Feature
Supernaturalism over the ages
By Abul Kalam Elias
Thu, 5 Jan 2006, 11:43:00

Belief in supernatural phenomena is almost universal. But, I think, it is no-where as pervasive and wide-spread as in Bangladesh.

This speaks volumes for our backwardness and defeated mentality which is by-product of long slavery and colonialism under the Yoke of foreign domination.

Benjamin Franklin, famous American Philosopher and statesman, once said "who makes much of a miracle, I see in nature nothing but miracle."

We are well aware of the scare crow made of straw, waste paper and worn-out clothes or the black pots with white spots all over in the country side, in the vegetable gardens or fruit orchards and corn-fields to ward off evil-eye or to frighten the wild birds damaging the standing crops.

We also know, there are shrines of saints in many lands where the devotees gather together to promise a sacrifice or offering to a deity or imaginary god on fulfillment of a prayer.

I have seen devotees of all communities coming to Sheikh Farid's spectacles (fountain), at Solosahar, Chittagong and collecting sanctified water of the fountain which looks like spectacles and which is believed to have been created out of tears of Sheikh Farid, a Saint meditating in the hillock for twelve years at a stretch, as he was advised by his beloved mother for the fulfillment of his devotion and perfection in dedication. The sanctified and sacred water is used for various purposes to cure illness and ailments.

We have seen, how the Hidus male, female and children at the time of bathing festival take dips in the Ganges and rivers to get rid of sins and impurities.

I have also watched the turtles (tortoise) of turtle-tank at the shrine of Bayzid Bostami, Nasirabad hill, Chittagong, to be fed by the visitors who frequent the shrine, bind the branches of a particular tree, near the shrine, with the coloured thread for the fulfillment of ardent desire and wish of mind.

The turtles of the turtle-tanks are believed by the visitors to have once been the Zeens (Spirits) who would trouble Bayzid, the saint while he was plunged in deep meditation on the solitary hillock. There is hearsay among the local people that Bayzid, the Saint imprisoned the Zeen as a punishment and later turned them into turtles in a lake by spiritual power.

The above supernatural instances relate to folk-beliefs and folk-lore of Bangladesh.

It cannot be gainsaid that most of the superstitions and prejudices of rural Bengal emanate from ignorance and illiteracy which is the breeding ground of all unreasonable worries and mental agonies that are eating into the vitals of the whole nation.

The cup of miseries of the bulk of our population who are groping in darkness of ignorance and illiteracy, are now-a-days full to the brim.

Not a single day passes by, when I see host of our fellowmen falling easy victims to the trap set by the pretenders, impostors and swindlers in metropolis and countryside.

We know, knowledge is light, and ignorance is darkness. Without knowledge a man or an woman can't distinguish between right and wrong, between what is good and what is bad.

I have seen innocent farm-labourers hailing from Mymensingh and other districts working in distant country side, who amassed a considerable amount of Taka by dint of hard labour and sweat of the brow for days and months together, but turned into penniless beggars overnight as a result of giving in to the quacks, witch-doctors, charmers, sorcerers and fortune-tellers.

Very many people buy magical stones as an antidote to various ailments and maladies. There is a popular belief that anti-venom stone and other magical stones can ward off evil and take out the venom or poison from the people bitten by venomous serpents. Selling the copper-rings as a remedy for rheumatism is a familiar sight in city streets, country towns and country-sides.

Who has not seen the common sight of canvassers crying their nostrums as a panacea for all pestilences. You will come across many a sturdy youths or youngster with amulets or talismans in their arms as a safe guard against misfortunes. Our priests prescribe water sanctified by spell (words of witching power) to be used as a cure for various maladies.

You can't except society. Man is imitation loving. If a passenger in the train is hypnotised and mesmerised by the verbal jugglery of a herbal doctor or enchanter, his co-passengers may also follow suit.

Thus the net-work of incantation and enchantment has been spread around us in our vernerable (not adequately protected) society, as the web of spiders, which is almost inescapable.

Not to speak of astrologers, or fortunetellers, who by strange ingenuity, and taking advantage of human creduility, have become past masters in deceiving people all around.

On the other day, according to the Daily Ittefaq, (22nd February, 1997, see front page) Mr. Howlader, a well known astrologer, who foretells the fortune of people, tells the past and present and determines their zodiac (an imaginary belt in the heaven) happened to fall in an accident at Bangla Motor, his car collided with a mini bus. He had a narrow excape. Did he come out that very day without studying his own fortune?

According to Islam, none can tell fortune except Al-mighty Allah. Taking recourse to human being to get rid of future evils, belief in prophesy, fore-telling of future events and prediction are forbidden in Islam.

Man wants to know from the fortune-tellers whether his marriage with a particular girl will be happier or one of sadder life.

Whether he will be gainer in the business or out-wit the opponent in the suit or whether he will come out successful in the imminent examination.

Man believes in magic-spell and magic words spoken or sung to get rid of evils and adversity.

There are many who believe in mantras and tantras (incantation and enchantment). Fortune tellers are the friends of devil (satan) according to Islam. People thus worship others instead of Al-mighty Allah. Those who repose their trust in fortune tellers (instead of God), are hypocrites and this impious act runs counter to Islam.

I have seen heavy rush of visitors in the street corners where the fortune tellers tell fortune with the help of parakeet (long-tailed parrot) or the monkey.

You must have witnessed the brisk business of herbalists with their herbarium in cities and country-town.

I have seen off and on circumlocution of the charlatan, and the circumvention-an act of out-witting or catching in a trap, an innocent wayfarer by the inmates of the gypsy boats, or enchantress gypsy women in the country-side of Bangladesh.

There are many soft-hearted men who are as credulous as women. They yield to any catchy words of any advertisements on the way and pay heavy penalty for their follies and stupidities.

Charmers and sorcerers who fatten on the credulity of simple folks, have one thing in common with political Demagogues and demoralised politician who does not practice what they preach, i.e. lying. They say lying tantamount to stealth.

Instances can be multiplied 'ad infinitum'. What I have to say is that, freedom does not mean "you can do whatever you like." One should be aware of one's limitations.

In our society, you can easily befool other people, at any time, just like' 'April Fools'. But as the probab goes-"You can befool some people for some time, but not all people, for all time.

In this age of interplanetary space travel when man has gone to the moon, I don't know how long the lack-lustre eyes of our astrologers, and enchanters will hold us spell-bound by the magic touch of quackery and empty pretension.

In other countries than in Bangladesh I think, so many imposters and quacks are allowed license to indulge in trickery in the name of treatment and livelihood.

Time has come, when the rank and file and the entire society should be disillusioned and the saner element of the society should come forward and devise ways and means so as to put a stop to this anomaly and sad-state-of things which are solely responsible for the endless miseries and suferings of the common folks. It is thus that, we, the people of Bangladesh have fallen into a prearius condition and vicious circle from which it is very difficult to escape. To make the matter worse our indigent circumstances, in security in society,-chill penury have added to the deplorable plight of our people.

It is incumbent on us all to ensure a sense of security and social justice in the society, so that none can exploit other and that none can fallen on human miseries and none can flourish at the expenses of have-nots of this land of hope and glory.

Every cloud has a silver lining. We look forward to the time when with spread of education and betterment of common lot deliverance from darkness will not be an impossibility. It is then that we will discover our real identity and develop our potentiality ushering in a new era of peace, progress and prosperity.



© Copyright 2003 by ittefaq.com