Discussants at a programme on Saturday in Rangpur said that the philosophy that legendary mystic bard Fakir Lalon Shah advocated for people in society had inspired people in the recent July-August uprising.
They made the remarks at the programme 鈥榃hy Lalon Fakir is important for us鈥� at the Public Libraray Auditorium in the district.
Jointly organised by Manduar, Idea Prakashan and Setu Pathagar, writer-teacher Tanim Nowshad was present as chief discussant, while writer-journalist Mahbub Morshed, poet Ahmed Moudud, writer Chinu Kabir, writer-publisher Shakil Masud, and poet Hossain Rowshan spoke at the discussion.
Referring to formal and informal relationships between human beings and sacred figures, involving an assortment of prayers, rituals, and worship practices, Tanim Nowshad shed light on the various paths and history of Vaishnavism.
Pointing out Lalon鈥檚 thoughts and works, he also said that Lalon asked to forget the differences while respecting the diversity of people of all communities and all religions.聽
Moderated by writer-publisher Dipak Kumar Roy, the programme also featured performances of Lalon songs by Lalon artistes Sohag Rahmat, Neelratan, Titu, and president of Rangpur Lalon Academy Abu Naeem.
Lalon was adopted by a weaver couple, Malam Shah and his wife Matijan, at Chheuriya. They gave Lalon land to live, and the bard started to compose and perform his songs inspired by Siraj Sain, a Sufi of that village.
Subsequently, Lalon learnt about nature, the human body and traditional philosophies from other gurus and expressed those in his songs in an uncomplicated language, which is rich with metaphors and multiple meanings.
Lalon in many of his verses on 鈥榙ehatatwa鈥�, anatomy of human body, has implicitly given his followers guidelines on how to go beyond the physical existence to the metaphysical. Lalon left no written copies of his songs, which were transmitted orally and only later transcribed by his followers.
Very few of his songs are found in a written form as most of his followers could not read or write either.
Rabindranath Tagore published some of the songs in the monthly Prabasi magazine in Kolkata.
According to experts, Lalon composed less than two thousand songs. However, many rural bauls claim that the number would be over 10,000.