Lalon needs to be revived: Dubey
“In a world today torn by discrimination, religious bias, caste and creed, Lalon’s message of humanity comes across strong,” says Muchkund Dubey, “The world begs such a message.”
Dubey, a former Indian foreign secretary and high commissioner to Bangladesh, spoke of the "contemporary value" of the message of the great mystic poet and lyricist, Fakir Lalon Shah, in Dhaka on Sunday.
"His humatarian philosophy... is relevant in a world plagued by extremism," he told the discussion on "Devotion of Lalon Shah" organised by Prothom Alo at the Bengal Foundation premises.
Dubey, an enthusiastic reader of poetry, has undertaken the task of translating 100 selected Lalon songs and poems into Hindi to reach a bigger audience.
“Lalon Shah Fakir is of the greatest tradition of saint poets in undivided India,” said Dubey, terming him a reformist, a mystic and a saint.
Muchkund Dubey is on the verge of publishing his book of translated songs of Lalon and is in Dhaka to consult with scholars before he finally completes his task.
Prothom Alo editor Matiur Rahman introduced the former diplomat, saying that the people had come out of their interest in Lalon and also to meet with the well-known Mr Dubey.
Dubey had been Indian high commissioner in Dhaka from 1980 to 1982. Born in Bihar to a humble family, Dubey’s interest in Bangla literature first grew with Tagore’s Geetanjali. When in Bangladesh, he also became an avid reader of poet Shamsur Rahman and translated 30 to 40 of his poems too.
A visually-impaired Lalon singer, Abdur Rahman, presented two of the mystic’s songs before Muchkund Dubey took the stage.
Dubey explained that he felt the need to translate Lalon into Hindi as this would give Lalon’s works wider exposure and scope to be translated into other languages of India and eventually the rest of the world.
Already Lalon has been translated into Italian, German and other languages, but here was vast scope for further spreading his message.
“Bangladesh is fortunately more homogenous than India which is rife with problems of caste and creed. That is why Lalon’s lyrics are so relevant.
Even in the rest of the world today,” said Dubey, “acceptable standards of human behaviour don’t exist. That is why Lalon must be revived. He is revered in Bangladesh, but needs to be revived in India and the rest of the world.”
Dubey expressed his amazement at Lalon’s depth of understanding of the Quranic verses, the Sufi tradition, tantric philosophy and more. He was an illiterate person with tremendous knowledge, learning from his guru the Muslim mystic saint Siraj Shai.
Dubey read from his translation of the song ‘Barhir kachhe Arshinagar...’
Professor Abul Hasan Chowdhury of Kushtia University spoke of his recent two-day exhaustive session with Dubey in finalising the latter’s book. “His questions enlightened me,” said Prof. Chowdhury.
Noted folklorist and director general of Bangla Academy Professor Shamsuzzaman Khan expressed his appreciation for Muchkund Dubey’s endeavour to take Lalon to India and the rest of the world. He praised the meticulous treatment of metaphor and thought in Dubey’s translation.