Balwant Singh Bohoru, B-257, Ranjit Avenue, amritsar - 143 001
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 true picture of the Dera Sachkhand Ballan in the Jalandhar dt. of Punjab. I 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. I was posted at Jalandhar (West) as a Block Development Officer from 1967-1970 and again from 1973-1975 while his son, Chaudhry Jagjit 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. I 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. I 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. I 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 Dev, during 1604 in which the Bani of Dalit saints—Nam Dev, 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 ill 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 evidences 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 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.

Sikhism founded by Nanak
Prof. Jasbir Singh Sabar, Chairman, GuruRavidass Chair, Guru Nanak University, Amritsar - 143 005
This refers to Brother Gurnam Singh's article, "Dalit saints founded Sikhism" (DV March 1, 2004 p.13). No doubt Prof. Gurnam Singh is committed to the right cause of Dalits. But myself being a student of Sikh studies and teaching Sikh scriptures for the last 40 years could not find such references as claimed by Gurnam Singh. I have studied almost all the relevant books related to Sikhism but find it difficult to agree with his views which are only emotional and not text-based.
Sikhism was founded by only Guru Nanak and none else. But the Guru has given and shown full respect to the Dalits and has expressed his commitment for the upliftment practically by saying:
The lowest of the low caste, the lowliest of the lowly. I seek their kinship. Why emulate the higher one's?
Thy elevating grace is where the down-trodden are looked after.
Similarly the fifth guru, Guru Arjan Dev, has included the bani of Dalit Saints, Namdev, Kabir, Ravi Dass, Sadna and Saini, in the Guru Granth and given them equal status. Even Guru Gobind Singh has chosen his piaras out of five from the Dalits and declared
All men have the same form.
All men have the same soul.
Hence Sikhism is founded by Guru Nanak but he has given and shown full respect to the Dalits.

Chandigarh meet to resolve Dalit-Sikh differences
V.T. Rajshekar
During our two recent visits to Punjab we have observed a subtle attempt by Brahminical forces to instigate the Dalits and Dalit Sikhs against the Jat Sikhs, divide the Sikhs and destroy the revolutionary Sikh religion. (DV Aug.1, 2004 p.20: "Paradox of Punjab").

Principal enemy
That Sikhism itself has suffered steady deterioration became clear in the long DV Debate on "Slow death of Sikhism". (DV Edit Nov.1, 1998: "Slow death of a brave community: BSO using internal enemies to destroy Sikh identity").
The Ballan saints are well aware of this and are proceeding carefully. They want to maintain close and cordial relationship with Jat Sikhs, the SGPC and the Sikh religious authorities.
The Brahminical forces have been trying to sabotage the revolutionary Sikhism both from inside and outside. Nobody can forget the bloodbath which the Brahminical forces engineered in 1984 in the name of "Blue Star Operation". Brahminism never tolerates any challenge to its authority. It goes on instigating Dalits against Sikhs and vice-versa. This is a centuries-old game.
But those of us who have identified Brahminism as our principal enemy cannot support Dalit criticism of Sikhs as it will only help Brahminism.
To win over such forces operating on both sides of the divide, it was decided at the recent Shimla Dalit Voice workshop to call a meeting of honest Sikh and Dalit intellectuals at Chandigarh to resolve the differences. In this we will seek the support of Jat Sikh intellectuals, Ballan saints, Dalit intellectuals and all those interested in saving Sikhism from the jaws of Brahminism.
Brother Bohoru may tell us how he can contribute to avert future explosions like the Talhan.

Cause of jat alienation
Brother Gurnam Singh, who was present at Shimla did not join the hate-campaign against the Jat Sikhs. He was all in favour of a Dalit-Sikh united fight against Brahminism.
Dr. (Mrs.) K.K. Sidhu, who looks after our Hindi and Punjabi DV from Delhi and a Jat Sikh herself, admitted that the growing differences among the Jat Sikhs has taken them closer to Brahminism and away from Dalits.

While we find Dalit-Muslim unity movements in different parts of India, there is hardly any Dalit-Sikh unity efforts in Punjab. This is because the Sikh population is too small and confined to one state. On the other hand Dalit Sikhs and Dalits are a much bigger population compared to upper caste Sikhs.
Guru Nanak, a Khatri, launched the Sikh revolution. But when the Khatri revolutionary fervour waned, the Jats stepped in and took over the Sikh revolution. May be the Jat Sikhs are no longer interested in Sikh Revolution. (Jagjit Singh, The Sikh Revolution, 1998, Bahri Publication, New Delhi -110 019).
Brahminism has killed the revolutionary fervour in both Khatris and Jats.

Now it is the turn of the lowest of the low- Dalits — to take over Sikhism and the Guru Granth and save it from the jaws of Brahminism. The wheel of history has turned a full circle. This is what we meant in our Editorial of July 1, 2004: Chamar power rescues Sikhism".

During our discussion at Chandigarh with Jat and Khatri Sikhs, they too shared this opinion that Dalits alone can now save Sikhism. This was also the conclusion of our Shimla DV readers meet.
DV is keen to hold a meeting of honest intellectuals interested in such a movement at Chandigarh. Those interested may write to us.