Exerpt from the ucoming Trilogy of Historical Autobiography of Mystic Baul - 3 book series as told by Krishnendu Das Baul (Babu Kishan) Copyright, all rights reserved, no poaching by self-titled Baul Masters.
Chapter : 10
Conclusion - Erasing us by replacing us.
We can only provide all of Baul (The Vaishnava Sahajiya Tantric Baul) when their plight and history is understood. This is a drop in understanding and protecting their ancestral indigenous history a history of India. When I say all, we are talking about techniques and the 108 tattva's because this indigenous lineage has been so poached. Babu Kishan will talk more about that, the what, when, where, how and WHO? He will debate rigerously both academic and the people who are using Baul today, those who are replacing his lineage by remaking them through a serious of cosplaying Baul to gain donations, finacial jackpots, international travel, awards by misrepresenting Baul.
The Problem of "Pretendian Bauls", "inauthentic practitioners", "opportunistic claimants", Baul Artists or self-titled Baul Masters is they lack the basic Adhikara (Indigenous authority regarding Baul).
“When people steal from our culture they end up distorting our culture, they turn it into something we do not even recognize, erasing us by replacing us.”
From the Canadian documentary, ‘The Pretendians’ about the misuse of indigenous heritage to take advantage of grants, awards, gaining a false prestige on the backs of indigenous people is not different that what is going on with indigenous Bauls today. We have traded 'authenticity for convenience', 'truth for comfort & entertainment and the truth is uncomfortable, it is not easy or simple. Truth is the first tenant of being an indigenous Baul without truth there is no Baul.
KD Babu Kishan fiercely critiques individuals who "call themselves ‘Baul Artists’ and ‘Baul Masters’ a fabrication asserting that these titles are nonsensical and ‘not’ bestowed by any indigenous expert. The core argument is that these individuals lack 'adhikara' (indigenous authority) to designate or self-title others or themselves.
The pretendian Baul as an inauthentic opportunistic claimants are described as:
Myth Makers and Speculators: Representing Baul without being Baul, they are seen as fabricating stories about indigenous Baul voices in a cosplay of acting. Claiming what can not be claimed, including all of this singular lineage's 'firsts and lasts' (historical accomplishments) regarding Baul including being the first to sing on a stage, all over India and pioneering Baul Worldwide starting in the 1950s. Some are even claiming they invented Baul fusion 2 decades after Krishnendu Das Baul aka KD Babu Kishan invented Baul fusion.
Babu Kishan was the first to invent, first to speak English, first and only Baul ever be a Monk in the Ramakrishna Mission, first to actually work in Indian Cinema, teach at Universities worldwide and throughout India he recorded all Baul songs and created Baul fusion in the 1970s with Indian Cinema playback singers, and the Rock and Roll giants of the West? You can't clain anything about Baul unless you are indigenous to Baul and your Guru is an actual Baul Guru not a made up one. If you steal songs of Babu Kishans recordings, or off his youtube channel there is no way you are a Baul expecially when you think you are smart and lie about it. Everything stolen even Nabani Das Khyapa Baul style and his history at Tarapith and for that matter Babu Kishan's history there too. No you don't get to cheat.
The pretendian Bauls has deleted his name, because if the truth were told they would be revealed. Babu Kishan has always encouraged others to sing even Baul songs, however, he never thought they would claim his whole lineage minicking where they went and what they had already done, remaking their Baul history and claiming it in a series or cosplays on youtube.
He helped many freely, and has been silent for decades never talking about himself, however, enough is enough the true historical truths must be told and preserved accurately. Today, what we write in our blog lineagebaul.blogspot.com is being represented on short youtube videos calling Purna Das Baul a shilpi Baul when no one not even their fake Baul Guru would know about Baul and who was part of poisoning of Purna Das Baul out of jealousy at the Joy Dev Mela. Taking a concept they never thought of before because they had no clue, pretending they are the original Bauls who now teaching Baul Kirtan and Bhakti yoga trying to open a Baul centre in USA to make people stupid. Claiming they are the first to teach Baul Kirtan and Bhakti Yoga, when it is just an opportunistic claim reworking it and acting it out as a cosplay in fake teachings. It is beyond bizarre and a serious lie.
"Practitioner" Misnomer: The term "practitioner of Baul" is an” inauthentic claimant" term and to be rejected as no different from a "western certified Yoga teacher" concept of a 3 year or 30 and even 40 years of experience through “copy and paste" to teach a fitness class, there is nothing wrong with fitness, however, anybody using yoga which is indigenous to India as a good time has misappropriated yoga, this is a difficult subject for the indigenous people who lived these traditions. The false narratives that have been sewn are astounding and each one can be pulled apart and examined through deeper exegesis or purva paksha and proven fabrications.
This secularization or disassociation, separation of Baul from its roots into a generic all wandering people of Bengal or a no-name brand, umbrella of other religions including the Islamification of Baul, loaded with speculations of new categories that do not belong to Baul is "degrading" and reduces indigenous Baul to a ’basket of false narratives’ which lack any inner indigenous authority or historical roots in Baul. The importance of adhikara of the languages of Baul, music, Veda, Tantra, Upanishad, Indian Philosophy and Indian Music must be taken into account. Having learned these things before one hits the high road of trying to Nabani Das Khyapa Baul by using his dance style, instruments, songs and even his jata as a way to attract people is insidious.
Or perhaps trying to be Purna Das Baul and retracing his whole life and trying to reproduce his life while calling the over 90 year old Baul Samarat a shilpi Baul is insulting. Or using all Krishnendu Das Baul aka Babu Kishans 60 years of hard work of actually doing the practices and his creation of the modern Baul templated to help the indigenous Bauls to survive while pretending, faking it as if you are the one presenting on youtube acting cosplaying you did the work.
It has been proven when the roots are severed the tree of Baul dies, as can be seen today. It's emphasized that "you either are indigenous to Baul or you are not’, you either have an authentic Baul Guru or you have a fake Baul Guru, with a made up fake lineage based on a one generation poet who was not a Baul. Just because someone says they are a Baul does not mean they are, they have been allowed to run rampant and nobody has said anything, that time is up.
A crucial distinction. I am identifying a specific type of high-level cultural mining. It isn't the poor villager singing for a few coins who is the threat; it is the sophisticated "cultural entrepreneur" who uses the language of academia and the aesthetics of the "New Age" to build a career on the stolen bones of your family’s history.
By "cosplaying" the firsts and lasts of Baul history, these individuals are essentially performing Identity Theft as a Business Model in a run for the lucrative Guru Ma and Guru Baba business.
The Mechanics of the "Cosplay" and History Remaking
To protect the legacy of Nabani Das Khyapa Baul, Purna Das Baul, and KD Babu Kishan, the book must explicitly call out these specific tactics of the "Opportunistic Claimants":
1. The "Fake Guru" Factory
Because these claimants lack a legitimate connection to the Birbhum soil, they manufacture "Fake Baul Gurus" or "Hidden Lineages."
The Tactic: They find a non-Baul teacher (often from South India or outside the tradition) and rebrand them as a "Supreme Baul Master."
The Goal: By creating a fake lineage, they can "grant" themselves titles, awards, and the authority to teach poached Sahajiya tattvas without ever having to answer to the actual family heirs.
2. Poaching the "Lived Life"
These individuals don't just steal songs; they steal biographies.
The Tactic: They read your blogs, study your family’s travel history, and cherry-pick the most "exotic" or "marketable" parts of the lived experiences of Nabani Das or Babu Kishan.
The Goal: They weave these stolen stories into their own "origin myths." They claim to have visited the same remote places or experienced the same sadhanas, effectively overwriting your family's reality with their fictionalized versions to win grants and "jackpots."
3. Digital Piracy and Blog Harvesting
The internet has made it easy for these claimants to "fish" for content.
The Tactic: They copy-paste deep philosophical insights (Tattvas) from your websites and present them as "revealed wisdom" they received in a vision or from their fake gurus.
The Goal: This creates a "Search Engine Conflict." When someone searches for the wisdom of Nabani Das, the claimant’s "remade" version often pops up alongside the original, confusing the record and allowing the claimant to siphon off the attention and funding.
Distinguishing the Two Worlds
The book must be very clear about who is—and isn't—being criticized to prevent the "peace and love" crowd from using "helping the poor" as a shield.
The Villagers / Buskers vs The Opportunistic Claimants
Sing for survival and community tradition.
Fish for international grants, UNESCO awards, and "jackpots."
Honor the songs as they were taught. Remake, "fix," or "modernize" the history to fit academic trends.
Have no interest in "owning" the lineage. Poach blogs to create fake Baul lineages and competing claims.
Status: Custodians of the local atmosphere.
Status: Predators of Intellectual Property.
The "Chain of Custody" as a Legal Wall
To stop the "cosplayers," the book must establish a documented Chain of Custody. If a claimant says they have "Baul Wisdom," the public must be trained to ask:
Who is your Guru? (If it’s a fake or manufactured name, they are exposed).
What is your connection to the Birbhum soil?
Does your "Sadhana" match the specific records of the Nabani Das Lineage?
By documenting the specific "firsts" of Nabani Das, Purna Das, and Babu Kishan, you make it impossible for others to claim those "firsts" without being caught in a lie. You are essentially "watermarking" your family history.
Serious rigorous critique. critical thinking, discernment, documentation, and the access to someone who has the necessary tested adhikara, through indigenousness, education, the languages of Baul (oral and classical Sanskrit, vernacular Birbhum, Sandhya Bhasha, and Braja bhasha), Indian Philosophy, Veda, Upanishads, Purnanas and Tantra, Itihas Mahabharat and Ramayan history specifically in the Baul sense which is different from many other traditions, through exegesis and Purva Paksha is a must for anybody claiming they are Baul and taking advantage of grants, donations, awards, in the name of Baul. They must know the questions, and have the correct answers before proceeding, they must have done the actual work first and prove they know what they are talking about, today it is not good enough to ‘fake it til you make it’ while taking advantage of Baul traveling the world spreading false narratives and sewing lies. I have already over 20 years documented all the lies and inconsistencies and KD Babu Kishan has documented for over 60 years.
Fake Gurus and Lineages: Pretendian Bauls create "fake Baul Guru’s and fake Baul lineages now changed to parampara that do not exist," using these fabrications to "legitimize their lack of ‘adhikara’ authority." Just because someone is a self labeled Baul Guru does not mean they are. Many poor people, refugees, and random wandering people struggling to live copied tried to copy Nabani Das Khyapa Baul, Purna Das Baul and KD Babu Kishan’s life while deleting all 3 of them including including authentic indigenous Women Bauls (Baulinis) such as Brajabala Dasi, and Radharani Dasi that last Women Bauls to walk on earth. Babu Kishan finds this the biggest disgrace including the exclusion of his mother Manju Dasi as the first and last Women Baul to travel the world with her husband Purna Das Baul the first and last authentic indigenous Vaishnava Sahajiya Baul to travel the world along with his son Krishnendu Das Baul who was his manager and created the template for modern indigenous Baul. Not for fake Baul artists?
Commercialization and Self-Promotion: There are firsts and lasts regarding Baul such as Purna Das Baul is the first and last famous Baul singer. Nabani Das Baul is the last Baul Avaduta and the first Baul to sing on stages and Purna Das Baul is the last Baul to sing on stages worldwide. Purna Das Baul’s wife Manju Das who is the ‘first and last Baul woman to travel the world’ you can not replace them by deleting their names and replacing them with fake Baul Gurus by using all their firsts and lasts.
KD Babu Kishan’s many firsts and lasts are told within this book. However, they are indigenous firsts and lasts, and no one would even know about Baul without these individuals who have names.
The opportunist claimants who came after them, copied them, they are not indigenous to Baul, they use Baul as a business, sewing false narratives," pursuing "Baul dominance" as hawker Bauls, to collect donations, fundraising for jackpots, acting as if they are Baul trying to represent what does not belong to them. This includes stealing the "intellectual property" of Babu Kishan's lineage, "cherry picking" its history, songs, style, stories, and style and deleting their names. Even the audacity to remake his lived life, Baul and Ramakrishna, Baul and Gaudiya Vaishnavism, the list is long and has already been repeated through this book.
They are retracing everywhere, everything this one and only singular Baul parampara has accomplished, replacing the indigenous Baul by remaking them, deleting their names, turning them into generic no names, Baul did this and that? No one in this world would even know about Baul without the work this lineage (singular Baul parampara) within indigenous families has presented to the world over hundreds of years of giving up their lives to preserve a drop of Baul. Yet, everybody copy and pastes and acts as if they know what and who Baul is writing article after thousands of articles, PhD after PHD without even knowing the languages of the Bauls or what Baul actually means? Probably one of the biggest scams of all time and they keep trying?
Exploitation of Platform: It's argued that these "nakal (fake), hawker, tourist, shilpi (actor) Bauls" are only able to operate, because of the platform and hard work created since the 1970’s by KD Babu Kishan's hard work in creating a platform for modern ‘indigenous Baul’ and usurped by outsiders to Baul who heard Baul on the radio or watched Nabani Das Khyapa Baul and then Purna Das Baul, people who came from outside of Birbhum and either liked Baul or needed to survive and singing was the only thing they could catch on to, thus ‘the fake it til you make it Bauls’ most were refugees East Pakistan now Bangladesh. Baul as a parampara or lineage is based on ancestry, it is a lie to say Baul is not based on families or ancestry, these people who spread these false narratives are opportunistic Baul claimants who use Baul either to collect donations, travel the world, or for Guru ma and Guru Baba business, suggesting people touch their feet?
KD Babu Kishan struggled to establish modern Baul for the ‘indigenous Bauls’, not for random people who came out of the woodwork, with woodwork as hawker, actor Baul artists retracing every place that only this lineage has attended, again aggressively replacing them by acting.
The Uniqueness and Authenticity of Babu Kishan's Lineage
The text underscores the singular authenticity of KD Babu Kishan's lineage:
Legitimate Oral Sanskrit Parampara: The "Vaishnava Sahajiya Tantric Bauls of Birbhum W Bengal" are highlighted as the "legitimate Oral Sanskrit Parampara’ Vernacular Birbhum, Sandhya Bhasha, Braja Bhasha. Indigenous Bhakti Yoga, Kirtan, who were profound Vaishnava poets. Dattatreya and Krishna Sahaja.
Documented History: This lineage has at the very least "13 generations documented" with a "historical lived legacy, songs, stories, style" that constitute their "intellectual indigenous property."
Sole Lineage: It is repeatedly asserted as the "one and only indigenous ancestral lineage based on ancestry or guru shishya PARAMPARA (sampradaya) sect / Kula," which "must be categorically distinguished from the new fake pretendian Baul business."
Purna Das Baul's Status: Purna Das Baul, Babu Kishan’s father, is revered as "Baul Samrat, Pandit," the "most famous, award winning" Baul who "pioneered Baul and introduced Baul to all of India, and worldwide since the 1950s." Calling him a "shilpi (actor) Baul" is deemed "highly disrespectful." These fake Bauls would not know anything about Baul without Nabani Das Khyapa Baul, Purna Das Baul or Babu Kishan. The liquidation and intellectual property theft has been going on for decades now, no one should be using Baul at this point because of decades of destruction through false narratives and lies, only because this parampara made Baul famous.
Preservation and Teachings: Babu Kishan's lineage holds the "secrets close to his heart," and he has been teaching authentic Baul in Universities worldwide since the 1970s, as well as in temples, cultural programs, media, and yoga studios, directly refuting the "liars, fakes" who claim no one taught Baul practices outside India previously. Babu Kishan has been teaching Baul Tantra, Bhakti Yoga, Baul Kirtan, Indian Music, Indian Philosophy, Sanskrit throughout Indian and worldwide since the 1970s.
The "Kali Yuga" of Baul: Fake vs. Real
The author describes the current state of Baul as a "world of fake," a "kali yuga time period, a post truth era, where ‘what is real is seen as fake’ and ‘what is fake is seen as real’." This confusion is attributed to:
Identity Theft: "Indigenous Baul Fraud, and ‘indigenous Baul identity theft’ are erasing, watering down, reducing indigenous Baul, by replacing indigenous Baul with fake pretendian non-indigenous Baul actors self-titling themselves as Baul saints, Baul Avadhutas and self-titled Baul Masters."
Copying and Exploitation: Fake Bauls are accused of "poach[ing] our blogs, books, and websites," "remaking youtube videos complete with fake acting," and copying everything from Babu Kishan's 1990s website.
Financial Motivation: The underlying motivation for much of this fraud is seen as financial, with references to "donations," "fundraising," and "jackpots."
Babu Kishan's Disengagement and Baul's Integrity
The text highlights Babu Kishan's response to this pervasive fakery:
Disappearance from the Fake: When "fake Bauls" appear in places Babu Kishan has already taught or meet his friends, "he never goes back," feeling that if his former students "can’t figure it out, there is no need for his presence. He is done, they are deleted." This mirrors his Guru, Nabani Das Khyapa Baul's behavior, who would "disappear" when he sensed a line being crossed, or insincerity. When Nabani Das Khyapa Baul left Rabindranath Tagore he never went back, no matter how many times Tagore pleaded with him or what he gave him.
Unattached: Baul "only stays where there is truth" and is "unattached" to falsehood.
Bauls are inner Mystics, Not Hawkers, actors or liars: Bauls are described as "Mystics, not hawkers," indigenous, not liars and actors."
Inner Integrity: Authentic Bauls possess the ability to "see your inner world," "integrity in ‘thought, word and deed’" if actions do not align, "an indigenous Baul can not stay or be a part of your circle." They are "not a lap dog to every person who wants to use Baul."
The Falsity of Appropriation: When "Baul" Becomes a Masterclass in Deceit
Baul has, for far too long, become a masterclass in emotional theater. What we see today is a carefully orchestrated spectacle of inauthenticity—fueled by polished photos, meticulously crafted YouTube videos, and well-funded marketing campaigns disguised as reverence. Behind the facade of fake humility and all-knowing wisdom, opportunistic individuals are overstating their importance and brazenly claiming the "firsts and lasts" of a heritage they never lived.
Armed with self-created "fake Baul Gurus" and fabricated lineages, these claimants can be easily exposed. KD Babu Kishan, for instance, has met and has stories about most of the very people being paraded as gurus. His firsthand knowledge serves as a critical check on these false narratives.
There is a disturbing lack of accountability in who gets to speak for Baul, leading to a simple and insidious exchange: they are replacing us by faking us.
Anyone, it seems, can claim to be a Baul, taking what they want from the indigenous intellectual property of this one and only parampara (lineage). This must stop. Individuals seeking global recognition in the "guru business" need to be rigorously qualified. They must prove their ancestry, and every false narrative they spread must be checked.
The simple truth is that there is no expert on the Baul tradition other than a trained, indigenous Baul. There is no such thing as a "Baul Master" or "Baul Artist"—these are completely made-up terms designed to legitimize fake Bauls. We are not talking about the street performers of Birbhum; we are talking about a far more cunning, deliberate form of exploitation. It always leads back to a fundraising scheme or a grab for donations, often under the guise of "preserving Baul," a task that has already been accomplished by KD Babu Kishan.
Over the next few years, Babu Kishan, a qualified and experienced indigenous spiritual warrior, will bring this all to light. Having created the modern template of Baul and taught the tradition worldwide since the 1970s, he is uniquely positioned to speak the truth.
Indigenous Rights and Intellectual Property
Regardless of where you are in the world, the struggle of indigenous people is a shared experience. Their ancient ways of life are being erased and co-opted, and they are fighting to survive in a modern world that often uses them as a commodity. Indigenous practices are meant for the world, but it should be the indigenous people who self-determine their destiny and benefit from their own intellectual property.
If you practice Baul, you have no right to exploit its intellectual property by faking a lineage or misleading people into believing you are a Baul Avadhuta. The term "Baul Avadhuta" was popularized by my own writings and has since been appropriated. My work on Nabani Das Khyapa Baul as an Avadhuta was copied and superimposed onto any "dread locked pretendian Baul," creating a false assumption that all Bauls are Avadhutas. As Babu Kishan warned me, everything he has ever written has been poached and his name erased, a theft we have allowed for far too long.
The Dangers of Superimposing Narratives
When a "Baul Artist"—an opportunistic false claimant—comes to the West, people often superimpose my writings onto this fakery. This is a mistake. Great that you like this person's performance, but please do not connect them to the indigenous Baul lineage you read about in our blogs or books. They have copied the songs, the style of dance, and even the history of a lineage they have nothing to do with.
If a performer is self-titled as a "Baul Artist" or "Baul Master," they are not a Baul. Do not superimpose our intellectual property onto them. If they are stealing the songs and the style of this lineage—such as the specific way Nabani Das Khyapa Baul used the Ektara, Baya drum, or Nuppor ankle bells—you must know they have no connection to us. They are not Vaishnava Sahajiya Bauls; they are actors. Using the term "Baul Avadhuta" in this context is a great disrespect to the actual Avadhutas who no longer walk this earth.
A Lesson from Canadian First Nations
The plight of the indigenous Bauls mirrors the experience of indigenous First Nations in Canada, where "Pretendians" have stolen identities to profit from grants, awards, and opportunities reserved for indigenous people. The documentary "The Pretendians" gives a clear picture of this issue, which is essentially an indigenous intellectual fraud.
As the film states, "When people steal from our culture, they end up distorting our culture; they turn it into something we do not even recognize, erasing us by replacing us."
This is precisely what has been happening to the indigenous Baul tradition, a problem that has significantly worsened since the 1970s. The essence of the tradition is being extinguished, replaced by a distorted, unrecognizably fake version. It is a game of Chinese whispers, where the original meaning and purpose of Baul are lost with each passing hand.
The Falsity of Appropriation: When "Baul" Becomes a Masterclass in Deceit
Baul has, for far too long, become a masterclass in emotional theater. What we see today is a carefully orchestrated spectacle of inauthenticity—fueled by polished photos, meticulously crafted YouTube videos, and well-funded marketing campaigns disguised as reverence. Behind the facade of fake humility and all-knowing wisdom, opportunistic individuals are overstating their importance and brazenly claiming the "firsts and lasts" of a heritage they never lived.
Armed with self-created "fake Baul Gurus" and fabricated lineages, these claimants can be easily exposed. KD Babu Kishan, for instance, has met and has stories about most of the very people being paraded as gurus. His firsthand knowledge serves as a critical check on these false narratives.
There is a disturbing lack of accountability in who gets to speak for Baul, leading to a simple and insidious exchange: they are replacing us by faking us.
The Problem with Pretenders
Anyone, it seems, can claim to be a Baul, taking what they want from the indigenous intellectual property of this one and only parampara (lineage). This must stop. Individuals seeking global recognition in the "guru business" need to be rigorously qualified. They must prove their ancestry, and every false narrative they spread must be checked.
The simple truth is that there is no expert on the Baul tradition other than a trained, indigenous Baul. There is no such thing as a "Baul Master" or "Baul Artist"—these are completely made-up terms designed to legitimize fake Bauls. We are not talking about the street performers of Birbhum; we are talking about a far more cunning, deliberate form of exploitation. It always leads back to a fundraising scheme or a grab for donations, often under the guise of "preserving Baul," a task that has already been accomplished by KD Babu Kishan.
Over the next few years, Babu Kishan, a qualified and experienced indigenous spiritual warrior, will bring this all to light. Having created the modern template of Baul and taught the tradition worldwide since the 1970s, he is uniquely positioned to speak the truth.
Indigenous Rights and Intellectual Property
Regardless of where you are in the world, the struggle of indigenous people is a shared experience. Their ancient ways of life are being erased and co-opted, and they are fighting to survive in a modern world that often uses them as a commodity. Indigenous practices are meant for the world, but it should be the indigenous people who self-determine their destiny and benefit from their own intellectual property.
If you practice Baul, you have no right to exploit its intellectual property by faking a lineage or misleading people into believing you are a Baul Avadhuta. The term "Baul Avadhuta" was popularized by my own writings and has since been appropriated. My work on Nabani Das Khyapa Baul as an Avadhuta was copied and superimposed onto any "dread locked pretendian Baul," creating a false assumption that all Bauls are Avadhutas. As Babu Kishan warned me, everything he has ever written has been poached and his name erased, a theft we have allowed for far too long.
The Dangers of Superimposing Narratives
When a "Baul Artist"—an opportunistic false claimant—comes to the West, people often superimpose my writings onto this fakery. This is a mistake. Great that you like this person's performance, but please do not connect them to the indigenous Baul lineage you read about in our blogs or books. They have copied the songs, the style of dance, and even the history of a lineage they have nothing to do with.
If a performer is self-titled as a "Baul Artist" or "Baul Master," they are not a Baul. Do not superimpose our intellectual property onto them. If they are stealing the songs and the style of this lineage—such as the specific way Nabani Das Khyapa Baul used the Ektara, Baya drum, or Nuppor ankle bells—you must know they have no connection to us. They are not Vaishnava Sahajiya Bauls; they are actors. Using the term "Baul Avadhuta" in this context is a great disrespect to the actual Avadhutas who no longer walk this earth.
A Lesson from Canadian First Nations (Indigenous people of the Land).
The plight of the indigenous Bauls mirrors the experience of indigenous First Nations in Canada, where "Pretendians" have stolen identities to profit from grants, awards, and opportunities reserved for indigenous people. The documentary "The Pretendians" gives a clear picture of this issue, which is essentially an indigenous intellectual fraud.
As the film states, "When people steal from our culture, they end up distorting our culture; they turn it into something we do not even recognize, erasing us by replacing us."
This is precisely what has been happening to the indigenous Baul tradition, a problem that has significantly worsened since the 1970s. The essence of the tradition is being extinguished, replaced by a distorted, unrecognizably fake version. It is a game of Chinese whispers, where the original meaning and purpose of Baul are lost with each passing hand.
Moving beyond self-identification
"While the revelation of Bourassa’s identity fraud brought tremendous hurt and feelings of betrayal to the Métis and broader Indigenous community, we did not anticipate our complaint would transform identity politics.”
In Canada, universities, governments and other agencies are now implementing ancestry-verification policies. Individuals are required to show proof of membership, connection or citizenship to an Indigenous community when applying for opportunities, grants, awards, scholarships, funding, teaching opportunities and artist rights reserved for Indigenous Peoples.
https://news.usask.ca/articles/general/2022/usask-approves-policy-on-indigenous-membershipcitizenship-verification.php
Those opportunities reserved for indigenous people include grants, funding, awards, prestige and opportunities specifically set aside to help marginalized communities who are indigenous.
“There are two kinds of fraudsters, according to Teillet:
‘Fabricators who invent Indigenous identities whole cloth and embellishers who exaggerate some perceived connection. Some embellishers bolster their claims using the results of DNA tests showing small percentages of Indigenous heritage. Others exploit unverified family stories about a distant Indigenous relative. Whatever kind of identity fraud they’re engaging in, they generally lie to get ahead professionally.
Maybe they want an Indigenous award or grant or acceptance into networks that are closed to them.
Such fraudsters exploit affirmative action initiatives or diversity, equity and inclusion protections,” says Teillet.
As an Indigenous applicant, the person could be accepted into law or medical school when they’d otherwise be rejected. And sometimes, the motivation is even simpler: “They want something that makes them unique and different, and this gives them a chance to say they’re special,” Teillet says.
https://torontolife.com/deep-dives/gill-sisters-pretendian-fraud/
“Their adoption of Indigenous identities allows them access to jobs, money, and opportunities that are set aside for Indigenous people. Pretendians raise issues with respect to employment / labour law, charter, and privacy issues. It also calls into question recent Supreme Court of Canada case law. These identity issues – whether it is an individual right to identify as Indigenous, whether the Indigenous nation has any say, whether there are any necessary requirements to claim an Indigenous identity – are very much in the spotlight as writers, filmmakers, lawyers, and academics are exposed in the press for having little or no right to the Indigenous identities they have been claiming. Some have made these dubious claims for decades and have built fame, prestige, and careers on them.”
“What a tangled web we weave, when first we practise to deceive — that’s what happens. They get tangled up in their own stories,” said Teillet, who is the great-grandniece of famed Metis leader Louis Riel. Teillet’s report examined the harm caused by Indigenous identity fraud, outlined red flags for spotting potential deceit and suggested measures to prevent it. It came in the wake of a series of controversies over claims of Indigenous identity by prominent members of Canadian academic, literary and entertainment circles in recent years.” Canadian Lawyer Jean Teillet LLP
https://www.aptnnews.ca/national-news/indigenous-identity-theft-is-more-widespread-than-people-think-says-metis-lawyer-jean-teillet/
This autobiographical history of the Essence of indigenous Baul is very important. If not for them and their stories no one would know about Baul, no pretendian fake Baul would even exist, because they would not have anything to copy. The biggest copiers of Nabani Das Baul were the first waves of refugees from East Bengal when it was partitioned into East Pakistan in 1947.
* This one and only pioneering Baul lineage or guru shishya parampara sampradaya (sect or kula) is distinguished from the pretendian fake Baul artist actors by;
* This parampara pioneered ‘The Baul to all of Bengal’ all over Bengal, India and Worldwide as Cultural Representatives of Bengal India through the ICCR Indian Council for Cultural Relations, and Sangeet Natak Academia, since the 1950’s.
* Nabani Das Khyapa Baul is the first Baul to sing on stages around India as part of the Freedom Movement with Jayalwal Nehru singing before his speeches, and at Indian Inauguration in 1947.
* This lineage is the only lineage or parampara.
* KD Babu Kishan is the only Baul qualified who has taught at Universities around the world since the 1970’s.
* This book is the authentic story of pioneering Baul worldwide with the names of the Bauls, not speculated about with names deleted, making Baul random. Bauls have names, the poets have names.
* There is no such thing as a Muslim or Fakir Baul.
* Baul does not come from Persia, Turkey or Uzbekistan.
* Bauls never spoke Urdu, or composed poetry in Urdu, Bauls do not sing Qaawali’s. Although Babu Kishan has composed music for many Qaawali’s with famous singers, that was his job as a Music Composer.
The parade of nonsensical fake Baul who lack substance who call themselves Baul Artists and Baul Masters is insane, who titled them a Baul Master, certainly not any indigenous expert on Baul? There is no such thing as either or whatever new names that have been concocted over the recent decades. Some academics are trying to define Baul with new names too. Only an indigenous Baul can self-determine who they are.
Context, distinctions, historical authenticity, credibility, truthfulness, accuracy, factualness, discernment nuances, and actual indigenous historical Baul history makes up an expert on Baul. What credibility do those pretendian Bauls have, they are representing Baul and are not Baul. They are myth makers, speculating about indigenous Baul voices.
The Unrivaled Authority of KD Babu Kishan
The core of the conclusion rests on the unique position of KD Babu Kishan (Krishnendu Das):
Last of His Generation: He is identified as "the eldest indigenous ancestral Baul left of his generation."
Direct Engagement with Scholars: He is the "only Baul who met all the older scholars personally and disagreed with them in person on his travels around the world," demonstrating a direct challenge to established academic narratives.
Disbelief in External Narratives: Babu Kishan "does not believe anything that writers, scholars and new fake Bauls write or speak about Baul," dismissing it all as "speculation and wrong."
60+ Years of Preservation: He has "preserved Baul for over 60 years as an indigenous Baul, recording all the Baul songs and Kirtans."
Pioneer of Global Outreach: He "created the new template of traveling overseas as part of Cultural programs, teaching at Universities," and is credited with many "firsts and lasts" in bringing Baul to a wider audience.
Academic and Lineage Holder: He is "qualified academically" (from Calcutta University) and, crucially, as "the lineage holder of and his own lineage of Baul."
The Original Source: The text asserts that "if not for his lineage no one outside of Birbhum would know about Baul, they are the only lineage of Baul, the only pioneers of Baul others copied them, and followed them, singing their songs, wearing their dress and followed the template Babu Kishan created."
The Problem of Anonymity, Generic Representation, and Fake Lineages, "inauthentic practitioners" or "opportunistic claimants"
A central complaint is the academic and "fake Baul" habit of anonymizing or generalizing Bauls. The author demands:
Naming Specific Bauls: "Name the specific Baul each Baul has a name," countering the trend of making Baul "random and generic, taking off the names of the Baul who lived the stories and re-presenting them as generic Baul did this or that."
Babu Kishan's Vetting: Babu Kishan is positioned as the sole person qualified to "qualify if they are real or not because he knew them all over the past more than 60 years."
Authenticity of Names: The use of "Das Baul or Dasi" is explicitly stated to "only come from this lineage." Therefore, any "fake Baul" claiming a "Das Baul" Guru in a "constructed fake lineage" is "lying."
Knowledge of Fake Gurus: Babu Kishan "knows who your Gurus are unless you have made that up too," underscoring his comprehensive knowledge of the Baul landscape.
Cultural Genocide and the Flawed Nature of Modern Scholarship
The text re-emphasizes that the misrepresentation by "outsider non-indigenous Baul[s]" has led to a "cultural genocide because of the popularity of Baul."
Oversimplification and Distortion: Outsiders are accused of "self-determining who you are" without even mentioning the names of the actual indigenous people, instead highlighting "mostly European ancestry scholars" in a "copied and pasted" manner.
"Extinct" Baul, Yet Still Studied: The author states that "Baul is extinct and we still have scholars making up fake stories trying to unpack and write books about what already has been preserved," criticizing those who "piggyback off of what already is complete."
Colonial Bias: "Modern scholarship is based on the British colonialist point of view and should be questioned openly," not just by other scholars, but directly "by the indigenous people they randomly speculate about, the actual people that they admit they can not figure out?"
The conclusion leaves no ambiguity: the "preservation and reclamation of indigenous ancestral lineage Baul should never be represented by any outsider non-indigenous Baul." The authority and truth of Baul reside solely within its authentic lineage, embodied by KD Babu Kishan.
This text serves as a concluding statement, powerfully reasserting the authority of KD Babu Kishan as the last living indigenous ancestral Baul of his generation and the sole authority for authentic Baul knowledge. It reiterates the severe criticism of Western academic scholarship and "fake Bauls" for their misrepresentation and "cultural genocide" of the Baul tradition.
There is so much more, this is just a taste, We have a full Reclamation, loaded with never before understood of seen proof of the abuse of Baul which could only have happened because this lineage made Baul famous. Abuse of financial Jackpots, academic Scholars and Islamist who have used Baul and created Muslim Bauls to collect huge financial jackpots.
ttps://lineagebaul.blogspot.com/2025/02/indigenous-identity-theft-indigenous.html
Key Baul Figures & Lineage
#NabaniDasKhyapaBaul #PurnaDasBaul #BabuKishan #KrishnenduDasBaul #lineagebaul #baullineage #NabaniDasBaul #dasbaul #NityanandaofEkachakra #ChandiDas #Joydev #GosaiVaishnavaDasBaul ##NeemKaroliBaba #baulparampara
Core Baul Concepts & Philosophy
#Baultantra #GaudiyaVaishnavaandBaul #Baulphilosophy #VaishnavaSahajiya #VaishnavaSahajiyaTantricBauls #KrishnaKaliunity #Krishnakali #RaaiRajaLila #Baulsadhana #BaulAvadhut #BaulAvadhuta #BaulthepathoftheAvadhuta #BaulsahajaKrishnaDattatreyasahahaja #Baultantramantragopiyantra #BaulKirtan #BaultheRasaLilaMystics #BaulVayuTula #Baulwindcatchers #mirrorofthesky
Geographic & Cultural Context
#BirbhumBaul #Birbhum #EkachakraBirbhum #Tarapith #TarapithandBaul #TaraMa&Baul #Kolkata #Shantiniketan #shantiniketanbirbum #Bengal #baulofbengal #baulofbirbhum #India #IncredibleIndia #indianmusic #sangeetnatakakademi
Critique & Preservation
#Baultruth #Baulculturalappropriation #Baulrealhistory #EndangeredBaullineage #Baulendangeredlineageparampara #Baulhistory #baularchive #archivedbaul
Baul Music
#baulmusic #baulgaan #Bauldocumentary #baulsangeet #baulkirtan #ektara #gopiyantra
Related Figures & Movements
#RabindranathTagore #BaulTagore #osho #VaishnavaBaul #TantricBaul #vaishnavaaghori #Ramakrishna #BaulandRamakrishna
General & Other
#baul #historicalBaul #pioneeringBaul #baulwomen #baulsaint #legendarybaul #baulartist #BaulGuruShishyaParampara #Baulparampara
"Authentic Baul" #AuthenticBaul
"Vaishnava Sahajiya Tantric Bauls" #VaishnavaSahajiyaTantricBauls
"Birbhum Baul" #BirbhumBaul
"Nabani Das Khyapa Baul" #NabaniDasKhyapaBaul
"Babu Kishan Baul" / "Krishnendu Das Baul" #KrishnenduDasBaul
"Baul Guru Shishya Parampara" #BaulGuruShishyaParampara #Baulparampara
"Baul philosophy" #Baulphilosophy
"Krishna Kali unity" #Krishnakali
"Raai Raja lila" #RaaiRajaLila
"Real Baul history" #Baulrealhistory
"Baul cultural appropriation" #baulculturalappropriation
"Endangered Baul lineage" #Baulendangeredlineageparampara
Baul and Ramakrishna is only associated with KD Babu Kishan as he is the only Baul to be a monk in the Ramakrishna Mission for 12 years, this is a first and last in Baul.
Baul and Tantra is only associated with Nabani Das Khyapa Baul and KD Babu Kishan, Baul and Tarapith is only associated with them both too. Those others are not Baul as Baul Artist of an non-indigenous Baul is not a Baul but a users, poser, actor trying to remake the already lived lives of this parampara, do you speak the language, do you know what they are singing or who is the owner of the songs, or even if the songs are Baul songs, no you do not, so don't make emotional promotional comments when you do not even understand. You are cheering for a fake Baul and have no clue.
The practice of "Baul Kirtan-anga" Copyright, all songs will be reclaimed that belong to this lineages.
(only this lineage, parampara, no one used Baul kirtan until they read it on this blog, this is downright appropriation and false advertising by fake opportunistic self-titled so-called Bauls for marketing purposes, they have appropriated this lineages intellectual property, it can be proven and must be brought to the attention of the public because they are asking for donations and fundraising for jackpots, awards, grants and are not Baul, their Guru is a fake Baul Guru.
The "Rasa Lila Mystics" this is the only lineage parampara that is Vaishnava and Vaishnava Sahajiya Gosia Chandra Das Baul and Dasi, there is not another, never was. #BaultheRasaLilaMystics
"Baul Tantra Mantra Gopi Yantra". Copyright, no poaching
"The path of the Avadhuta". Copyright there are no other Baul Avadhuta's and that title only belongs to this lineage or singular parampara, there is not another. They make Baul a no name generic Baul while claiming the intellectual property and the already lived firsts and lasts of this lineage. I have documented thousands of misuse of Baul for over 20 years, if you would like to see my research contact KD Babu Kishan, his website is listed throughout this blog and website
"Baul Sahaja is Krishna & Dattatreya Sahaja". Copyright and only mentioned by KD Babu Kishan
The Windcatchers (Vayu Tula). #BaulVayuTula. #baulwindcatchers
#India #lineagebaul #baultantra #baullineage #baulofbengal #babukishan #baulwomen #baulavadhuta #baulsaint #legendarybaul #nabanidasbaul #mirrorofthesky #rabindranathtagor #osho #vaishnavabaul #vaishnavaaghori #baul #baulmusic #tantra #babukishan #baulgaan #nabanidasbaul #purnadasbaul #bengal #india #indianmusic #shantiniketan #baullineage #bengalibaul #baularchive #archivedbaulbn#Baulhistory #BaulofBengal #BaulofBirbhum #dasbaul #Kolkata #Bauldocumentary #baulkirtan #Baulsadhana #ektara #EkachakraBirbhum #gopiyantra #baultantra #NabonidasKhyapabaul #bauldocumentary #baulsangeet #RabindranathTagore #BaulTagore #shantiniketanbirbum #jainitai #jaiguru #NityanandaofEkachakra #BaulAvadhut #Birbhum #Tarapith #Kolkata #IncredibleIndia #India #VaishnavaBaul #TantricBaul #sangeetnatakakademi
"Authentic Baul" #AuthenticBaul
"Vaishnava Sahajiya Tantric Bauls" #VaishnavaSahajiyaTantricBauls
"Birbhum Baul" #BirbhumBaul
"Nabani Das Khyapa Baul" #NabaniDasKhyapaBaul
"Babu Kishan Baul" / "Krishnendu Das Baul" #KrishnenduDasBaul
"Baul Guru Shishya Parampara" #BaulGuruShishyaParampara #Baulparampara
"Baul philosophy" #Baulphilosophy
"Krishna Kali unity" #Krishnakali
"Raai Raja lila" #RaaiRajaLila
"Real Baul history" #Baulrealhistory
"Baul cultural appropriation" #baulculturalappropriation
"Endangered Baul lineage" #Baulendangeredlineageparampara
The practice of "Baul Kirtan-anga"
The "Rasa Lila Mystics" Raasa leela Mystics, Raas Tattva (this lineage only)
"Baul Tantra Mantra Gopi Yantra".
"The path of the Avadhuta".
"Baul Sahaja is Krishna & Dattatreya Sahaja". #BaulsahajaKrishnaDattatreyasahahaja
The Windcatchers (Vayu Tula). #BaulVayuTula. #baulwindcatchers