The Dalits Of Punjab

Caste has been pre-dominant in Indian society. However, when we do hear about the caste system, we automatically think about the varna system existing in Hinduism. What one does not know about is the penetration of the same system in various religions, including Sikhism.

Dr. B.R. Ambedkar with the Dalit Sikhs, Source: Velivada

Religious beliefs, tribal cultural traditions of the dominating caste of Jats, and their power interests interacted in a complex way as the Sikh community evolved. As a result, a Sikh caste system that is separate from and similar to the Hindu caste system emerged. It's important to understand how casteism has persisted in the Sikh community and the causes that led to this. The evolution of the Sikh community happened through intricate dynamics of the interplay between religious principles, tribal cultural patterns of the predominate caste of jats, and their power interests. The Sikh sect of Guru Nanak and his successors gradually transformed into an organized religious movement in Punjab during the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, emerging from a strong anti-caste sant tradition in northern India. It served as a focal point for untouchables and people from low castes to unite around in an effort to reclaim their lost respect and dignity. In the majorly Brahmanized scholarship on Sikhism, the significant role played by untouchable communities in the success of the Sikh experiment is largely absent. Sikhism has experienced both high and low points over the course of its five-hundred-year history, and so have the Dalits of Punjab. Between 1750 and 1850, as the Sikh body politic grew and expanded, casteism and untouchability became a problem as the upper-caste Sikhs perceived advantages in hierarchal structures.

The term "Dalit" is frequently used today to refer to India's former untouchables in accounts of struggles for dignity and against caste inequality. The term took on a new revolutionary meaning of self-identification and symbolized a new oppositional consciousness starting with the Dalit Panthers movement in the 1970s. Following Gandhi, the Congress Party and a number of other organizations adopted the term "Harijan" (children of God), which also continues to be used by members of these groups.

The Dalits of Punjab appear to have been significantly liberated by Sikhism. The Khalsa Brotherhood was intended to be caste-free through the teachings of the Sikh Gurus: the religious institutions of sangat (association) and langar (community kitchen), the lack of a caste-based priesthood, and reverence for physical labor. At the beginning of the 20th century, the Singh Saba leadership chose to establish a separate and distinct identity to emphasize their boundary demarcation from the Hindus, "Hum Hindu Nahin." The key differentiating aspect they referred to was the rejection of 'varnashrama’ which is the varna system in Dharma-shastras that divides society into four varnas (Brahmin, Kshatriya, Vaishya, Shudra), and the purity-pollution syndrome, which was fundamental to Hinduism. The rise of Sikhism in Punjab was a turning point for the lower castes, who strongly supported this movement and turned to the Sikh religion in the hopes that their rights to self-dignity and self-identity would be respected. Their gain was significant. However, there remained a major disconnect between social practice and doctrinal principles.

If Sikhs go by the rules set by the Gurus, they are supposed to use Singh or Kaur, depending on gender, instead of using castes as surnames. However, the census data showed a different picture. More than 25 castes, including the Jats, Khatris, Aroras, Ramgarhias, Ahluwalias, Bhapas, Bhattras, Rais, Sainis, Lobanas, Kambojs, Ramdasias, Ravidasias, Rahtias, Mazhabis, and Rangretas, were identified as Sikhs.

The Ramdasias and Ravidasias comprise the second community of Dalit Sikhs. These Sikhs originally belonged to groups of cobblers and weavers who converted to Sikhism. While Ravidasias are primarily employed in areas related to leatherwork, Ramdasias continue to operate in the weaving industry. The Dalit Sikh communities of Mazhabis and Rangretas go by the name ‘ad-Dharmis’ as well. These were the scavenger or sweeper communities.

In the beginning, these communities turned to Sikhism in order to escape their 'caste.' Despite having a glorious history as soldiers, Mazhabis and Rangretas tragically never gained a status equal to the upper caste in Sikhs. Numerous studies have claimed that Jat Sikhs and other upper castes frequently refuse to engage with them at religious rites.