Lalon stood against discrimination: Adviser Farida
She also urged the Lalon Academy to preserve and research all of Lalon Shah’s teachings
Fisheries and Livestock Adviser Farida Akhter has said Fakir Lalon Shah – the renowned Bengali philosopher, Baul saint, songwriter, and thinker – strongly opposed all forms of discrimination.
"He [Lalon] spoke out against all forms of inequality 134 years ago. He sang songs like 'What a strange factory of caste distinctions' and 'Why do people ask what caste Lalon belonged to?'," she said while addressing the opening ceremony of a three-day event in Kushtia today (18 October).
The event, which included discussions, cultural performances, and a rural fair, is being held at Kumarkhali upazila, to commemorate the 134th death anniversary of Baul Fakir Lalon Shah.
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Adviser Farida Akhter emphasised that Lalon was not an emperor but a saint. His teachings remain relevant in all aspects of society. "If we claim to love Lalon," she said, adding, "then we cannot commit injustice, oppress women, or poison our rivers and land."
She also urged the Lalon Academy to preserve and research all of Lalon Shah's teachings.
Ripun Shah, assistant caretaker of Lalon Shah's mausoleum, said that the message of humanity and secularism that Lalon preached during his lifetime still flows like an eternal stream today.
Senior devotee Hridoy Sadhu shared that the event would conclude on Friday morning with early offerings and a full midday session. He noted that devotees from all over the country had arrived out of love for Lalon Shah, turning the Akhra into a bustling festival.
Devotees mentioned that the crowd started gathering a week before the event, with no space to move on the first day.
The event was organised by the district administration with support from the Ministry of Cultural Affairs. Acting Deputy Commissioner Sharmin Akhter presided over the event.
After the discussions, artists from the Baul and Lalon Academies performed Lalon's songs.
Over a hundred temporary shops lined the vast field by the Kaliganga River, where people shopped between listening to the music.
On 1 Kartik in 1297 of the Bengali calendar, Lalon Shah died at Chheuriya village in Kumarkhali, Kushtia. Since then, the Lalon Academy has organised a memorial festival every year on its premises in Chheuriya.
