Guru Ravidass Gurughar at Tughlakabad in Delhi (Begumpura Chetna Diwas – February 16, 2022)

 

Guru Ravidass Gurughar at Tughlakabad in Delhi

(Begumpura Chetna Diwas – February 16, 2022)

Guru Ravidass Temple at Tughlakabad in Delhi, an important religious and social site belonging to the followers of Guru Ravidass, a great saint of 0f 16^th century, is again in news for wrong reasons which are beyond comprehension. It appears, to a lay man like me, that it is nothing but condemnable

highhandedness on the part of Delhi Development authority an organization under the administrative control of the Ministry of Urban Development of the Government of India. Before I proceed further, let me give a brief background of the whole matter which is potentially an explosive issue which has a direct bearing on the socio-religious fabric of the society.

The site of the temple at Tughlakabad was visited by Guru Ravidass on the invitation of Sikandar Lodhi in early 15^th century and Sikandar Lodhi gifted a vast track land to Guru Ravidass with reverence and regard. Since then there existed a temple and pond (Chamaranwala Johar). Later after independence, Delhi Land Reforms Act, 1954 declared the land as “Shamlat” (Common land of the village). It was the first legal onslaught by the authorities to grab the land from the followers of Guru Ravidass. The management of the Guru Ravidass Dharamasthan should have been or must have been contested this deceitful decision at the first instance but we all know these hapless people did not have any organization and wherewithal to so. As early as 1959, the residents and followers of Guru Ravidass of the area formed an umbrella outfit called ‘Guru Ravidass Jyanti Samaroh Samiti and started further development of the area, about 3 acres, including the Gurughar which as formally inaugurated by the then Railway Minister of the Government India who himself was a follower of the great Guru, Babu Jagjivan Ram. The land sharks and the vested interests in the Government willfully tried their every best to snatch the prime site from the followers of Guru Ravidass and they succeeded in their designs in August 2018 after a 27 years long legal battle against the poor and hapless followers of Guru Ravidass. It was a matter of great pity that even the Supreme Court could not see and recognize the historic facts and sensitivities of the under privileged and suppressed people, the followers of Guru Ravidass. I have no intention to interfere in the judicial process. One may draw one’s own conclusion in the caste ridden society. The temple was destroyed and demolished, amounting to sacrilege, ostensibly on the orders of the Court in August, 2019. It was an unprecedented act of high-handedness by the authorities and the ‘Thekedars’ of the society, much against constitutional, social and spiritual morality and tenants of social justice. The cardinal values of ‘Equality before law’ were willfully ignored and sidelined. Did it happen to any other historical religious place belonging to any other community anywhere in India? The answer is straight NO. I am reminded of a poetic assertion of Allama Iqbal:

शूद्रों के लिये हिन्दोस्तान गम खाना है;

दर्दे इंसानी से जिस का दिल बेगाना है।

It was but natural that the followers of Guru Ravidass were up-in-arms to oppose and condemn the demolition of the holy site of the community. The protests led to ‘damage control’ by the Government of India and the Judiciary by agreeing to rebuild the temple at an alternative site. It was a most bizarre idea and the followers of Guru Ravidass, the aggrieved party, rightly
rejected the offer and argued ‘Can the site of the Ram Janam Bhoomi be changed? The political parties and social outfits like RSS, VHP, etc. paid lip service in support of the protesters, the Government relented a bit and finally agreed to allot 400 sq. meter of land at the original site to rebuild the demolished

Gurughar in October/November, 2019. CM Arvind Kejriwal of Delhi tried to fish in the troubled waters to corner BJP and win over dalit constituency and promised to build a grand temple at the sight. BJP’s dalit leadership overwhelmingly praised and thanked the Government of PM Narendra Modi for the magnanimity shown in this regard. The outfits like Guru Ravidass Vishavpeeth, the mouth piece of RSS took credit and announced to chip in for the rebuilding of the temple. The Sants and the spiritual Deras of the dalit communities, who were booed by the BJP and RSS to support the GOI in finding a solution and not to side with the genuine protesters, were made to support the Government decision much against the demands of the followers. Anyway, as the followers of Guru Ravidass are poor and do not have much say and position in the power structures of the country, there was no option but to agree to the Government machinations and proposals in this regard.  

But that was not to be. The Government of India through DDA again took a U-turn and issued a notice in November/December 2021 to the management of Guru Ravidass Gurughar at Tughlakabad to pay about 4.3 crore Rupees for 400 sq. meters of land and the land will be given on a short term lease of 30 years. It tells very poorly of the sensibilities and credibility of the government. It is a mockery of the whole system. How many temples and Gurudwaras of historical importance have been asked to pay money to the Government? Whether the holy places belonging to the other communities are on lease? What the Government wants to convey and do? It is beyond comprehension.

My immediate provocation to write on the subject, as a lay man, was the news in the media of January 5 that CM of Punjab Charanjit Channi, himself a follower of Guru Ravidass, has offered to pay the demanded money for the holy site at Tughlakabad. While I appreciate the gesture of CM Channi, I strongly feel that it is not the way to deal with the issue as it will not address the high-handedness and Manuwadi mindset of the authorities which is the root cause of the matter. Where

is CM of Delhi Arvind Kejriwal who made big promises earlier? Where is the dalit Ministers and MPs, particularly of the ruling BJP? Where are the proponents of ‘Samrasta’ who profess to retain the socially oppressed and suppressed in the Hindu fold, the main stream of the society? I write this with anguish as I myself believe in the concept and ideal of ‘Samrasta’ in the society to bring about and strengthen bonds of harmony and fraternity as visualized in the Constitution of India.

All said and done, my considered view in this regard is that nobody would do anything for the oppressed and suppressed that are traditionally condemned by the tyranny of the social setup. The suffering and affected masses, perhaps, are required to stand up and assert their position themselves under the law of the land. The time has come. How could it be done or should be done? It is question I leave it to my intellectual, educated and awakened brethren of the community and followers of the great Guru Ravidass to think over and consider the response to the ill advised decisions of the DDA under the nose of the Central Government in Delhi. I have a suggestion to make with a view to initiate and ignite this struggle to free ourselves from the tyranny of caste and prejudice – The forthcoming Gurupurab of Guru Ravidass on Feb 16, 2022 may be observed as a ‘Begampura Chetna Diwas to register our protest against the demolition of the historic and holy site of Guru Ravidass at Tughlakabad in Delhi and register our demand to restore the status quo ante at the site before its demolition’. The followers of Guru Ravidass should take due note of their power and strength given in the Constitution – One Vote One Value – and generate much needed heat to bring the political forces to their senses democratically so that they think twice before they ignore and harm the interests of the community any further.

तू पहले बात फिर बात का अंदाज़ पैदा कर;

फिर दुनिया में तुझे कोई नज़र अंदाज़ कर नहीं सकता।