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Sects Ravidasis, Jats Clash Over Placing New Religious Book In Temple

spnadmin

1947-2014 (Archived)
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Jun 17, 2004
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There was tension in the Manan village since Monday morning and a small skirmish between the Ravidasi and the Jat Sikh communities over placing the Ravidasi’s new granth Amrit Bani Guru Ravidas, a portrait of their guru Ravidas and the new religion’s symbol Nishan Sahib in the main hall of the village’s Ravidasia temple. The temple is near the Dera Sachkhand Ballan, which had announced the new Ravidasia religion in January this year. Now , the new religion’s holy book is the Amrit Bani Guru Ravidas.

Earlier, the Sikh religious book, Guru Granth Sahib, was kept in the main hall of the temple. The attempt was to shift the Granth Sahib to the upper hall and put the new religious book in its place.

The shift was made on Sunday and it had not gone down well with the Sikh community. Heavy forces were deployed since Sunday to maintain calm. But Sikhs in large numbers could be seen moving towards the Ravidasia temple around 11.30 am on Monday. Armed Dalits, the mainstay of the Ravidasi community, were also seen waiting for them. A short clash followed but it was at once brought under control by the police
The Sikh community said no one had the right to shift the Guru Granth Sahib from its original place as putting another in its place would hurt religious sentiments.

A dozen Ravidasis were rounded up by the police. Later, Dalits blocked traffic near the Maqsudan Police station for over half an hour and demanded the release of their men.

Station House Officer Jaimal Singh said representatives of both communities and the police had been called to sort out the matter amicably.

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/r...placing-new-religious-book-in-temple/652060/0
 

Randip Singh

Writer
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May 25, 2005
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The so called Ravidassis are digging their own graves by playing into the hands of Sants , Babas whose only mission is to break them away from Sikhism their only hope of equality & freedom into the caste infested gutter known as BRAHMINISM ( HINDUISM )

Ravidasi's are becoming very biggoted and very inward looking.

Perhaps they are becoming the new Jatts? :)
 
Sep 27, 2008
142
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Randip Singh Ji you took the words out of my mouth, i think they are bad as each other, that is a very big mistake they are making, as mentioned above by Dalbirk Ji they will close themselves of to the community and will be full of there own self worth. I still cannot understand there intensions as Bhagat Ravidas was against all the caste system thing and they are bringing it back. I say good luck to them its there loss.
 

kds1980

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Apr 3, 2005
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Ravidasi's are becoming very biggoted and very inward looking.

Perhaps they are becoming the new Jatts? :)

The problem is that movements that start to uplift downtrodden become Radiclised with time .Even after upliftment they don't want to give up privilages that were given to them on the other hand they demand equality and want's to feel like the one to those who oppressed them
 

Seeker9

Cleverness is not wisdom
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May 2, 2010
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Where did these problems start in the first place?
Why does this group think such a division was necessary?
Where they always welcomed with open arms in the Gurdwara?

I don't know the answers so perhaps we could all consider the answers to these questions as well

Whilst I do not condone these actions, it is my view that no one has the right to proclaim the one truth path and then deliberately withhold access to others

I'm not saying that is what was happening as I don't know the background

But for the sake of discussion, if that was happening, what would you suggest would be the way to resolve it??
 

spnadmin

1947-2014 (Archived)
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Jun 17, 2004
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Seeker9 ji

The Ravidassi movement is not easy to sum up. Like many religious movements its history cannot be separated from the political history of social reform and social protest in India - a centuries long history. I did a bit of research for you earlier and basically gave up because there are several threads of history that bring us to the Ravidassi movement as we see it today.

On Internet forums - I looked a a few threads on other sites as well as SPN - comments are more typically responses to what happened last week, last year, or in a recent period. A lot of important detail can be picked up from that. But to answer your question a broader quest is required. I looked at books on the subject and there is too much there to sum up. No one it seems has put together the entire picture.

The Ravidassi panth began in 15th Century India. By the 20th Century it figured in the debates about caste. In the last 5 years or so the Ravidassi movement is still expressing a form of protest -- and much is about caste. And these later developments cannot be understood outside of the politics of religion and politics of caste in Punjab. I am going to stop at this point and encourage you to do systematic research so you can create the big picture and pull it all together.
 

Seeker9

Cleverness is not wisdom
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May 2, 2010
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Dear Narayanjot Kaur Ji

Many thanks for taking the time to research your last answer; I really do appreciate that

I will look into this further as you suggest

For now, I think the emergence of a new religious path should have been unnecessary but may have happened due to the caste issues you have touched on

If you have a situation where one group excludes another group, the excluded group can either accept it and do nothing, they can either fight it and try and change the other group's behaviours, or they can go away and do their own thing.

That appears to be what has happened here

Two wrongs can never make a right but as long as divisive attitudes exist, this sort of thing is inevitable. We can look down on it and express our annoyance and disapproval. Thing is, if you have been on the receiving end, then your opinion will probably be different....
 
May 24, 2008
546
887
The so called Ravidassis are not discriminated against in Punjab any incident ( if any ) has been largely due to the largely on account of mischief on part of Ravidassis who know nothing better than drinking to the point of becoming unconcious , smoking & drugging in excess anywhere I have seen . Not even 0.01% of them can be classified as Sikh as per the tenents of Sikh Rehat Maryada . They are not simply interested in their own upliftment they simply want easy money so that they can gamble , booze , drug & make merry without doing anything worthwhile it is more of a mental thing than anything social etc . I am sorry if I sounded too harsh .
 

Seeker9

Cleverness is not wisdom
SPNer
May 2, 2010
652
980
UK
The so called Ravidassis are not discriminated against in Punjab any incident ( if any ) has been largely due to the largely on account of mischief on part of Ravidassis who know nothing better than drinking to the point of becoming unconcious , smoking & drugging in excess anywhere I have seen . Not even 0.01% of them can be classified as Sikh as per the tenents of Sikh Rehat Maryada . They are not simply interested in their own upliftment they simply want easy money so that they can gamble , booze , drug & make merry without doing anything worthwhile it is more of a mental thing than anything social etc . I am sorry if I sounded too harsh .

Dear Dalbirk Ji

Not harsh at all if that is what you are seeing
But it is interesting that this is exactly how I would describe some Jats I've come across in the UK!
 
May 24, 2008
546
887
I agree seeker Ji even in Punjab nearly all the youngster JATTS are also going in the same direction . The only difference is the role of seniors . Among Jatts the seniors are still attached to their roots but are somehow helpless in front of youngsters but In Ravidassis the role of seniors is the same as the youngsters . Maybe some 20 years down the lane people like me will say the same things about Jatts .
 
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