When the ripples triggered by the attack on leaders of Dera Sachkhand Ballan in far off Vienna reached Jalandhar, it became clear how simple it is to shatter the uneasy calm that prevails in today’s Punjab.
Punjabi society is highly fragmented. This Dera is venerated
by the Ravidasias at the global level. The second in command of the Dera Sant Ramanad succumbed to his injuries. The Dera head, Sant Naranjan Das, had also been injured. This attack was attributed to Sikh hardliners though exact details of the incident are still not available.
The objection of the Sikh organisations was that though the Dera believes in Guru Granth Sahib, it does not mainstain its prescribed maryada. The followers of the sect also touch the feet of the Dera head in the presence of Guru Granth Sahib which is not permitted in the Sikh religion.
A section of the Ravidasias is Sikh. The situation during the couple of chaotic days when a part of the state was put under curfew was also an indication of the strong undercurrents of tension in the society.
Sikh religion is casteless, but Sikh society isn’t. Gurdwaras based on castes have mushroomed not only in Punjab but also overseas, where Punjabis have settled over the years. This goes against Sikh philosophy. The Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee has miserably failed to check this trend. The irony is that this Parliament of the Sikhs has a president who, for the first time in its history, is referred to by his sub-caste Makkar. The SGPC had no doubt issued an appeal when Avtar Singh Makkar took over not to refer to him as Makkar. However, at a news conference at Chandigarh, he said he was known by that surname. Not that the Dera culture is a recent phenomenon. The Deras have existed ever since the founding of the Sikh religion and some of the Deras have also made positive contributions to the Sikh religion. However, the deras have ruffled feathers within Sikh organisations with acts and utterances that are variance with the tenets of Sikhism. Trouble has been brewing in Punjab for quite a while now. The time for action is now.
Punjabi society is highly fragmented. This Dera is venerated
by the Ravidasias at the global level. The second in command of the Dera Sant Ramanad succumbed to his injuries. The Dera head, Sant Naranjan Das, had also been injured. This attack was attributed to Sikh hardliners though exact details of the incident are still not available.The objection of the Sikh organisations was that though the Dera believes in Guru Granth Sahib, it does not mainstain its prescribed maryada. The followers of the sect also touch the feet of the Dera head in the presence of Guru Granth Sahib which is not permitted in the Sikh religion.
A section of the Ravidasias is Sikh. The situation during the couple of chaotic days when a part of the state was put under curfew was also an indication of the strong undercurrents of tension in the society.
Sikh religion is casteless, but Sikh society isn’t. Gurdwaras based on castes have mushroomed not only in Punjab but also overseas, where Punjabis have settled over the years. This goes against Sikh philosophy. The Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee has miserably failed to check this trend. The irony is that this Parliament of the Sikhs has a president who, for the first time in its history, is referred to by his sub-caste Makkar. The SGPC had no doubt issued an appeal when Avtar Singh Makkar took over not to refer to him as Makkar. However, at a news conference at Chandigarh, he said he was known by that surname. Not that the Dera culture is a recent phenomenon. The Deras have existed ever since the founding of the Sikh religion and some of the Deras have also made positive contributions to the Sikh religion. However, the deras have ruffled feathers within Sikh organisations with acts and utterances that are variance with the tenets of Sikhism. Trouble has been brewing in Punjab for quite a while now. The time for action is now.
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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008
An IIPM and Professor Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist) Initiative
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