinary folks (sub-ordinates, employees, servants, labourers); a habit of sharing food, dress, affordable money, and joy and sorrow with the have-nots; the well-offs' visit to poor neighbourhood and hospitals; modest and simple lifestyle in terms of dress - all these will automatically bring down poverty situation both materially and psychologically. Harun Baul asserts that alleviation of poverty is neither possible in the geo-environmental and cultural conditions of Bangladesh, nor it is at all desirable for the sake of a long-term sustainability of the renewable resources of the county. Thus, a poverty-like modest lifestyle is the sustainable direction for Bangladesh. And this applies also for the global sustainability.
6. Self-reliance centric foreign policy (স্বনির্ভরকেন্দ্রিক বৈদেশিক নীতি)
Diplomatic relationship with foreign countries needs to be central to earning foreign currency to assist our self-reliant sustainability in terms of cotton, oil, chemicals, minerals, etc that our country currently lacks. We have exportable
manpower and garments as the
means to
earning foreign
currency. In the wake of declining population growth in the so-called developed countries where the primary schools suffer from the scarcity of the starters and industries are closed down because of the shortage of labour force, it is clear that the present rate of population growth is sustainable if they are properly educated and trained for employment or migration overseas.
Finally, the guru is also concerned about the number of ministries. For a country like Bangladesh where the prevalence of immorality such as corruption, cheating, exploitation, extortion, lawlessness and bestiality is rampant, it is essential that the existing numerous ministries be integrated into a few Apex Ministries; and they are to be controlled by lowly paid or Honorary Executive Khalifas.
In conclusion, Harun Baul suggests that it is crucial for the pro-Khelafat parties such as the Khelafat Majlish to start their work at the grassroots level to find competent Khalifas at the Ward, Union and Thana level. They should also seek support from the Non-Resident Bangladeshi (NRB) for outlining working papers for triggering the Khelafat system of deliberative democratic governance.
(To be continued)
Md.
Amzad
Hossain
