JagjeetSingh555

Important link

VaheguruJiKaKhalsa! VahegurJiKiFateh! Sangat ji , a very interesting article from 2006...But full of interesting facts .. Author: A Singh Date: 03-31-06 03:14 Tapoban.org VaheguruJiKaKhalsa! VaheguruJiKiFateh! Ramgarhia Gurdvaras, Ravidasia Gurdvaras, Bhatra Gurdvaras Balmiki Asthaans are all the result of similar socio-political factors. If we stick with the last 100 year or so, in 1901 the British passed the Punjab Land Alienation Act which in a nutshell restricted land ownership to agricultural classes – in other words to Jatts – the boasts of landownership and zamindars etc actually originates from this British influenced act. There are various political reasons as to why the Act was passed, however the biggest impact it had was upon the Tarkhans, Lohars and other artisan communities during its initial phasing, as these communities had over the previous 200 years seen considerable upwards mobility, enhanced particularly by the likes of Sardar Jassa Singh Ramgarhia (hence the adoption of the title Ramgarhia subsequently by all Artisan Sikhs) and now stood to loose large portion of their acquired economic success as a result of this politically motivated Act. The result was similar to what happened post-partition with the influx of largely Khatri and Arora Sikh families into Punjab who fared a similar disadvantage and in some cases in animosity from their Jatt counterparts, who now enjoyed the fruits of the Land Act. In short, these communities migrated to Delhi and set themselves up as successful traders in various areas of commerce – hence why during the 1984 riots, many of the prejudices that the attacking mobs held against Sikhs in Delhi was their apparent economic success and wealth (and likewise to that in Punjab – views to the effect that “when have you seen a Sikh begging in the street – never” soon turned into “what reason do they have to complain about problems, they are all well off “ in the hands of the politically charged Hindu right). Back to the Artisan communites , they also migrated away from Punjab and congregating collectively as Ramgarhias, migrated in large numbers to East Africa and once more established their socio-economic success. They were subsequently uprooted and settled predominantly in the UK where they were perhaps the first community of Sikh settlers (perhaps before them only remote Bhatra groups) who did not cut their Kesh and remove their turbans upon entry into the UK on the pretence of finding work and “fitting in” as early, largely Jatt communities had done. The end result of all of this was that the so-called scheduled castes or communities (in Punjabi, Churas, Chamars etc) suffered greatly as a result of the Land Act, who now were forced to live on the outskirts of villages and have any rights to land ownership that they may have earned stripped from them. The impact of this can still be seen to this day with some the treatment meted out these communities in various Punjab villages. As a result, the Chamar community, congregated itself around the writings of Bhagat Ravidas, also of similar origin and begun to revere him as Guru Ravidas – this was quite different from the parallel Ramgarhia or Bhatra Gurdvaras which only used the titles to denote the management of the Gurdvaras, however in practice held firm to common Sikh belief and practice in most cases. The “Guru Ravidas Gurdvara” however came to be a mixed movement of Keshadhari Sikhs and predominantly clean shaven Sikhs (in many respects similar to many global Jatt settlements) however whilst retaining the Guru Granth Sahib as their central axis, they replaced the Kesri Nishan Sahib with a Bhagwa coloured one, similar to Nirmalas with the inscription “Har” or “So Hung”. In latter years as tensions between the Ravidasia or “Aad Dharmi” community and others persisted, attempts were made to establish a new scripture consisting solely of the writings of Bhagat Ravi Das (this was called “Guru Sikhia Sahib”) – some Amritdhari Sikhs within this community protested and a further split occurred, one who retained the Guru Ravidas Gurdvara title and in practice were largely similar to most other Sikh Gurdvaras, another begun to establish long more partisan lines. Over time a third group emerged who reverted more to a Hindu practice and installed a murti of Bhagat Ravi Das. The Balmikias comprised a community of so called ‘untouchable’ castes (chooras or achuuts). They pretty much immediately established their own asthaans along more Hindu lines and outraged many with their writings on the Balmiki Ramayana in which their claimed a whole manner of changes to the more popular Ramayan theme, namely that Sita was impregnated by Ravan and not Rama. Insofar as present day Sikh practice is concerned, I personally believe we should be careful not to confuse the titles Ramgarhia, Ahluwalia, Bindravale, Ravidasia with caste per se and even terms such as Jatt, Tarkhan, Khatri, Arora, Chamar etc with caste as understood in the Hindu context, where the readings of scripture and spiritual practice are restricted on a caste basis – within Sikh, despite the existence of these various communities and whatever social tensions may arise from time to time, no one group is forbidden from participation in Sikh practices from reading or listening to the Sri Guru Granth Sahib, no one group is restricted from eating Langar, no one is prevented from offering their heads for the blessings of Amrit. These communities and titles are pretty much here to stay, rather than fighting a loosing (and largely unnecessary battle) trying to destroy them, it would be far easier to focus on more involved community projects and seva – in most towns in the UK that I have visited for example, Vaisakhi Jor Melas and Nagar Kirtans are held via a combined effort from all Gurdvaras, further development along these lines will ensure progress in the direction that ultimately everyone has in their hearts. Gur Fateh! A Singh

Author: A Singh Date: 03-31-06 03:14 VaheguruJiKaKhalsa! VaheguruJiKiFateh! Ramgarhia Gurdvaras, Ravidasia Gurdvaras, Bhatra Gurdvaras Balmiki Asthaans are all the result of similar socio-political factors. If we stick with the last 100 year or so, in 1901 the British passed the Punjab Land Alienation Act which in a nutshell restricted land ownership to agricultural classes – in other words to Jatts – the boasts of landownership and zamindars etc actually originates from this British influenced act. There are various political reasons as to why the Act was passed, however the biggest impact it had was upon the Tarkhans, Lohars and other artisan communities during its initial phasing, as these communities had over the previous 200 years seen considerable upwards mobility, enhanced particularly by the likes of Sardar Jassa Singh Ramgarhia (hence the adoption of the title Ramgarhia subsequently by all Artisan Sikhs) and now stood to loose large portion of their acquired economic success as a result of this politically motivated Act. The result was similar to what happened post-partition with the influx of largely Khatri and Arora Sikh families into Punjab who fared a similar disadvantage and in some cases in animosity from their Jatt counterparts, who now enjoyed the fruits of the Land Act. In short, these communities migrated to Delhi and set themselves up as successful traders in various areas of commerce – hence why during the 1984 riots, many of the prejudices that the attacking mobs held against Sikhs in Delhi was their apparent economic success and wealth (and likewise to that in Punjab – views to the effect that “when have you seen a Sikh begging in the street – never” soon turned into “what reason do they have to complain about problems, they are all well off “ in the hands of the politically charged Hindu right). Back to the Artisan communites , they also migrated away from Punjab and congregating collectively as Ramgarhias, migrated in large numbers to East Africa and once more established their socio-economic success. They were subsequently uprooted and settled predominantly in the UK where they were perhaps the first community of Sikh settlers (perhaps before them only remote Bhatra groups) who did not cut their Kesh and remove their turbans upon entry into the UK on the pretence of finding work and “fitting in” as early, largely Jatt communities had done. The end result of all of this was that the so-called scheduled castes or communities (in Punjabi, Churas, Chamars etc) suffered greatly as a result of the Land Act, who now were forced to live on the outskirts of villages and have any rights to land ownership that they may have earned stripped from them. The impact of this can still be seen to this day with some the treatment meted out these communities in various Punjab villages. As a result, the Chamar community, congregated itself around the writings of Bhagat Ravidas, also of similar origin and begun to revere him as Guru Ravidas – this was quite different from the parallel Ramgarhia or Bhatra Gurdvaras which only used the titles to denote the management of the Gurdvaras, however in practice held firm to common Sikh belief and practice in most cases. The “Guru Ravidas Gurdvara” however came to be a mixed movement of Keshadhari Sikhs and predominantly clean shaven Sikhs (in many respects similar to many global Jatt settlements) however whilst retaining the Guru Granth Sahib as their central axis, they replaced the Kesri Nishan Sahib with a Bhagwa coloured one, similar to Nirmalas with the inscription “Har” or “So Hung”. In latter years as tensions between the Ravidasia or “Aad Dharmi” community and others persisted, attempts were made to establish a new scripture consisting solely of the writings of Bhagat Ravi Das (this was called “Guru Sikhia Sahib”) – some Amritdhari Sikhs within this community protested and a further split occurred, one who retained the Guru Ravidas Gurdvara title and in practice were largely similar to most other Sikh Gurdvaras, another begun to establish long more partisan lines. Over time a third group emerged who reverted more to a Hindu practice and installed a murti of Bhagat Ravi Das. The Balmikias comprised a community of so called ‘untouchable’ castes (chooras or achuuts). They pretty much immediately established their own asthaans along more Hindu lines and outraged many with their writings on the Balmiki Ramayana in which their claimed a whole manner of changes to the more popular Ramayan theme, namely that Sita was impregnated by Ravan and not Rama. Insofar as present day Sikh practice is concerned, I personally believe we should be careful not to confuse the titles Ramgarhia, Ahluwalia, Bindravale, Ravidasia with caste per se and even terms such as Jatt, Tarkhan, Khatri, Arora, Chamar etc with caste as understood in the Hindu context, where the readings of scripture and spiritual practice are restricted on a caste basis – within Sikh, despite the existence of these various communities and whatever social tensions may arise from time to time, no one group is forbidden from participation in Sikh practices from reading or listening to the Sri Guru Granth Sahib, no one group is restricted from eating Langar, no one is prevented from offering their heads for the blessings of Amrit. These communities and titles are pretty much here to stay, rather than fighting a loosing (and largely unnecessary battle) trying to destroy them, it would be far easier to focus on more involved community projects and seva – in most towns in the UK that I have visited for example, Vaisakhi Jor Melas and Nagar Kirtans are held via a combined effort from all Gurdvaras, further development along these lines will ensure progress in the direction that ultimately everyone has in their hearts. Gur Fateh! A Singh from Tapoban.org