Guru Ravidass – A Revolutionary Harbinger of Democratic Socialism

 

Guru Ravidass – A Revolutionary Harbinger of Democratic Socialism

Thanks and Welcome to PM Narendra Modi on his gesture to visit Dera Sachkhand Ballan on February 1, Guru Ravidass Jyanti. It was scheduled to post this blog on January 31 on the eve of the Gurpurab of the great Guru. What the changed scenario with the pronounced visit of PM Narendra Modi to visit the Dera to pay obeisance and join the followers of Guru

Ravidass in the celebrations of Guru Ravidass cajoled me to propone and post the blog in advance as the contents of the blog contain some of my humble suggestions to celebrate and observe the 650^th Jyanti in the coming year of 2027. Hon’ble PM and the concerned authorities not in the GOI alone but also in the ruling elite of RSS and that of RSS too may consider these humble suggestions in the run up to the great events with regard to the 650^th Year of the revolutionary Guru whose mission and philosophy is as relevant today as it was before to make India ‘Vikshit Bharat’ by 2047 as visualized by PM Narendra Modi.

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Greetings and congratulations on the Gurpurab of Guru Ravidass, the 649^th Jyanti of the great Guru, February 1, 2026. a revolutionary harbinger of democratic socialism. First, I resort to some facts of Guru Ravidass’s teachings and thoughts with regard to the democratic socialism in the society and the world at large particularly in the scenario of increasing tendencies of negating the

lofty ideals of ‘equitable socio-economic world order’ as stipulated in the Constitution of India and the UN Charter. In this regard, I will mostly dwell on the ‘theme song’ of the Bani of the great Guru as ordained in his Sabad – Begumpura Shehar Ka Naon rightly and thoughtfully enshrined in Sri Guru Granth Sahib by the great Sikh Gurus. The essence of the Sabad may be described as:

Guru Ravidas's shabad "Begumpura Shehar Ka Naam" describes a utopian city, Begumpura (City without Sorrow), a spiritual realm of eternal bliss, equality, freedom from suffering, taxes, fear, and caste, where everyone lives in harmony and divine joy, as a vision for a just society free from worldly oppression. The English rendering conveys this ideal nation as a place of perfect happiness, with no kings, no burdens, and universal love, a humanist dream of a world without pain or anxiety. 

Guru Ravidass was a visionary humanist. The last couplet of the Sabad is very revealing. Apart from talking about equality, justice, liberty, welfare state etc., he underscored fraternity – Jo Hum Shehri So Meet Hamara which is very essence of harmonious

living. Very rightly and thoughtfully later our forefathers led by Babasaheb Ambedkar adopted and enshrined this lofty ideal of fraternity in the Constitution of India. Not only here, Guru Ravidass was not oblivious of the pangs of hunger and poverty and the virtue of equitable social order in the society. He said –

Aisa Chahun Raj Mein; Yahan Mile Saban Ko Ann,

Chot Bade Sab Sam Vashen; Ravidass Rahe Parsan.

 

(I wish to have such a mode of governance where nobody sleeps hungry. Where all of us; rich and poor live happily)

 

 All said and done, it is beyond any doubt that Guru Ravidass was the beacon light of democratic socialism to make not our own country Bharat a place of joy and happiness but the entire humanity in these days of conflict and strife. Guru Ravidass is required to be not only celebrated with all solemnity but to prepare and educate the coming generations to learn from the teachings and philosophy of the great Guru.

In this background, I voluntarily join the stray and unheard voices of celebrating and observing next Year 2027; the 650^th Gurpurab of Guru Ravidass with focus and added emphasis for the larger good of the society. The State Governments of the States where the followers of Guru Ravidass has considerable presence and the Government of India should consider, decide and deliver by making appropriate special programmes and events to pay a betting tribute to the great Guru Ravidass in year 2027-28, the 650^th Jyanti. I have some, off the cuff, suggestions in this regard as a humble follower of the great Guru.

 

                         I.          GOI may appoint a High Power Committee of Ministers, highly placed bureaucrats, spiritual leaders of Ravidassia community, Ravidassia intelligentsia (Budhijivis) and others from the society at large.

                      II.          The High Power Committee of the GOI will formulate and draw up suitable programme to celebrate and commemorate the 650^th Parkash Utsav and the Year 2027 as a befitting tribute to the life, philosophy and Legacy of Guru Ravidass.

 

The following suggestions may be considered and made with regard to the programme –

·      National Function on the Guru Ravidass Jyanti in 2027 at Seergoverdhanpur, the birth place of the great Guru at Varanasi.

·      Functions at important places pertaining to Guru Ravidass and his legacy like – Dera Sachkhand Ballan at Jalandhar  and Charan Cho-Ganga at Khuralgarh in Hoshiarpur in Punjab, Guru Ravidass Temple at Tuglakabad in Delhi, Ravidass Chattri at Chittorgarh in Rajasthan, Sarnath/Budh Gaya in Bihar, Ahemdabad in Gujrat,  Chennai in Tamil Nadu among others

·      Issuing of Commemorative Postal Stamp and Coins.

·       Inclusion of Guru’s Vani and socio-cultural message of Guru Ravidass in the syllabus and curricula of Schools and Colleges.

·      All Universities should host functions to celebrate the 650^th year of Guru’s Parkash Utsav appropriately.

·      All schools and colleges should be advised to celebrate the occasion suitably.

·      Establish Guru Ravidass Study Chairs at Banaras Hindu University at Varanasi, Guru Nanak Dev University at Amritsar, Panjab University at Chandigarh among others.

·      Discussions and Debates on Guru Ravidass on Doordrshan

·      Advise and direct all Indian Diplomatic Missions in the countries where members of the Ravidassia community are concentrated like the UK, the USA, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Austria, Germany, and Italy among others.

·      Special programmes on Guru Ravidass by the socio-cultural outfits like RSS, SGPC, Beas Satsang, Nirangkari Satsang, Swainarayan (Aksardham) among others, Chaitanya Prabhu outfits among others.

I conclude this piece with the hope that the State Governments and the Central Governments would listen, consider and decide on the matter with a view to maintain and sustain the continuity of India that is Bharat as elaborated in the Allma Iqbal’s nazam -

चिश्ती ने जिस ज़मीं में पैग़ाम-ए-हक़ सुनाया

नानक ने जिस चमन में वहदत का गीत गाया

मेरा वतन वही है मेरा वतन वही है