http://www.ndtv.com/convergence/ndtv/story.aspx?id=NEWEN20070012682
Deras rise to popularity raises concern Sunetra Choudhury Sunday, May 20, 2007 (Patiala) For most of the week, sectarian clashes have played out across Punjab. At the heart of the conflict was a photograph of Dera Sacha Sauda leader Baba Gurmeet Singh Ram Rahim published in newspapers across Punjab last Sunday. The Dera leader is shown dressed in the attire of Sikh Guru, Gobind Singh, while baptising his followers. Almost immediately, Sikhs across Punjab rose to defend their honour. It began with Bathinda on Tuesday and quickly fanned out across the state. 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.
