Few Deras hold the power to turn tables in Punjab polls
Kanwar Inder Singh/ royalpatiala.in
With a few hours left in the assembly elections in Punjab, to be held tomorrow on February 20, 2022, the heart beat of almost all the candidates has been increased.
The major reason for their increased heartbeat is the followers of ‘Deras’ and other religious sects as their vote is silent. ‘Deras’ and religious sects exert a significant influence on the social psyche in Punjab. They had number of followers and they wield considerable clout to leave a mark on the state’s electoral outcomes because of the sheer number of followers they have on their side.
Even the prime minister of India Narendra Modi comes to know about this reality. That’s why me all the main Dera, religious heads of Punjab in these elections. The furlough to Dera Sacha Sauda Gurmit Ram Rahim is also going to have an impact on these assembly elections.
Like PM, politicians of almost all parties line up at the ‘deras’ to seek ‘blessings’ (read votes). There are number of ‘deras’ in the state, which can swing the choices of a large population in the land of ‘gurus and saints’.
Lists out some of the prominent sects to know where they stand on the political spectrum, ahead of the February 20,2022 elections.
It’s the same dera, whose founder Ashutosh Maharaj’s body is preserved by his followers after being declared clinically dead in January 2014. The dera claim to be a nonprofit socio-spiritual organisation . Ashutosh Maharaj is a native of Nakhlor village in Darbanga district of Bihar, as per his passport and draws support from the BJP’s parent body RSS and connects well with the lower strata of the Hindu migrants from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.
Headquartered in Sirsa, Haryana, this ‘dera’ is headed by Gurmeet Ram Rahim , who was convicted and jailed for two counts of murder and rape. He got 21 days paraole and was released from jail on a furlough recently. The ‘dera’ enjoys a strong connect with a large population in the Malwa region, having the largest number of assembly constituencies. It has supported SAD and Congress in the past elections, and is now inclined towards the BJP. But, speculations are rife that the Dera may ask his follower to vote for selected candidates, irrespective of any political party or may even ask to press ‘NOTA (None of the above)’
Sachkhand Ballan, a Jalandhar based promiment ‘Dera” is proponent of the teachings of Guru Ravi Das. It is currently headed by Sant Niranjan Dass. It has a strong connection with the ‘addharmis’ (Ravidassias), a dominant sub-caste among the Dalits, comprising 12% of the community in the state. Earlier 2022 Punjab assembly elections were scheduled for February 14. Election commission specially postponed the elections,for a week after political parties requested jointly requested it to the election commission, as the followers had to go outside Punjab for celebrating the gurpurab of Guru Ravi Das . The ‘dera’ welcomes leaders of all the political parties.
Based along the banks of river Beas in Amritsar district, falls in Majha belt, the sect has been keeping apolitical, focusing just on social work. Led by Baba Gurinder Singh Dhillon, the sect has the largest number of followers, spread across all north Indian states and even abroad. Though the Dera Beas head Baba Gurinder Singh Dhillon recently met the Prime Minister Narendra Modi at his residence in Delhi, but “The ‘dera’ will not support any political party as all are equal,” said their earlier statement.
This sect has influence among Hindus and Sikhs in limited pockets in Punjab, is headed by Sudiksha Kaur, daughter of Hardev Singh who had died in an accident in 2016. Akali Dal keeps a distance from the ‘dera’ for there is a history of bloody clashes between Sikh outfits and sect followers, which led to the beginning of “Black Days” in Punjab. The sect has traditionally been inclined towards the Congress party. Headquartered in Delhi’s Nirankari Colony,
DAMDAMI TAKSAL
Headed by Harnam Singh Dhumma, Damdami Taksal is a Sikh seminary for training preachers and ‘ragis’. The Amritsar-based seminary had Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale as its chief. Treading a conservative line of thought, it supports the Akali Dal . Its followers were under lens for a murderous attack on Sikh preacher Ranjit Singh Dhadrianwale. It has considerable sway on the rural population.
The sect has traditionally been a Congress supporter, but recently its head met Prime Minister Narendra Modi at his Delhi residence. Following the death of its head Jagjit Singh in December 2012, the sect branched into two. The Bhaini Sahib (Ludhiana) centre is headed by Udai Singh, and the one in Haryana is helmed by Thakur Dilip Singh. The dera factions have been tacitly switching support to the ruling parties in the two states.
The sect headed by Baljit Singh Daduwal is being run from Sirsa in Haryana. Daduwal has been in constant confrontation with the SGPC, which is led by Shiromani Akali Dal. In 2014, he issued an appeal to vote for the AAP, which he has withdrawn since. Now, it is inclined towards the BJP, a party he credits for “resolving issues of the Sikhs” and opening the Kartarpur corridor. It has a limited following in the Malwa belt.
The sect is headed by Sant Baba Sukhdev Singh is being rum from Bhucho Kalan in district Bathinda. The sect follows Guru Granth sahib and teachings of Guru Nanak Dev ji. The sect is apolitical and doesn’t support any political party.
The sect headquartered in Jagraon near Ludhiana is headed by Lakha Singh. Its followers are spread across Moga, Ludhiana and Faridkot districts. It has gurdwaras across the world. It is a part of the Sikh Sant Samaj and is perceived close to the SAD. Nanaksar gurdwaras are known for not accepting donations, nor is ‘langar’ cooked on the premises.
The Patiala-based sect has a considerable reach among Sikhs who have a modern approach towards the religion. Its head Ranjit Singh Dhadrianwale has been vocal against the orthodox religious practices, at times, criticizing even the Akal Takht. He is popular among NRIs and rural population. The videos of his discourses online are widely watched. Doesn’t support a political party.
February 19,2022
