This refers to your Editorial (DV July 1, 2004): “A silent social, cultural revolution sweeps Punjab — Ravi Dass saints gain millions of followers”. You have given the Frue picture of the Dera Sachkhand Ballan in the Jalandhar dt. of Punjab. | was associated with this Dera which began as a tiny shrine of Sant Sarwan Dass, keeping in view of their social and political interest of the family of Master Gurbanta Singh, a Congress Dalit leader who was a Minister in the Punjab Govt. | was posted at Jalandhar (West) as a Block Development Officer from 1967-1970 and again from 1973-1975 while his son, Chaudhry Jagijit Singh was the chairman of the Block Samiti. Now he and his brother, Chaudhry Santokh Singh, both are ministers in the Punjab Govt. The Ballan shrine came under my jurisdiction. | was devoted more towards Dalits than their Dalit officers. Therefore, the family got me transferred.
Varanasi movement: They also raised a building at Varanasi in memory of Sant Ravi Dass who was born there. | visited it in 1981.
Sant Sarwan Dass and his successor, Sant Hari Dass, Sant Garib Dass were devoted Sikhs. The present successor, Sant Niranjan Dass, was a mere lad who used to feed the devotees with great devotion. Sant Sarwan Dass was a great Sikh. People of all faiths used to come to his Dera. | too was his devotee. Sant Ravi Dass Scriptures are a part and parcel of the -Guru Granth, which was compiled by the fifth guru, Guru Arjun Dey, during 1604 in which the Bani of Dalit saints—Nam Deyv, Kabir, Ravi Dass and Saini —have been included. The Sikhs acknowledge the Guru Granth as the “living guru”. The Sikhs, therefore, give all these saints equal status. To give higher or lower status to any saint or guru is least desirable and is against the tenets of Sikhism. In the Dalit Voice of March1, 2004, Brother Gurnam Singh Muktsar gave higher status to Sant Ravi Dass and even claimed that the Sikhism was founded by Dalit saints: This is not correct. Your Editorial of July 1, 2004, speaks about the day-to-day proceedings -carried on in the shrine:
“Great respect for Sikh religion”: Everything that we observed at the Ballan religious centre was exactly as per the Sikh religious tradition. They worship the same Guru Granth and recite the same kirtan. All the three Ballan saints have long hair and turbans. But their religious centre is called mandir (temple) and not gurdwara. Many upper caste Sikhs are also coming to Ballan and offering prayers. At no point during our three-day stay, we could find the Ballan saints talking lit of the Sikhs or their religion. The Sikh high priest Vedanti, they said, visited the Ballan Dera and maintained cordial relationship. They took strong objection to Dr. Ronki Ram article: “Ballan Dalit saints’ revolt against upper caste Sikhs” (DV June 16, 2004) and offered us all evidence to prove their cordial relationship with Sikhs.”
Ballan saints are real Sikhs: There is no doubt that Ballan saints are real Sikhs and carrying on the torch of Guru Nanak Bani in a real way.
I request you not compare one shrine with another shrine to avoid any differences, hatred or rift among them which is the aim of Brahminism.
You have written about your visit to the Golden Temple:
The world-famous Golden Temple, which we visited in Amritsar, is just about 100 miles to the North. But if the Ballan religious centre maintains its existing speed of development with its growing popularity both inside and outside India and its ever increasing educational and health activities, it may surpass the Golden Temple in a decade or so.
The saints of Ballan are devoted Sikhs. You or Gurnam Singh may think and become emotional, but the saints will never become so as you imagine. They believe in the oneness of humanity which you yourself have observed and written about as well. Let them continue as the humble disciples of our great Saint Ravi Dass whose hymns are daily sung in the Golden Temple. Please do not try to create differences and rift among Sikhs of different castes.
