With an eye on Dalit votes, the newly appointed PunjabChief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi along with his deputy Sukhjinder SinghRandhawa today visited Jalandhar to pay obeisance in Dera Sachkhand Ballan.
Notably, Dera Ballan along with other deras play asignificant role in state and national politics. National leaders of variouspolitical parties keep visiting Dera Ballan to take the blessing of head SantNiranjan Dass.
After being elevated as Punjab Congress Chief even NavjotSidhu visited Dera Ballan and met its head Sant Niranjan Dass. Sidhu then alsoaddressed a gathering at the dera and said that the blessings of saints wereimportant to create a “new Punjab”.
Importanceof Dera Sachkhand Ballan
As Punjab Assembly elections are around the corner, thepolitical parties and leaders will make every effort to woo voters of allcommunities. There are a large number of deras in Punjab, which has followersfrom across the state, outside state and among NRIs.
One such popular dera in Punjab is Dera Sachkhand Ballanin Jalandhar. Based on the teachings of Ravidass, Dera Sachkhand is a powerful Ravidassiasreligious temple that has been prospering since the 1980s.
The dera was established in the twenty-first century andit is the Mecca of the Ravidassia Dalits, who are the predominant in the Doabaregion.
PoliticalSignificance
The dera's political weight stems from the sheer force ofnumbers. Because Dalits make up 32% of Punjab's population- the largestpercentage in any state, practically all political parties make it a point tomeet with dera heads before the elections to secure their support.
Over a third of Punjab's population (12 percent) identifyas Ravidassias- followers of Ravidass, a 15th-century Bhakti poet-saint who isprimarily treasured as a Dalit icon.
The majority of Dalit or Scheduled Castes (SC) peoplelive in the Doaba region, which has an SC population of roughly 45 percent.
The region sends 23 legislators to the 117-member stateassembly. Dera has direct influence over at least 19 seats and the Ravidassiacommunity's vote share ranges from 20% to 50%.
Dera Ballan had a non-Ravidassia Dalit following as well,however, this has declined since it became a separate religion. Dera supportersare split between the Congress and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP).
Meanwhile, according to academician Ronki Ram, only a fewderas ask their followers to vote for a specific political party. Most deraheads claim that it is not their business to influence their followers to votefor one party or the other. However, deras can’t be ignored in politics.
Even though dera heads claim not influencing theirfollowers’ votes, their disciples do discuss which political party best servestheir needs. In addition, dera devotees are incredibly united. As a result,they reach a point of agreement. This is why politicians constantly visit derasand show a keen interest in facilitating them.
NewCM and its effect on Dalit vote bank
Earlier, BJP had promised a Dalit Chief Minister in theupcoming 2022 Punjab Assembly elections, erecting a great challenge for rulingCongress. However, Congress in its latest masterstroke replaced Capt AmarinderSingh with a new Dalit Sikh CM, Charanjit Singh Channi. Today, Channi visitedDera Ballan.
Last time, when Channi visited Ballan along with PPCCpresident Navjot Singh Sidhu, he had sought 101 acres of land for the dera. Ifhe fulfills his promise of land for dera, this will have a significant effecton the Dalit vote bank in upcoming Punjab elections.
On the other hand, to appease Hindu and Jatt Sikh votersin the state, Congress has made Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa and OP Soni DeputyCMs.