Once a young man was going to his village on his feet. But on his way, he had to go through a forest. While walking through the forest he was looking around the forest as he loved trees a lot. Suddenly his gaze got stuck on a tree. The tree was new to him. He tried to examine the tree to understand its kind. But he failed. As he was out of options, he asked the tree its name. “Do you know the name of the sweetest fruit of the world?” the tree replied. He knew it was a mango but the Mango tree was not suitable for their land so he had never seen it before. Then he asked the tree, “I know it is Mango but why are you asking it?” Then the tree dropped a fruit to the boy and politely requested him to test its taste. After the first bite, he realized this was the sweetest fruit he ever tested. Then he understood that it couldn’t be anything other than mango. The tree then said to the boy, “You need to taste the fruit first to know about a tree.” Man’s work is the same. It defines a person.
In our real life, we also know and remember someone by their work. When it comes to Bengali literature, there are a few names whose work makes the language one of the resourceful languages in the world. One of them is Fakir Lalon Sai, a mysterious devotee, known as the pioneer of Bangla folk songs as he is the creator of unlimited folk songs.
'Manush bhajle sonar manush hobi' - this line is from Baul emperor Lalon Sai. He has fought all his life to save the inner man. We always forget our first identity regardless of religion or caste. Today we see the consequences of our forgetting worldwide. War in the country, oppression of the citizens of one's own country are all in the name of religion. Some people are using religion as a tool to save their interests. 247 years ago today, Lalon also faced a sick society and religious businessmen.
The socialists alienated him from society on the pretext of religion, and this heartache made Lalon suffer terribly. This is where his thinking develops. At this time, he came in contact with Siraj Sai, the mystic devotee of Lalon, who was deviating from society. Coming close to this devotee, Lalon became a man of spiritual thought consciousness day by day. Fakir Lalon Sai became Siraj Lal by accepting Siraj as his guru.
Fakir Lalon was a believer in Guruism. Lalon believed that Guru was the reflection of God. If you pay homage to Guru, God will get it. No pursuit will be possible without a guru. On the instructions of Guru Siraj Sai, Lalon built akhra at Chheuria village in Kumarkhali Upazila of Kushtia district. The village of Chheuria was the chief village of the Karikar community. With Sanji's permission, the Karikar community built a stable house for Lalon and everyone accepted his discipleship. These craftsmen of Chheuria became the first disciples of Lalon. Lalon rarely lived in the arena at first. With his disciples, he spread his doctrine through songs in different areas including Pabna, Rajshahi, Jessore, and Faridpur. During this time his knowledge of music spread. Ordinary people, be they Hindus or Muslims, continue to accept his discipleship. Because, in Lalon's song, they find the address of human liberation. The main theme of Lalon's song was a society without caste, religion, or caste.
Through his songs, Lalon Sai brought back the consciousness of the people against casteism, bigotry, religious orthodoxy, and circumcision. Awakened the conscience of the people for justice against injustice. Humanity has triumphed by killing the beast inside man. Lalon had no formal education, he had a conscience education. The lessons he learned from the school of conscience are still being studied in the universe. His erudition, the depth of knowledge is being used for the welfare of the human race today. Lalon used to answer every word through song. The songs and melodies that suddenly emanated from his heart developed the human heart. Throughout the ages music has become the food of human entertainment. But Lalon's song has come to spread the light of knowledge. To develop the human heart. Lalon's song has made people humanistic, has made the heart as generous as the sky and as deep as the sea. Taught people to think as human beings. When you serve people, you serve the Creator. Behind Lalon's Baul life lies the questioning of religion, the development of spiritual knowledge as well as the experience of religious orthodoxy of that dark age, the arbitrary behavior of religious merchants, and the painful and painful widowhood of racism.
