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  1. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chandigarh/punjabs-dalit-conundrum-a-look-into-sikhs-caste-identity/articleshow/86607310.cms (Left-right) Charanjit Singh Channi, Giani Harpreet Singh an .. Read more at:http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/86607310.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst JALANDHAR: Well before Punjab could have a dalit Sikh chief minister, considered a tectonic change in politics of the state, the Sikhs coming from so-called lower caste backgrounds led two highest Sikh institutions – Akal Takht and Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee.Giani Harpreet Singh, the jathedar of Akal Takht, highest temporal seat of Sikhs, comes from Scheduled Caste background and SGPC president Bibi Jagir Kaur from Backward Class background. Bibi Jagir Kaur, who is heading SGPC for the third time now, became the first woman president of SGPC in 1999, coinciding with the tercentenary of the foundation of Khalsa. Incidentally, Leader of Opposition in Punjab, Aam Aadmi Party’s Harpal Singh Cheema is also an SC Sikh.Even before current incumbents of Akal Takht and SGPC, Sikhs from so-called lower caste backgrounds headed both the institutions and also served at Darbar Sahib, the central shrine of Sikhs, and scores of other historic gurdwaras. Bhai Ranjit Singh comes from the Ramgarhia community, which is also classified BC. Former SGPC chief Prof. Kirpal Singh Badungar also came from BC background. There have been other jathedars, granthis (scripture readers), ragis (hymn singers), preachers and DhaAds (ballad singers), hazoori ragis at Darbar Sahib from so-called lower caste backgrounds. In fact, this has already been so normalised that it needs a lot of effort to trace caste roots of former or serving jathedars, head granthis, granthis, ragis, etc. In the case of current Akal Takht jathedar too, when TOI reported first about his caste background two months back, it needed a lot of inquiries for confirmation, as a usual reply in SGPC circles would be ‘nobody has ever discussed or bothered’ and even from those close to him in religious or community affairs. His father was also a granthi. Darbar Sahib Hazoori Ragi and Padma Shri awardee, Bhai Nirmal Singh, whose death due to Covid-19 last year was grieved by the community across the globe, came from Mazhabi Sikh background. Mazhabi Sikhs come from the lowest step of the caste ladder. He was trained at SGPC run missionary college in Amritsar. There have been scores of Mazhabi and Ramdasia/Ravidasia Sikhs, who are serving as granthis, ragis, preachers, and DhaAds in gurdwaras in towns and villages across the state. Some already enjoy much respect in the Sikh community. When asked about his caste background, his journey in Sikh religious affairs, and elevation to the top post, Giani Harpreet Singh had told TOI over two months back, “It has never mattered for me or those around me. Throughout my only identity have been of a Sikh and only my dedication to Gurus’ philosophy and cause has been mattering for those around me.” “I stood first in the three-year course from Guru Kashi Gurmat Institute Talwandi Sabo in 1997 and SGPC officials themselves called me for appointment as parcharak (preacher). I was later appointed head granthi and Katha Vachak two years later and was then appointed jathedar of Takht Damdama Sahib in May 2017. I have always been saying that Sikh religion provides equal recognition for all,” he told TOI. He was appointed acting jathedar of Akal Takht in October 2018. Punjab had a BC Sikh as CM 49 years back Giani Zail Singh, who later became the first Sikh President of India, belonged to the Ramgarhia community, classified as He became the CM of Punjab in 1972 and completed his full term till 1977. He got the prefix ‘Giani’ as he had trained at SGPC-run Shaheed Sikh Missionary College, Amritsar, and had also worked as a Sikh preacher later. SC population in Punjab and SCs among Sikhs When many from outside Punjab are wondering if Scheduled Castes exist among Sikhs, analysis of the 2011 Census data shows that SCs make one-third of the total Sikh population in Punjab and there are more SC Sikhs than SC Hindus in the state. Among them, highest population is that of the Mazhabi Sikhs. How does SC identity exist among Sikhs? Explaining the reason for Scheduled Caste identity existing among Sikhs even as Sikhism does not believe in caste as the Gurus preached, former IAS officer and noted Sikh author Gurtej Singh says there is no place of caste stratification in Sikhism but Sikh leader Master Tara Singh got certain castes among the Sikhs included in the Scheduled Caste list in the 1950s, a few years after the promulgation of the Constitution, as those who had joined the Sikh-fold from the ‘lower castes’ were still largely economically-deprived and deserved the benefit of reservation for economic upliftment. “Otherwise, granthis, ragis coming from SC backgrounds is the biggest recognition not only of their religious and social emancipation but also of complete reversal of castedisabilities,” he adds. Earlier Sikh SCs were denied reservation “The Sikhs coming from ‘lower caste’ backgrounds were refused reservation originally in the Constitution even as Sikh representatives of Akali Dal in the Constituent Assembly had pressed for it as home minister Patel had strongly opposed it in the Constituent Assembly. After making other efforts, Master Tara Singh wrote to the President of India on April 4, 1953, on the issue. Finally, he threatened agitation at Delhi and left with a Jatha from Anandpur Sahib on October 1, 1953. He and other Sikh activists were on the way when Prime Minister Nehru intervened and four castes – Mazhabis, Ramdasias, Kabir Panthis (Julahas) and Sikligars were included in the SC list for reservation,” says Tarlochan Singh, INDIA former Rajya Sabha member and chairman of NationalCommission for Minorities, who also authored an article onthis subject. Ramdasia Sikhs – got their name from the fourth SikhGuru Memorandum on Sikhs by Captain B T Crowther, 23rdPioneers, District Recruiting Officer, Sikh District, publishedin 1894, reveals: “The Ramdasia was originally a C*** , orworker in leather, but nowadays he has, for the most part,abandoned the leather and taken to the loom. He isfrequently a Sikh, his name is said to have been taken fromGuru Ramdas. He is mostly found in the Doaba and isenlisted in small numbers in our Muzbee (Mazhabi)regiment, where he has proved himself a good soldier”. Inquiries from the ground suggest that the ‘Ramdasia Sikh’term is used both by those coming from working in weavingand leather background while ‘Ravidasia Sikh’ or ‘Ravidasia’alone is used by those whose forefathers were working inleather. Both the words are also used inter-changeably whilethese also have regional context. In Puadh and Malwa,largely Ramdasia is used while Ravidasia is predominantlyused in Doaba. Mazhabi Sikhs make the largest component of SCs amongSikhs Mazhabi Sikhs come from the lowest step of the casteladder. They share their caste background with ati-shudraBalmikis. Originally called Raghretas in Sikh literature, tenthSikh Master Guru Gobind Singh gave them a place of pride(Ranghreta Guru Ka Beta – Ranghreta is the son of theGuru). It was a Ranghreta, Bhai Jaita, later Bhai Jiwan Singh,who, after ninth Sikh Master Guru Teg Bahadar’s executionduring Aurangzeb’s rule, brought his severed head fromDelhi to Guru Gobind Singh (then Gobind Rai) at AnandpurSahib and was called ‘Guru ka beta’. He remained thebiggest icon of Ranghretas aka Mazhabi Sikhs. They make the biggest component of SC Sikhs and alsoamong all the SCs with a 25.62 lakh headcount in the 2011Census. In addition, 2.07 lakh (24%) among those whomentioned their caste as Balmiki also identified themselvesas Sikhs. The Sikhs who faced eviction from a colony inMeghalaya a few years back and behind whom larger Sikhcommunity and Sikh institutions put their weight, are alsoRanghretas or Mazhabi Sikhs. Memorandum on Sikhs byCaptain B T Crowther mentions, “Maharaja Ranjit Singh hada great admiration for their bravery and enlisted themfreely.” Hindu Scheduled Castes in Punjab While the Hindu population is 38.4% in Punjab, among themalso SCs make close to one-third of their population at 12.4%.The two largest communities whose members identifythemselves as Hindus are Ad-dharmis/Ravidassia and Since last year sections of Ad-dharmis/Ravidassiahave been demanding that they should get a separatereligion column as they don’t want to identify themselves asHindus. However, there are differences among them overthe two names – Ad-dharmi and Ravidassia - while makingthis demand. Both names are actually caste names in the SClist and census data. Balmikis have largely stayed withCongress so far and now SAD has been trying to make somebase among them, Ad-dharmi/Ravidassia (especially thosewho had Hindu identity) were originally with Congress, thenBSP got a major section of them and now Akali Dal has alsomade some base among them. Ramdasia Sikhs remainedwith Akali Dal. However, both the biggest SC communitieshave remained averse to Hindutva politics and BJP has notyet been able to make much of a base among them even asit has been working on them since 2014. Former Punjab BJPpresident and former MoS Vijay Sampla, how now headsNational Commission for Scheduled Castes, and Unionminister Som Parkash Kainth – come from the Ad-dharmicommunity. Despite such elevations, they have remainedBJP SC leaders but have not become leaders of SCs inPunjab. BSP - How caste and religious identities decide politics inPunjab They may have the largest population but SCs in Punjab arenot a monolith, they have remained divided socially as wellas politically. The two largest Scheduled Caste communities – MazhabiSikh/Balmiki and Ravidassia/Ad-dharmi – have beencompeting with each other in political space. This can be best understood from the example of BSP, thefirst party of SCs which wanted BCs also in its board – asboth are called Bahujans. Its founder Kanshi Ram belongedto Punjab and incidentally came from the same region –Puadh – from where the new Punjab CM comes from andalso from a similar caste background. He made greatattempts to unite them under Dalit identity and after himalso BSP leaders attempted social engineering but not onlysmaller SC communities but the biggest SC community -Mazhabi/Balmikis also largely stayed away from it. It haslargely remained party of one caste Ad-dharmi/Ravidassia,something similar to UP where in the last few years BSP hasbecome the party of Jatavs. While Channi can be a positive factor in Ravidasia/ Ad-dharmi community but how this factor would work amongMazhabi Sikhs, who are the biggest community amongScheduled Castes in Punjab, is yet to be seen and oppositionparties can also attempt to work on them. Balmikis, who are largely urban-based and have Hinduidentity, have largely remained with Congress while Akali Dalhas managed to make some inroads among them. Mazhabi COntinued here : https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chandigarh/punjabs-dalit-conundrum-a-look-into-sikhs-caste-identity/articleshow/86607310.cms (wont't let me continue to copy and paste or take screenshot)
  2. Untouchability at a gurdwara of Lehra Khana village in Bathinda district has shaken the most respected custodians of Sikh faith. The high priest of Akal Takht in Amritsar, jathedar Giani Gurbachan Singh, has condemned the incident where a dera had barred the Dalits from a gurdwara for being lower-caste people. The downtrodden community was denied its religious right to participate in the functioning of the place of worship. "We condemn this act strongly," Giani Gurbachan Singh said here on Tuesday. "Sikh Gurus preached against untouchability. We have summoned the gurdwara committee for explanation. There is no place for social evils in any gurdwara." The high priest was here to participate in a religious function of Nirol Seva Organisation (NSO). Asked if the incidents of this sort have become routine because the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbhandak Committee (SGPC) has failed to do its job, he said: "No, it's not because we have failed. We are doing our work. We guide people in the right direction but different deras continue to exploit people. Many people who approach the deras are drug addicts and the deras don't tell them to avoid the habit." Asked if the SGPC was trying to see that the capacity of the train that takes Sikh devotees to religious festivals in Pakistan was increased, he said: "This decision has to be at the union government level. We have requested it to increase the capacity so that more devotees can visit gurdwaras in Pakistan." The jathedar appreciated the work done by the NSO in combating social evils and taking the message to the masses. The NSO staged a play on Monday night as part of its awareness mission. "Punjabi play 'Jaar Neon', which we staged last night, condemns female feticide and drug addiction," said Jagdeep Singh Kala Sodhi, founder of the NSO. "The live performance impacted the villagers because they hardly ever get an opportunity to watch a play." People from different villages around Gidderbaha thronged the two-day function. The NSO also built rooms in the village to store old copies of holy book Guru Granth Sahib. http://www.hindustantimes.com/Punjab/Bathinda/Untouchability-touches-high-priest/SP-Article1-1033243.aspx
  3. Taken from Gurmat Bibek forum http://gurmatbibek.com/forum/read.php?3,26527
  4. Follow up of : http://www.sikhsangat.com/index.php?/topic/70298-inn-gareeb-sikhan-kou-deu-paatishaahi/ The Dalit brothers and sisters who recently joined the Khalsa are being denied water for their fields and are being told to either cut their kesh and beard first to get water or forget about it. They are even being threatened by high caste folks to "quit" Sikhi. Once couple was even beaten up.
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