Lalon

Lalon (Bengali: লালন; 14 October 1772 – 17 October 1890), also known as Lalon Shah, Lalon Fakir, Shahji and titled Fakir, Shah was a prominent Bengali spiritual leader, philosopher, mystic poet and social reformer born in Jhenaidah, Bengal Subah. Regarded as an icon of Bengali culture, he inspired and influenced many philosophers, poets and social thinkers including Rabindranath Tagore, Kazi Nazrul Islam and Allen Ginsberg. Lalon's philosophy of humanity rejects all distinctions of caste, class, and creed and takes stand against theological conflicts and racism. It denies all worldly affairs in search of the soul and embodied the socially transformative role of sub-continental Bhakti and Sufism.

Quotes

 * If a Brahmin male/ Is known by the thread he wears, / How is a woman known? A Muslim is marked by the sign/ Of circumcision; but how should you / Mark a woman?
 * quoted at