ramdas

Nearly a decade and a half after the comprehensive defeat of terrorism in Punjab in 1993, the forgotten slogans for ‘Khalistan’ are once again being revived on the lunatic fringes of the State’s politics. This time around, the opportunity has been created in the constantly re-orchestrated campaign against the Dera Sacha Sauda – a group regarded as ‘heretic’ by orthodox Sikhs – and its head, Baba Gurmit Ram Rahim Singh, who the radicals accuse of ‘blasphemy’ and of ‘hurting Sikh sentiments’. The Dera had published advertisements with Ram Rahim Singh dressed as the Tenth Sikh Guru, Gobind Singh. The controversy has also dovetailed into party political conflicts, since the Dera had supported the Congress Party in the Assembly Elections in February 2007, helping the Congress secure 37 of 65 seats in the Malwa belt, where the Dera boasts hundreds of thousands of followers. The Congress was, nonetheless, trounced in the elections, but the victorious Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), a party that secures its mandate from its claim to represent Sikh interests, was left with a bone to pick with the Dera. The current protests and demonstrations on the Dera issue have very limited potential for disruption within Punjab. The Khalistani cause has lost whatever little support it ever had among the larger population of the State and is periodically revived only by a handful of externally supported extremist leaders. Radical recruiters have found it nigh impossible to secure new volunteers to the cause, and much ‘terrorist’ activity over the past years has, in fact, been executed by mercenaries, often non-Sikh criminal elements. It is, nevertheless, useful to recall that the early Khalistani terrorism emerged in the end 1970s out of a protracted campaign against another allegedly ‘heretic’ group, the Nirankaris, by radical Sikhs, including the Damdami Taksal under the leadership of Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale. Bhindranwale led the terrorists till his death in Operation Blue Star in 1984, and his rise reflected a familiar pattern of opportunism and manipulation of cynical party politics that is even today visible in Punjab. Crucially, the external support base of the Khalistan movement remains intact, well supported and funded, and relentlessly active. Indeed, the barest scratch beneath the surface reveals the realities of sustained external support and machinations behind the violent protests and the progressive radicalisation of the current campaign against the Dera Sacha Sauda. Intelligence sources confirm that the present troubles started from the Gurudwara at Talwandi Sabo after a significant amount of ‘chatter’ between priests there and Pakistani Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) handlers as well as Wadhawa Singh, the Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) ‘chief’, who is being retained in comfort – with a small surviving rump of cadres – at Karachi. This pattern is not new. Indeed, several surviving Khalistani leaders and their remaining cadres are currently hosted by the ISI in Pakistan, and there is a constant effort to revive recruitment and terrorism in Punjab, as well as a continuous vigil for opportunities that may help provoke a favourable mobilisation. The most significant of these was the campaign against the Hindi film Jo Bole So Nihal, in May 2005, which a faction of the Shiromani Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC, the administrative body that manages Sikh shrines) claimed ‘hurt Sikh sentiments. As the protests gathered a measure of momentum, a series of bomb blasts were orchestrated in cinema halls in Delhi in the expectation that these may provoke a wider reaction in Punjab. Once again, the executing agency was the BKI. However, crucially, other than the principal executor of this serial bombing, Jagtar Singh Hawara, none of the other conspirators in the case fit the profile of traditional conservative BKI activists. All those subsequently arrested had entirely mercenary reasons for joining the conspiracy, and two of them were Hindus who planted the bombs for money. Efforts at the revival of the Khalistani terrorist have been continuous, though the rate of ‘success’ remains poor, with little sympathy for the cause on the ground. Thus, just over the period 2006-07, several incidents reflecting Pakistan backed or based activities to revive the movement have come to light: June 15, 2007: Punjab Police claimed to have foiled an attempt to reorganise the terrorist base in Punjab by killing some high profile religious and political leaders. The General Secretary of the Shiromani Akali Dal’s youth wing in Rupnagar District, Swaranjeet Singh alias Bobby of Bahadarpur, and a Bhindranwale Tigers Force (BTF) militant Gurcharan Singh alias Kala of Bawani village were arrested. Bobby and Kala had planned to assassinate religious leader Baba Piara Singh Bhaniarawale and had formed the Khalsa Action Committee, to recruit ‘like-minded persons’. April 14, 2007: Balbir Singh alias Beera, a Pakistan-trained terrorist, was arrested from his native Chak Thaliwal village in Ferozepore district. He was wanted in a case under the Explosives Act registered against him and others in December 2006. Cases of terrorism, murder and kidnapping for ransom are also pending against him. He was part of the gang of Paramjit Singh Dhadi. December 24, 2006: Three unidentified terrorists belonging to the Rode faction of ISYF are arrested from Jalandhar. Police recovered 11 kilograms of RDX, 11 detonators, four hand grenades, 11 timer devices, two pistols with four magazines, 100 live cartridges, along with a walkie-talkie set from their possession. The explosives recovered were reportedly meant for disrupting 2007 Assembly elections in Punjab December 23, 2006: The Jalandhar Police arrested Paramjit Singh Dhadi and Amolak Singh of the ISYF. Dhadi was on a visit to his ancestral village Gakhal, when he was arrested. Amolak Singh was arrested from an unspecified location, with three kilograms of RDX, a hand grenade, three detonators and 50 cartridges. October 18, 2006: Nishan Singh, a terrorist belonging to the Khalistan Liberation Force, was arrested from Batala Road at Kalanaur in the Gurdaspur District. He had provided shelter to Jagtar Singh Hawara and Paramjeet Singh Bheora, two of the accused in the Beant Singh assassination case after their escape from Burail jail in Chandigarh. Police also claimed that the three had hatched a conspiracy to revive terrorism in Punjab and that Nishan Singh was a member of various terrorist outfits having their base abroad, including in Pakistan. April 28, 2006: At least eight persons are wounded in a bomb blast that occurred inside a bus carrying 45 passengers in the Jalandhar bus terminus. Subsequently, on June 18, 2006, Satnam Singh alias Satta, a terrorist of the Pakistan-based Khalistan Zindabad Force (KZF), confessed during interrogation that he carried out the bomb blasts, on the instructions of the outfit’s chief, Ranjit Singh Neeta. March 21, 2006: Four BKI terrorists are arrested from Chandigarh, and one kilogram of RDX, arms and ammunition are seized from their possession. The four, Sukhwinder Singh alias Sukhi alias Bullet, Dilbagh Singh, Ranjit Singh, all residents of Ropar district in Punjab and Balbir Singh alias Nepali, a resident of Solan district in Himachal Pradesh, were in contact with other BKI activists and were one of the several modules raised by the outfit for the revival of terrorism. March 20, 2006: Paramjeet Singh Bheora, 'head of operations' of the BKI in India, and two of his accomplices, while planning to set up base in Delhi, are arrested by the Special Cell of the Delhi Police near G T Karnal road. Four kilograms of RDX, three detonators, one remote control device along with a wireless set, one timer, three pistols, 39 live cartridges and three fired cartridges are recovered from them. Such incidents have a continuous history since 1993, with repeated attempt to revive the terror in Punjab. Between 1995 and 2005, at least 100 civilians were killed in terrorist violence in Punjab – overwhelmingly in bomb attacks on soft targets. Well over a thousand kilograms and a large arsenal of small weapons has been recovered over this period, as Pakistan-backed Khalistani terrorists continue to be arrested on a regular basis. The principal base of active Khalistani terrorist organisations remains in Pakistan, with several groups enjoying the active patronage of the ISI, which has also assisted in the coordination of their activities with Islamist terrorist organisations such as the Lashkar-e-Toiba and the Hizb-ul-Mujahideen, as well as with organised crime operators, and drug and weapons’ smugglers who have assisted in the movement of men and materials across the border into Punjab. The principal groups currently hosted by Pakistan include: BKI: Wadhawa Singh Babbar, Chief of Babbar Khalsa continues to operate from Pakistan. A large number of youth associated with Babbar Khalsa and its religious wing Akhand Kirtani Jatha have under gone training from time to time in Pakistan, with the objective of using them as reserve force at appropriate time. The BKI been most active in executing terrorist strikes in Punjab over the past decade. Khalistan Commando Force (KCF)-Panjwar:- Headed by Paramjit Singh Panjwar who has been camping in Pakistan for over 13 years. This group currently has limited striking potential. Nevertheless its alliance with ISYF, Sikh Youth of America and Sikh Youth of Belgium makes it a numerically large group, adding to its influence. KCF-Panjwar has a number of sympathisers in U.K., Germany, Belgium, USA and Canada. About 100 youth in small batches belonging to these countries have undergone training in the handling of weapons and explosives from time to time. Panjwar’s links with smugglers and Islamist terrorist groups are old and well-known. Panjwar has failed to muster dependable support within India. ISYF-Rode: Lakhbir Singh Rode, the nephew of Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, is the coordinator of this group, and has links with Islamist terrorist groups such as the Lashkar-e-Toiba. Rode played a major role in shaping the Khalistan-Kashmir International, a joint platform for strikes by Sikh and Islamist extremist in the aftermath of the setback received by terrorists on the K2M (Khalistan-Kashmir-Muslim militancy) front, which was the pioneer platform for joint strikes by Punjab militants, J&K militants and Islamist terrorist elements in the early 1990s. ISYF under Lakhbir Singh Rode has its branches spread over a dozen countries in western Europe and Canada. Khalistan Zindabad Force (KZF): Ranjit Singh Neeta, hailing from Poonch area in Jammu & Kashmir (J&K), is the head of this outfit, which had an operational alliance with ISYF & BKI in the past, is now operating independently. Neeta’s associates were responsible for a series of explosions in running trains and buses in Punjab, Delhi, Haryana & J&K. Neeta emerged as a leading terrorist not only in the context of Punjab militancy but developed operational alliances with splinter groups of J&K militants. Neeta is presently very active and transferred a number of consignments of explosives, small weapons, ammunition and fake currency to his associates in Punjab over the years. With an estimated dozen-odd active associates in Punjab, he retains some striking potential, and has executed a number of strikes in the State, including the Jalandhar bus terminus blasts in April 2006 and the Goraya railway track explosions near Goraya in January 2004. Dal Khalsa International: Headed by Gajinder Singh ‘Hijacker’, tried to float a joint group with J&K militants, indications of which surfaced in 1997-98. This group is one of the most active, with substantial funding available through Khalistani elements abroad. Kanwarpal Singh Bittu remains Dal Khalsa’s principal point man in Punjab with excellent contacts with disruptive and subversive elements in the State and beyond. The Council of Khalistan, represented by Balbir Singh Sandhu, has probably the longest stay in Pakistan. The ISI also supports and coordinates its activities with a number of active Diaspora groups across the world, using its embassies and consulates and points of contact, coordination and recruitment. The principal Diaspora groups include the Council of Khalistan, headed by Gurmeet Singh Aulakh, based in the USA; the Khalistan Affairs Centre, based in Washington DC, headed by Amarjit Singh, a close associate of ISYF elements in Canada and Europe; the Sikh Youth of America, with a strong presence in California, with J.S. Kang, John Gill, and Jasjit Singh Fauji among its active coordinators; the American Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee, headed by Pritpal Singh, who was involved in a number of terrorist incidents, including the Ludhiana bank robbery; the Dal Khalsa International, USA, with Ajit Singh Pannu as its main coordinator; the Nankana Sahib Foundation Trust, headed by Ganga Singh Dhillon; the World Sikh Organisation; the Kamagata Maru Dal of Khalistan; the Sikh Youth of Belgium. A number a smaller splinters are also active across Europe, including the BKI in Germany, UK, France, Norway, Belgium and Switzerland; the ISYF in Germany and UK; and the the Kamagata Maru Dal in Germany. Significantly, Canada deported a BKI terrorist, Bachan Singh Sogi, in July 2006, and in early June 2007, the Punjab Police traced the main conspirators of the May 22, 2005, Delhi cinema hall blasts, to Germany; the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate at New Delhi subsequently issued letters rogatory seeking information from German authorities relating to Satnaam Singh, the son-in-law of BKI chief Wadhawa Singh, his wife, Sukhwinder Kaur, and another woman, indentified as Kanwaljit Kaur. The activities of these various Diaspora organisations have been sustained and continuous. Among the most prominent of recent manifestations were large meetings and demonstrations at Frankfurt and in Birmingham. On May 6, 2007, a meeting organised by the Council of Khalistan at Birmingham, UK, was attended by the habitual India-baiter in the UK Parliament, Lord Nazir Ahmed, and by ‘representatives’ or a number of other groups including the obscure ‘Tehrik-e-Kashmir’ represented by Muhammad Ghalib. On June 6, 2007, similarly, a rally was successfully organised at Frankfurt (part of a series planned on that date for Chicago, San Francisco, Vancouver, Surrey, Frankfurt, Sydney and London – the other rallies made little impression) by a combination of Diaspora groups under the banner of the "German Sikh Community", which sought, among other things, strong action against the Dera Sacha Sauda and its "criminal Baba" Gurmit Ram Rahim Singh. Such ‘events’ are regularly stage managed by extremist Diaspora groups in close coordination with the ISI, which uses Pakistani embassies and consulates in various countries as contact points with anti-India extremist elements, not only for propaganda activities and fund generation, but, crucially, for recruitment. A trickle of volunteers continues to be diverted by these radical Diaspora organisations into Pakistani training camps, building the ‘reserves’ that are to be activated when conditions become ‘favourable’. Such conditions remain, at the present juncture, a remote possibility in Punjab. Nevertheless, the Pakistani and Khalistani calculus is essentially long term and gambles on continuing political mismanagement to eventually create the conditions for a revival of terrorism in Punjab over the coming decade or more. The unfortunate reality is that the succession of Governments in the State, since 1993, has continued Punjab’s disastrous traditions of misgovernance, ineptitude, partisan polarisation and corruption. In February 2007, the outgoing Director General of Police, S.S. Virk, warned that crime rates in the State, particularly with regard to murder, rape and kidnapping, were rising due to increasing unemployment and the spread of urbanisation. The extremist calculus is that, at some stage, a convergence of political incompetence, an emotive public issue, and public discontent will abruptly catalyse a resurgence of terror. That, precisely, is what enforcement agencies and the Indian state need to shield against.

Congress drew a sect Dera Sacha Sauda in politics for the creation of Operation Blue Star like situation. Congress got fatwa from Dera chief in its favor in the previous held assembly election of Punjab. Congress developed the leadership of Bhinderwale to divide Shiromani Akali Dal and later supported Nirankaris to crush the Bhinderwale. From where the name Dera Sacha Sauda came Dera Sacha Sauda sect in fact follows Sikh Panth and Guru Nanak Saheb. The name of Dera sacha sauda is also picked up from an incident of the life of Guru Nanak. One day father of Guru Nanak sent his son for purchasing some goods and gave money fot that. Nanak dev went but he gave all money to the saints and came back home. Nanak dev replied his father that he distributed the money between the needy saints and that was a sacha sauda. Thus Dera picked up this name. But in later as happened generally every new sect, begins to compete their original panth. Perhaps this same is happening now with Dera sacha sauda as happened with Nirankaris. Congress as its character gives fuel to the fire. Congress Candidate against Sidhu, Singla Touching feet Creation of Operation Blue Star by Congress In the Pre-Operation Blue Star period the former S.G.P.C. Akali, and experienced politician Jail Singh, on the instruction of Congress High Command dreamed the best way to break up the S.G.P.C. Akali Dal/Bhartiya Jan Sangh (Preesent BJP) coalition was to wean the Sikh support away from the S.G.P.C. As the historian Patwant Singh comments: "The person chosen for the role was Jarnail Singh Bhindranwala, a seminary preacher with a considerable knowledge of the Sikh scriptures," Jail Singh with Congress played his clever card to destroy the Akali Dal/Bhartiya Jang Sang coalition by encouraging the Sant Nirankaris to hold a convention in Amritsar. This in turn gave JailSingh a weapon with which to potentially smash the Akali Dal/Jan Sangh coalition. Jail Singh was fully aware that the Sant Nirankaris were considered a heretical Sikh sect and perceived by most Sikhs as a enemy of Sikhism. Sant Nirankaris asked the Punjab government permission to hold the convention in Amritsar, this put the Akali Dal in a predicament. Jail Singh had played his card well and the Akali Dal decided to let the convention go ahead and weather the storm of Sikh protest. On 13th April 1978, the Nirankari convention took place in Amritsar. A fanatical agricultural inspector named Fauja Singh, affiliated with the Akhand Kirtani Jatha and Bhindrawala marched through the streets of Amritsar to confront the Sant Nirankaris. Thirteen of the, followers of Bhrindranwale, and three or four Nirankaris were shot. The Congress Party began to whip up anti-Sant Nirankari sentiments amongst the Sikhs via their Congress-controlled Sikh temples in Delhi. Not wishing to alienate their coalition partners, the S.G.P.C. Akalis tried to play down the Sant Nirankari incident in Punjab. The Congress-held Gurdwaras in Delhi promoted Bhindrawala as a hero of the Sant Nirankari incident. Meanwhile the Sant Nirankaris had their court case moved from Punjab to neighboring state of Haryana because they felt that in Punjab they would not get a fair hearing. The Haryana courts acquitted the Sant Nirankaris on grounds of self-defence. Here the stone of Operation Blue Star was kept by Congress. And this stone ultimately became the cause of assassination of Indira Gandhi. Congress never wants to learn lessons from its unforgivable sins against the nation. The Congress Party of the Indian government began to play a role in this clash when they started to support the cause of the Nirankaris. For example, the Congress Party paid for many expenses of the Nirankari Congregation. The Congress Party 's support for the Nirankaris formation deepened the division between the Orthodox Sikhs and the Indian government. This tension between the two parties eventually led Bhrindranwale to seek refuge in the Golden Temple out of fear that he would be executed by the Indian Army. Congress sowed the seeds of Khalistan Prior to the Khalistani movement in the 1980s, there is no example of Sikhs persecuting any heretical movement within it ranks. Even the despicable Sikh sect, the Handalias, who caused so much harm to the Khalsa in the 19th century were allowed to die a natural and inevitable death. It is the Congress which sowed the seeds of Khalistan. The media in the Punjab took the part of the Nirankaris on the pica of' secularism. So did the Congress party which, on returning to power at the Centre, dismissed the Akali government in the Punjab, where too fresh elections were held and Congress government installed. The same roles are being played by the so called media and the Congress to create hurdles before the SAD (B) fight. This is not going only in Punjab. Congress and Left create this situation every where through various divide and ruld policy: Save Afzal move, highlighting of fake encounter of terrorist a man of Don Daud, Freedom of Expression through MS Uniersity of Vadodara and Indore. Kerala Govt. of left has decided to reward the M F Hussain for making nude painting of Bharatmata and Hindu god goddeses. Operation Blue Star and Present Violence in Punjab The same situation is being created by Congess in Punjab with the help of Dera Sacha Sauda. Sirsa border of Haryana and Punjab is the capital of this sect and Haryana is ruled by Congress. After its defeat in Punjab by wasting the fatwa of this sect, Congress and sect both want to teach the lesson DAD (B) and BJP coilation government as the Congress of Indira did in the past. Fatwa of Dera to support Congress in the assembly election Now there is violent fight between the two Sikh sects as per the poisonous divide and rule policy with sugar coat of communal secularism. Sonia Gandhi in the name of secularism begged votes to play the communal card by getting fatwa of a religious sect Dera Chief. Feb 10: Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh today said the Dera Sacha Sauda's decision to extend support to the Congress will be a shot in the arm for the party during the February 13 polls. Tensions had been brewing between the ruling Akalis and Dera supporters ever since Dera supporters were told to vote for the Congress in the recent Assembly polls. The Congress had done well in the Malwa belt following the dictate Ad to show Dera Chief as Guru Gobind Singh The violent tussle since May 13, 07, began after newspaper advertisements allegedly showed Baba Gurmeet Singh Ram Raheem attired like 10th Sikh Guru Gobind Singh and the Akalis protested the advertisements that also showed the Dera head distributing "amrit". Efigy of Sonia was burnt In the back ground of present violence, Akal Takht Jathedar calls Sikh conclave on May 17. This violence has spread out of Punjab upto Jammu, Sriganganagar of Raj and Bhopal of MP. Communal Congress and atheists communist should not be allowed to spread this violence further. On April 8, the activists of Sikh Students' Federation (SSF) burnt effigies of Sonia Gandhi and Congress today, accused the government of shielding Sant Ram Rahim Singh, the owner of Dera Sacha Sauda at Sirsa. The president of SSF, GS Grewal said that a few days ago, Malwa Congress MLAs had appealed to All India Congress Committee (AICC) to bail out Ram Rahim from the sex-scandal he is allegedly involved in What is PAW (Political Affairs Wing of Dera Sacha Sauda)? Members of Political Affairs Wing of Dera Sacha Sauda are representatives of Sadh Sangat for welfare of Sadh Sangat. Edict splits Dera followers Political and foreign wing of Dera SachaSauda I read a following comment of a 'premi': I am follower of Dera Sacha Sauda or Sant Gurmeet Ram Rahim Ji. I want to request Sant Gurmeet Ram Rahim Ji to stop playing with our sentiments. Dera Sacha Sauda has been commercialized and now we are being insulted by society. We can't answer questions raised from society. How can we tell them that our guru is a true guru when he has been making money from his followers and now want to vote congress? We can't vote on the name of GOD. Please don't be our guru of social world but only be our guru of spiritual world. We can always decide ourselves whom to vote. Please keep your political wing or foreign wing to yourself. We don't need them. Also keep your commercial wing to yourself too. Hopefully someone will read this to you. Thanks There is a book "Bande Tou Rab", where it is clearly mentioned that "Dera Sacha Sauda has nothing todo neither with any political party nor in future will be related to any political party...." But Congress managed them scusscessfully for getting fatwa in its favor from the Dera Sacha sauda. DM orders taking over of Dera property in Himachal As reported on April 27, Kangra district magistrate Bharat Khera has asked the revenue department to take over the possession of 175 kanals of prime land in Chachian village of Palampur subdivision of Kangra district as the state property and 'vest the property in the name of the state government as the owner in revenue records'. The land was allegedly the 'benami' property of Dera Sacha Sauda that was acquired by it in the names of some local people. Murder of journalist On October 24, a gunman fired several shots at Chaterpatti, a journalist based in Sirsa, a town in the northern state of Haryana. Chaterpatti was taken to an area hospital but was later transferred to the Apollo Hospital in New Delhi. Police arrested three suspects, including the alleged gunman and a leader of the Sirsa-based religious sect Dera Sacha Sauda, according to the Press Trust of India news agency. Sacha Sauda: HC comes down on CBI As report of April 17, The Bench observed that there was no tangible material before it or genuine reason for the agency to seek more time. The only inference, the court said, was that either the sincerity was lacking or there were some extraneous consideration in dealing with the matter.

As a hapless Akali government watched, the Shiromani Gurudwara Prabandak Committee stood eyeball-to-eyeball with the Dera Sacha Sauda. On the streets followers of both sides gathered in the thousands. Sectarian tension had once again brought Punjab to a flashpoint as the SGPC gave the Parkash Singh Badal government an ultimatum, ordering it to take action against the Dera, forcing its leader to publicly apologise or else face the consequences. Cornered by the Akal Takht, the backbone of its Sikh vote bank and criticized by its ally, the BJP, the Akali government gave in and opened back channel talks between the Dera and the SGPC. Past conflicts Ever since the latest Dera controversy broke out, one group has figured prominently in newspaper editorials. The Nirankaris clashed with the Akalis in 1978, an event that marked the beginning of unrest in Punjab. Today, 30 years and much bloodshed later, the Nirankaris would rather not be reminded of that controversy. ''We don't want to talk about all that. It's all over. We believe in peace,'' said Rajkumar, Nirankari worker. The Nirankaris and Sacha Sauda are among hundreds of sects with their own Godmen emerging in Punjab. Maharaj Ashutosh established the Divya Jyoti Jagran Sansthan in 1984, the year Indira Gandhi died. Today, they claim to have 3.5 crore followers across India. And yes, they have also had their share of run-ins with the SGPC over allegations of anti-Sikh activities. ''It was a time of unrest and Ashutoshji told people that the answers do not lie in violence,'' said Guru Kripanand, Divya Jyoti Sansthan. ''The popularity of these groups did grow after the militancy years people needed something to hang on to,'' said Prof MS Gill, Panjabi University. Akali-Dera tension traces its roots to medieval times when Kabir Panth sought to bring in the masses. As a growing number of poorer Sikhs found themselves left behind, Deras increasingly became their sense of identity. Post-independence however, when rich Sikhs adopted Brahmanical concepts like insisting on separate Gurudwaras for the Dalits among the Sikhs, the Deras served to give the Dalits a sense of equality. Today, however, experts say Deras thrive largely on political patronage, like the Dera Sacha Sauda, which boasts of a following of over two crore people. Deras can be important vote banks. ''Politicians also cultivate these godmen. It gives them a ready vote bank they can tap into,'' said Him Indoor Singh, Professor, Punjab University. With the Dera Sacha Sauda leader issuing everything but an outright apology to the SGPC late on Saturday night, the current standoff may just have easened up. But the differences run deep and no one knows when the next sectarian standoff in Punjab will threaten the fragile peace. The Dera tradition is quite old in India. In fact, it goes back to medieval times. But experts say it has seen a revival in recent times, especially in Punjab. Some were formed during the militancy years, some more recently but they all have a considerable and influential following.

The Dasam Granth, was written by Guru Govind Singh Ji, he wrote about how Akal (god) expanded himself to become Lord Brahma, Lord Vishnu and Lord Shiva. Some Sikh historians, who are worried of the references made to the Hindu gods by Guru Govind Singh therein, go so far as to question its authenticity. However the authenticity of the same has been proved beyond a shadow of a doubt, by countless historians. The most damning proof of its authenticity being that the original version compiled by the tenth master himself remains in the Akal Thakt, Hari mandir Sahib to this day. In the Dasam Granth, Guru Govind Singh Ji goes on to write in detail about the Chaubis avtar from page 169 onwards ,recounting the incarnations of Lord Vishnu, the following are the incarnations of Lord Vishnu that guru ji wrote about, with their mythological names.Machch, Kachch(ap), Nar, Narain, Mohini, Varaha, Narsingha, Bhaman, Parasram, Brahma, Ruddhr, Jallandhar, Sheshmai, Arihant dev, Manu Raj, Dhanantar, Sooraj, Chandhra, Ram, Krishan, Nar (Arjan) , Buddha, Nehklanki (Kalki). Chaubis avtar makes up a large part of the collections of writings by Guru Govind Singh Ji known as the Dasam Granth. Chaubis means the number twenty four and Avtar means incarnations. This large work written mainly in the braj language retells the stories of the twenty four incarnations of Lord VISHNU in glowing terms, using forceful words with telling effect, to arouse the martial spirit of the people laying dormant then. Guru Govind Singh Ji wrote stories of bhagwan Ramchandra Ji, baghwan Krishanjji and Durga mata ji, Guru Ji revered and respected them. Chaubis avtar, lists twenty four avtars, of these, the accounts of Lord Rama (864 verses) and Lord Krishna (2496 verses) are the longest. The Dasam Granth deals with all the avatars beginning on page 169. Volume two of the Dasam granth is exclusively based on Lord Krishna. Guru Govind Singh writes in detail of Lord Brahma approaching Lord Vishnu and requesting that he incarnate as Lord Krishna to Kill the demon Kansa. He describes the wedding of Lord Krishnas parents Devaki and Vasudev. He then describes how Lord Vishnu incarnated as lord Krishna and how he then killed the demons and restored order in the world. Near the end of Chandi Charitra i, (Dasam Granth, written by Guru Govind Singh Ji), occurs this well known shabad, aptly called Deh Shiva Bar Mohe : O SHIVA (god addressed in the form of Shiva), GRANT ME THIS BOON, THAT I MAY NEVER AVOID DOING A GOOD DEED, NEVER FEAR THE ENEMY WHEN I GO INTO BATTLE, BUT SURELY GO ON TO VICTORY; THAT I MAY TEACH MYSELF THIS GREED ALONE, TO SING ONLY OF THY PRAISES. AND WHEN THE LAST DAYS OF MY LIFE COME, I MAY DIE IN THE MIGHTY FIELD OF BATTLE. Guru Govind Singh Ji spoke the following lines of gurbani : ‘like the water in ocean and the waves in rivers, we will merge with you, o lord. When the soul becomes one with brahma we assume the universal role of air. Why need we come back to this world ? Birth and death occur according to gods will. When we realise this mystery of god’s will, we will rest in peace.’ Guru Govind Singh Ji wrote: O mind! Remember the goddess Sharda of innumerable qualities; And if she be kind, I may compose this Granth (based on) Bhagavata.6. Dasam granth : KABIT The large-eyed Chandika is the remover of all sufferings, the donor of powers and support of the helpless in ferrying across the fearful ocean of the world; It is difficult to know her beginning and end, she emancipates and sustains him, who takes refuge in her, She destroys the demons, finishes various types of desires and saves from the noose of death; The same goddess is capable of bestowing the boon and good intellect; by her Grace this Granth can be composed.7. Dasam granth : SWAYYA She, who is the daughter of the mountain and the destroyer of Mahishasura; She, who is the bestower of the kingdom on India by killing Sumbh and Nisumbh; He, who remembers and serves her, he receives the reward to his heart`s desire, And in the whole world, none other is the supporter of the poor like her.8. End of the praise of the goddess Chandi Ki Vaar by Guru Govind Singh Ji is full of worship and devotion to mother Durga (Maa Bhagauti). It is accepted by all Sikh scholars that Guru Govind Singh was a staunch believer in Durga Mata (mother goddess). The following is an exact list of just some of the references in the Dasam Granth where Devi Puja is found: TRIBHANGI CHHANDS (201-220, IN AKAL USTAT) are clearly in praise of Devi Mata. IN SHASHTARNAMA in the beginning there is a whole chapter (27 CHHANDS) In praise of Devi Mata. CHANDI CHARITAR I & II, CHAUBIS AVTAR, RUDRA AVTAR INCLUDING PARTS OF CHARITROPAKHYAN, all are in praise of the DEVI and AVTARS. Similarly, in the above puranic stories there are numerous hymns in praise of MAHA KAL, who is a tantric OR SAKAT DEITY, PAGES 55, 56, 57, 58,73, 156, 157, 183, 185, 254, 310, 612, 613, 642, ETC. WORSHIP OF Devi Mata, UNDER THE NAME OF KALIKA, CHANDI, SIVA OR DURGA IS FOUND AT PAGES 74, 76, 99, 117, 255, 118, 309, 310, 116, 673, 675, ETC., ETC. In CHANDI CHARITAR UKAT BILAS the author mentions that he has virtually made the composition from 700 slokas of markand purana. He adds that whoever hears or recites the same for any specific boon, the Devi Maa would certainly grant it instantaneously (Chandi Charitar, ukat bilas - sloka 232) IN CHANDI CHARITAR II in the Sloka 261 the author writes that whoever remembers or worships the Devi with devotion, shall attain salvation. similarly, in the Mata Durga var the author writes that whoever recites the same, will achieve salvation and not be born again (stanza or pauri - 55). charitropakhyan, too, involves worship of the Devi and kal or Maha Kal (CHARITRA 405, CHHANDS 52, 77, 126 AND 132). CHANDI CHARITRA AND CHANDI DI VAR -126 PAGES, CHAUBIS AVTAR - 744 PAGES, BRAHM RUDRA AVTAR - 383 PAGES, CHARITROPAKHYAN AND HIKAYAT - 923 PAGES DASAM GRANTH DA KARITARTAV, PP. 38-45, PP. 92-97 Shri Guru Govind Singh ji's teachings and writings, in the Dasam Granth and beyond are full of praise of the Hindu philosophy and religion. One of his verses on the Hindu Dharam (or Dharma) and Khalsa Panth is as follows: sagal jagat mein Khalsa panth gajje | jage dharam Hindu sakal dand bhajai || Translation: - "Let the Khalsa panth (sect) become popular all over the world and let the Hindu Dharam (religion) wake up (or be enlighten) and all the bad ones run away." – Shri Guru Govind Singh ji Shri Guru Govind Singh ji at another place has written as follows: "For the sake of the frontal mark (tilak of Hinduism) we fight and lay down our lives" When Shri Guru Teg Bahadur Sahib was asked to become a Muslim, then he had replied to Aurangzeb as follows: utra bhandyo dharam hum Hindu | aati priya ko kim kare nikandu || lok parlok ubhay sukh dani | aanan paayiyat yahi samaani || mati maleen moorakh mati jey-yi | isko tyagey paamar soi || Hindu dharam rakhey jag mahi | tumre karey vinsai yeh nahi || Translation: - "My answer is that I am a Hindu and I love the Hindu Dharam. How can anybody destroy it? The Hindu Dharam provides happiness both in this world as well as in the other world. There is no other religion like it. Only a deranged person or a fool would leave it to become vile. The Hindu Dharam will remain in the world forever. (Oh Aurangzeb) it is not going to be destroyed by your efforts." - Shri Guru Teg Bahadur, Hind dee Chadar Note: Guru Teg Bahadar was beheaded by Aurangzeb in Chandani Chowk in Delhi. He refused to convert to Islam and leave the Hindu Dharam, in order to save his life. A gurudwara stands at the place where he was beheaded. Sikh Scholars agree that the granth contains specific references to Hindu gods such as Rama and Krishna. The Gurudwaras, or Sikh temples, have always been decorated with pictures of Hindu Devas and Devis. The first desecration of these pictures was in 1906 at Har(temple of Hari ( Vishnu) mandir, and this was the first action taken by separatist sikhs. Other gurudwaras also had them removed as recently as 1984, this occurred after the attack on the golden temple. This was not an attack on religion but was justified for reasons of national security. "Thakur Das, the author of Sikh Hindu Hain (Hosiarpur, 1899), Bhai Randhir Singh of Punjabi university, Patiala, Hari Ram Gupta author of History of the Sikhs (lahore, 1944), Sardar Jimiyat Singh Gill, founder of the Shiromani Sikh society of Toronto, Joseph Davy Cunningham, author of a History of the sikhs from the origin of the nation to the battles of the Sutlej (Calcutta, 1849), to name a few have all stated that the Dasam Granth was an authentic part of the granth. If the Guru Granth sahib were to be examined, there is no difference between Hinduism and Sikhism because the Granth is based on the Hindu scriptures and beliefs. "an authority on modern Sikhism, Dr. Gopal Singh, indicated in his translation of Shri Guru Granth Sahib that the worship of Rama and Krishna is found in the Granth. It should also be remembered that the tenth guru had designated the word of the Granth as the final word of authority binding on all Sikhs. In this the Granth functions as the Guru for all Sikhs. This makes the significance of the tenth guru, in two traditions, stand out. It was Bhai Mani Singh who compiled the Dasam granth. on June 24th, 1734, under the orders of Zakaria khan, Bhai Mani Singh was executed for not embracing Islam. If Guru Govind Singh Ji gave sikhs two books to use as references, why did the Akalis over 200 years after his passing, replace the Dasam Granth with just the one, under the influence of the british oppressors such as maccauliffe, who were trying to Christianise Sikhism?? If Guru Govind Singh Ji or the gurus before them didnt want idols of Hindu gods in the Har( temple of Vishnu) mandir sahib ( golden temple), aptly named by the fourth Guru Ram Dass, wouldnt they have said so in 1699, when the Khalsa army was formed or even earlier, rather than it happening in 1906 under the influence of the British? If the Gurus didn't want the Hindu pandits conducting Sikh wedding ceremonies wouldnt they have said so in 1699, instead of it happening 200 years later in 1909, when the Anand marriage act was passed, under the say so of the British? The Gurus themselves all had Hindu Pandits conduct their weddings, entirely within Hindu tradition. Why did the Singh Sabha Akali movement ( brainchild of Professor Wilheim Leitner, (Austro Hungarian) British administrator, who supposedly spoke twenty five languages ) do this under the influence of the British? Why did the Gurus continue the celebration of Hindu festivals such as Rakhri, Diwali, Holi, Dussehra, Lohri , Karva Chauth and Vaisakhi? Interesting Note : The tolerant nature of Sanatan Sikhism is such that it is very difficult for many modern Tat Khalsa British Raj-era Victorian-Sikh mentality so-called Sikhs to appreciate. Hew McLeod spoke of the Sanatan Sikhs and Sanatan Sikh world view of late 19th century thus: ‘The Sikhism preached by the people such as Khem Singh Bedi and Avatar Singh Vahiria is difficult to envisage today, so comprehensive has been their defeat by the Tat Khalsa. For them Sikhism tolerated variety and upheld the right of Sikhs to participate in folk religion… There were different forms of marriage for different castes and, different rituals could be practised by various members of the Panth. All manners of customs, such as those involving astrology, horoscopes and incantation, were acceptable. Visits to the sacred shrines of Hindus… as well as those of the Guru’s were entirely approved. Sanatan leaders might not follow these customs themselves, but certainly they were prepared to tolerate them in others. They were part of the immense variety which characterised the world they had known and the world they hoped would continue. All this was anathema to the Tat Khalsa. Sikhism could not possibly be as broad and as tolerant as Sanatan Sikhs believed. (‘Sikhism’, H. McLeod, 1997, Pa.77) Neither the separatists nor the British could break the bond between the Hindus and Sikhs, whose common belief is the same : Religiously : Belief in one supreme god reincarnation - churasi lakh joon (8.4m lifecycles) Moh, labh,kaam,krodh,hankar as the 5 paths to maya,the concept of maya. Laws of karma,dharma etc. Ek om kar is nothing new, it was already there in ancient Vedas -Hindu text. Guru Nanak merely emphasised that particular path. The all powerful,timeless, formless concept of Brahm (Sikhs call it Nirankar). Tolerance of other religions Rama Nama Meditation – third eye ( soul)