Lalon Shah was born around 1774 in the town of Haridashpur in what is now Kushtia district, Bangladesh which is also my birthplace. He is also known as Lalon Fakir as his lifestyle was like a Fakir which means to lead a life by begging from others. His followers told stories about his birth, but there are no exact written records at the time, so no one knows for sure when he was born. Lalon is one of the most important people in Bengal's history of culture, especially his evergreen songs that portray human life and what it should be like. His life and works are a mix of spiritual religion but no fixed religion, social change, and cultural criticism that the Muslims and Hindus have in this region. As I am a very closely grown-up person, I have learned a lot about his philosophy, regarding I want to talk about the most impactful one and also the most unpredictable concept that we can't imagine!
There is so much criticism about Lalon Shah, especially from the Islamic scholars of the country. People have been very interested in and arguing about him which made him a famous Bangladeshi philosopher and thinker for a long time. The fact is that his ideas and thoughts go against the common sense and faith of a large group of people. One of his many controversial ideas is that he thinks that people are here on Earth as a punishment from God for Adam and Eve's sins in paradise at the beginning of the human journey on earth. This main idea comes from similar concepts in Islam, Christianity, and Judaism. So let's deep dive into the whole philosophical view now.
Lalon's radical philosophy of stopping breeding people
Lalon Shah says that people will continue to be punished as long as people keep starting new families. He thinks that this circle of punishment is kept going by reproduction. In order to get away from this divine punishment, he suggested a way of life that didn't involve family or established ties among people that currently they have. Because of these ideas, his followers didn't believe in the conventional institutes of modern social life such as marriage, social standards, or even emotional bonds with children. They want to be able to enjoy their lives without any rules and standards of society or want to take care of children as it continues the human punishment. At first look, this kind of thought might seem filthy and extreme because it goes against everything that makes society work. In most countries, marriage, family, and raising children are very important and it is they form the basis of social and economic systems. Ending human reproduction is not only against social rules, but it also raises serious questions about the future of human beings on earth.
Many policies and lifestyles are accepted by many groups of people around the world that are similar to Lalon Shah's philosophy which is around 200 years old. I am not going to mention these controversial groups' names but I want to point out some of the impacts that we are experiencing due to these controversial thoughts in the current world. In a lot of places, the number of marriages is dropping significantly, especially in the developed countries. More and more young people are losing faith in marriage for reasons like financial stress, the loss of personal freedom, and shifting cultural ideals. Lalon's followers didn't want to get married, which is similar to how people today value personal freedom and happiness over social or religious obligations.
There are more and more people who don't have children. Many people today choose not to have children because they are worried about overcrowding, damage to the environment, or their own living choices. Even I have some colleagues who are married and don't want to raise children as they think is trouble for them and very expensive to raise them. This fits perfectly with Lalon's idea that stopping people from having children is necessary to get away from the punishment that we all are going through in this world. The third one is open relationships, polyamory, and other types of partnerships between with same sex that aren't married are becoming more popular in modern society. These ways of life focus on having fun and making bonds with others without being limited by the standards of society or obligations from a religious perspective. These ideas fit with Lalon's way of thinking about life without any obstacles, the only goal is to enjoy life till death and make the world free of humans and the divine punishment from God is then finished, it is simple.
There are big problems with Lalon Shah's ideas and how they are used today, even though some people might find them freeing. Many countries such as Japan, South Korea, and many European countries are facing extremely low birth rates which can turn into a great problem in the coming days. This has put a lot of stress on healthcare, pension plans, and economic growth in general. If everyone chooses to live without children, the economy might finally stop growing, which would make it hard to keep up with infrastructure and aid programs. Families are a source of help for people, especially older people. If countries don't have children or younger generations to care for them, they may have to rely on state-run care services, which don't always work. The breakup of traditional family units could also make people feel more alone and cause mental health problems. In terms of culture, there will be a possible effect is the loss of cultural connection among people.
So, what can be the future if it gets more massive momentum in the coming future? It is important to value each person's choice, but it is also important to think about how these decisions affect everyone else in the society or the nation and finally the whole world. Even though Lalon Shah's ideas are debatable, they teach us important facts that we have to deal with carefully. His thought makes us think about how we live and ask us to question social rules. On the other hand, it's also a story that shows what can happen when people have extreme beliefs. To get through the complicated modern world, people need to find a balance between custom and progress, freedom, and the well-being of everyone.
The good thing is that Lalon's followers have declined sharply but the modern form of the same thought has been spreading around the world so rapidly. Lalon Shah's ideas continue to make people think deeply about the future, meaning, and responsibilities of humanity. Such extreme ideas shake society to its core which is important to deal with. People can deal with problems now and protect their future by promoting a mindset of responsibility which I can say only in this context. The journey is dealing with these tough problems with understanding, compassion, and insight is very significant.
What do you think about Lalon Shah's thought? If you have any queries, let me know in the comments, and I will try my best to answer them. Thanks a lot for your time and attention. I will catch up with you at the next one.
Wish you a good day!