8/7/2019 Rishav

1/5

Speech

Guru Ravidas was probably the first one after Gautam Buddha who dared to revolt against theinhuman system of social exclusion and untouchability practiced for ages in India. However,

what made him different was his method of revolt. He adopted Bhakti as a mode of expression

of his social revolt. His Bhakti-based method was not only unique but also a befitting reply to the

subtle mechanisations deployed by the Brahminical class to keep the downtrodden out of the

mainstream. Bhakti was used to be considered a privilege reserved for the upper castes,

especially the priests. Whereas, ex-untouchables were not allowed to practice Bhakti because

they were condemned as polluted. It is in this context that that the adoption of Bhakti by Guru

Ravidass as a method of social protest assumes special importance.

His Bhakti-based method of social revolt was neither violent nor tied with any conventional

forms of prayers and petitions. In fact, it was a revolt with difference for an egalitarian social set

up. It was both novel and daring. It was novel, because Guru Ravidass put emphasis on

compassion for all and absolute faith in God. The principle of compassion for all reflected the

egalitarian traits of his social philosophy and struggle. His concept of the absolute faith in the

formless God showed the apathy of the elites of his times towards the plights of the

downtrodden for whose emancipation he had to seek refuge in no one else but God. His method

was daring in the sense that he chooses to imitate the Brahmins in order to symbolize his revolt

which was not only highly objectionable but was equally deadly for an outcaste of his times. He

challenged the tyranny of Brahmins and defied them by wearing Dhoti (cloth wrapped around

the waist), Janeue (sacred thread) and Tilak (sacred red mark on forehead) that were forbidden

for the untouchables. Though he attired himself like an upper caste, he did not hide his caste.

He continued with his hereditary occupation of making/mending shoes. He, probably, tried to

show that while adopting the prohibited dress and symbols of the upper castes, the lower castes

could still keep their identity intact. Thus Guru Ravidass provided an alternative model for the

emancipation of the Dalits much (six centuries) before the articulation of the concept of

sanskritisation a model of Dalit social mobility based on an emulation of the cultural world of

upper castes.

What made the image of Guru Ravidass a catalyst in the emergence of Dalit consciousness

was his being an outcaste and at the same time a saint of very high repute. The process of

8/7/2019 Rishav

2/5

sanskritization facilitated the ambitious lower castes to improve its position in the local caste

hierarchy by pretending to look like the higher castes that enjoy great prestige in the

hierarchically organized Brahminical social order. Since the caste is given and cannot be

changed, the lower castes were left with no option but to imitate the culture of the upper castes.

What made the emancipation project of Guru Ravidass different from that of the sanskritization

was his emphasis on acquiring social respect without crossing over the caste boundaries? He

did not want to pretend to appear like an upper caste to ride the bandwagon of social prestige.

On the contrary, he exhibited his protest against the social oppression by putting on the

prohibited dress and symbols of the upper castes. By imitating the appearance of the upper

castes he did not want the lower castes to abandon their caste to climb up the ladder of the

caste hierarchy as in the process of sanskritization. The lower castes need not to be assimilated

into the fold of higher castes. They had to, rather, assert for their human rights by challenging

the caste hierarchy while being firm in their very caste group. He wanted to dismantle the norm

of varnashram dharma (fourfold division of Hindu society based on graded rank system in caste

hierarchy) by showing that lower castes were not beyond the pale of spiritual knowledge on the

one hand and on the other that Brahmins were in fact hollow figures pumped up with false

pride and hypocrisy. In fact, he used caste to cut the steel frame of caste based social order

the only way of Dalit emancipation.

Guru Ravidass gave a new meaning to Bhakti by projecting it as a method of social protest

against the centuries-old entrenched structures of Brahminical domination. He rejected all forms

of religious rituals and sectarian formalities. He also commented graphically on the cursed and

abject living conditions of millions of fellow downtrodden. Some scholars were of the opinion

that though the devotional songs and hymns of Ravidass reflected the sufferings of the

downtrodden, they lack the reformatory zeal and bitter condemnation of Brahminism and caste

system that animated the poetry of Kabir and Tukaram. Though there is a difference in tone

between the poetry of Kabir and Ravidass, both convey the same message. The poetry of Guru

Ravidass is known to be full of humility and devotion. But at the same time it is equally imbibed

with reformatory zeal and concern for the downtrodden. Instead of bluntly snubbing the

arrogance of higher castes, he undertook to raise the dignity of his own caste and profession, so

that the higher castes could come to realize the shallowness of their self-imposed superiority.

He advocated self-help for eliminating sufferings of the Dalits. His vision for self-help is clearly

reflected in one of the legends about his refusal to make use of a Paras (a mythical stone that

turns iron into gold) to get rich. He lent purity and respect to kirat (manual work), which also

8/7/2019 Rishav

3/5

found special mention in the teachings of Guru Nanak Dev, the founder of Sikh faith. In fact,

Guru Ravidasss life and poetry provided a vision to the downtrodden to struggle for their human

rights and civic liberties.

The Bhakti approach of Guru Ravidass was a non-violent struggle for the emancipation andempowerment of the Shudras. Though he combined humility with Bhakti, his concept of

formless God reflected an altogether different picture. Guru Ravidasss God was not humble at

all in the typical sense of the term. He was graceful. He was not indifferent to the downtrodden.

His God was rather bold who was not afraid of anyone. He elevated and purified the so-called

untouchables. Aaisee lal tujh binu kaunu karai. Gareeb niwaaju guseea meraa maathai chhatar

dharai neecho uooch karai meraa govind kaahoo te na darai. Guru Ravidass further said Meri

jaati kut bandhlaa dhor dhouwanta nithi baanaarasi aas paasaa. Ab bipar pardhan tihi karih

danduouti tere naam sarnaaie Ravidass daasaa. It is in this context that his non-violent struggle

based on Bhakti assumed special importance for the emancipation of the Dalits. He did not only

adopt nonviolence in his struggle against the social oppression, but also motivated the

oppressors to abandon the path of violence.

Guru Ravidass envisioned an egalitarian model of state for ensuring human rights and civil

liberties for all alike. He called his ideal state as Begumpura (free from sorrows). In his ideal

state no one would be discriminated against on the basis of caste and religion and everyone

would be free from the burden of taxes and worries of food. His ideal state would be free from

the graded system of caste hierarchy. There would be no segregated colonies for the

downtrodden and they would be free to move around without caste prejudice. In other words, in

Begumpura the evil of untouchability would cease to exist. Though Begumpura was an ideal

state as visualized by Ravidass, it was not a mere figment of his mind. In fact, its articulation

was based on in-depth understanding of the socio-economic and political conditions prevailing

during his lifetime. He lived during the period when Shudras were doubly oppressed by their

political masters along with the members of higher castes; and by the Brahmins, the custodians

of Hindu religion.

He had no hope from any quarter regarding the improvement of the conditions of the

downtrodden. In one of his hymns he thus articulated Dardu dekh sab ko hasai, aaisee dasaa

hamaaree. Ast dasaa sidi kar talai, sab kirpa tumhari. In fact, his entire poetry echoed a loud

protest against slavery on the one hand and boundless love and devotion to the formless God

on the other. He believed that God created all human beings and resided in all of them. If the

8/7/2019 Rishav

4/5

same God pervaded the entire humanity, then it is foolish to divide the society on the basis of

caste. He thus condemned the division of mankind on the basis of caste. He said Jo ham shehri

so meet hamara. It is in this context that the egalitarian social philosophy of Ravidass expressed

in the mode of poetry became the manifesto of the Dalit consciousness in Punjab.

The establishment of a large number of Ravidass Deras by the Dalits in Punjab and in other

parts of India over the last few years is a case in point. Guru Ravidass became very popular

among the Punjabi Dalit diasporas as well, who have also constructed Ravidass shrines in order

to assert their separate caste identity. The number of Ravidass Deras has been multiplying very

fast. It has taken the form of a sort of a socio-cultural movement for the emancipation of the

Dalits. It has generated a sense of confidence in them and provided them an opportunity to

exhibit their hitherto eclipsed Dalit identity. The secret of the success of this movement lies in

the strategy to combine Dr Ambedkars socio-cultural revolution with Bhakti approach of Guru

Ravidass Dass. Ravidass Deras thrive on the elements of social protest expressed in the poetry

of Guru Ravidass and the writings of Dr. Ambedkar. These Deras, in fact, have been functioning

as missions to sensitive the Dalits and to facilitate their empowerment. In order to look different

from the shrines of Hindu and Sikh religions, and to distinctly project their separate religious

identity, Ravidass Deras have formulated their own religious symbols, ceremonies, prayers,

rituals and messages of social protest against the oppressive structures of caste domination in

the agrarian society of Punjab.

Millions of people in the world live a life in abject poverty, and this has been going

on for centuries. However, there have been entire communities, and eventually,

nations that have managed to improve their lot, and now their next generations

have broken the shackles of poverty, and have improved their lives. Nevertheless,

to do this, they get help from someone who made improving their condition their

life's mission, and worked day and night to help achieve this. Nobel Prize winner

Muhammad Younus, the founder of Grameen Bank has set an example for the

entire world to follow. He has shown how a person who makes helping people to

break out of poverty his mission can achieve this. His achievements have shown

that there is hope for people to break out of poverty as long as there is someone

who knows how to help them. This requires having a clear vision and a systematic

approach.

The down trodden know-how to live with the bare necessities of life, and their

demands are not very big. Everyone rich, well off or poor want a better future for

their children, and the poor feel that the path to achieving this lies in educating

8/7/2019 Rishav

5/5

their children. If they can be provided an increase in their income by which they

can educate their children, they gladly accept this help. They don't want handouts

as every person, especially those who are down trodden and eke out a living with

hard work have self pride. They seek opportunities to earn more and look for

openings to do so. Helping people to break the shackles of poverty is one of thegreatest social work that people can do.

If a poor woman can get a loan to buy a dozen chickens, start selling their eggs,

returns the loan, and keeps more chickens: this simple act becomes the first step

for improving her life, and that of her family. By giving loans to poor women and

helping them to setup their small businesses is what Grameen bank did, and today,

they have become a beacon of hope for Bangladesh.

Socially conscious people can change the lot of the poor by extending a helping

hand. You achieve a sense of pride and satisfaction when you see that with a littlehelp, you are able to help people breakout of their centuries old shackles, and move

into the main stream of life.