- Ramesh Chander
(Asian Independent)- I participated in the one day International Seminar on Life, Time and Philosophy of Satguru Ravidass ji held on October 14, 2023 at Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi. The Seminar was organized jointly by JNU and British Ravidass Heritage Foundation of the UK. It was a well participated and attended event about which I will write separately. Today I will mention here only about my Paper – Guru Ravidass: Harbinger of Social Harmony which I presented at the Second Technical Session of the Seminar which was Chaired by Prof. Narendar Kumar of JNU.
In my opening remarks while thanking the organizers, I said that I was there not as any intellectual or authority on Guru Ravidass but as a humble follower of the great Guru to learn and educate myself from the learnered academics and intellectuals in consonance with the thoughts of Guru Ravidass who said in his lofty Vani:
Tum Chandan Hum Rind Bapre Sang Tuhare Wasa;
Neech Rukh Te Unch Bhayo Hai Gandh Sugandh Niwasa
Underlining the need to study and analysis the philosophy of the Guru in these days of increasing animosity and strife, I said that the thought of Guru Ravidass is as potent and relevant today as it was before as:
Shakti Bhi Shanti Bhi Bhakton Ke Geet Mein Hai;
Dharti Ke Wasion Ke Mukti Preet Mein Hai
Here is the Text of my Paper – Guru Ravidass: Harbinger of Social Harmony
Guru Ravidass: Harbinger of Social Harmony
Guru Ravidass, 16th century mystic saint and social reformer of the Bhakti Movement was the harbinger of equality, fraternity and harmoy in the society. The leadership of the main-stream of the society, these days, calls it ‘Samrasta’. The great Guru’s egalitarian thoughts stood against the birth based caste-system and pleaded for brotherhood as stipulated in his lofty Vani –
Keh Ravidass Khalas Chamara; Jo Ham-Sehri So Meet Hamara
Guru Ravidass was a widely recognized and revered personality of his times not only spiritually but also as a revolutionary social reformer. As a voice of the underdog and discriminated segments of the society on account of the Varna Vibastha, Guru Ravidass resolutely stood against all these inhuman and anti social practices. Guru Ravidass’s teachings and philosophy, obviously, got wide spread acceptance and recognition throughout India and proved itself revolutionary to reform the society. His contemporaries like; Guru Nanak, Sant Kabir among others fully supported Guru Ravidass ji who became the flag bearer of egalitarian society with the lofty ideals of democratic socialism as stipulated and propounded in his Vani:
Begumpura Sehar Ka Naon; Dukh Andoh Nahin Jis Ke Thaon
It was a matter of great satisfaction that the Sikh Gurus, fully understanding the social philosophy of Guru Ravidass, thoughtfully, included his Vani in the Guru Granth Sahib. As such the teachings of the great Guru got further currency and acceptance as a potent voice to reform the society and live a pious life as dignified citizens and good human beings.
It is a matter of satisfaction that the very principles of having a healthy society as followed and preached by Guru Ravidass found place in the ‘secular, socialist and democratic’ constitution of India written under the stewardship of Babasaheb Ambedkar who was greatly impressed by the thoughts and legacy of the great Guru to establish an inclusive society. Babasaheb Ambedkar dedicated one of his books, The Untouchables, to Guru Ravidass and rightly so.
Guru Ravidass clearly laid the foundation of democratic socialism in the present parlance of good governance and said:-
Aaisa Chahun Raj Mein; Yahan Mile Saban Ko Ann;
Chot- Bade Sab Sam Vashen; Ravidass Rahe Prasan
Guru Ravidass’s message of freedom of thought and expression and also of equitable social order was candidly conveyed in his Vani. It certainly set the ball rolling to establish a just order for the mankind. He fought against dominance and subservience in the society. The revolutionary Guru said –
Pradheenta Paap Hai; Jan Lyo Re Meet,
Ravidass Dass Pradheen Se Kaun Kare Hai Preet.
Guru Ravidass was dead against the caste based discrimination prevailing in the society. He said –
Ravidass Janam Ke Karne Hot Na Koi Neech
It is a matter of gratification to note that, in spite of all odds, our forefathers led by Babasaheb Ambedkar stipulated and codified the lofty ideals of Guru Ravidass and others in the constitution of India to abolish caste system and even provided for ‘affirmative’ actions in the form of Reservations to the weaker sections of the society. One can safely say that India is on track and has come a long way and perhaps has arrived. But still it has to go a long way to reach. Guru Ravidass ji’s message of brotherhood, fraternity and harmony is the only way to go ahead with our ‘Tryst with Destiny”. The great Guru’s vision is fully conveyed in the poetic assertions of one of the renowned Hindi poets, Maithli Saran Gupt –
Mein Nahin Sandesh Swarag Ka Laiya;
Iss Bhutal Ko Hi Swarag Banane Aaiya
I referred to the Samrasta agenda of the main stream of the society in the opening paragraphs. Let me touch the subject with a view to say that Guru Ravidass was the harbinger of Samrasta to transfor the society and bring about a harmonious social order, the first requisite of a cultured and humane society. I have no hesitation in registering my candid support to the lofty idea of Samrasta in my own humble way as I am a firm believer in ‘fraternity, harmony and brotherhood’ as a humble Ravidassia and an Ambedkarite. We need to come out of the ‘lip service’ phase and do something concrete to reform the society. The sooner the better. Guru Ravidass ji’s teachings and philosophy is as relevant and potent today as it was in the medieval times. India is passing through challenging times with increasing strife and communal tensions all around. If we really intend to transform and reform of our society, we should study and practice the lofty Vani of the great Guru. We are still to do a lot in this regard. I am reminded of Allama Iqbal –
Iqbal Bada Updeshak Hai; Man Batton Se Moh Leta Hai
Gifftar Ka To Yeh Gazi Bana; Kirdar Ka Gazi Ban Na Saka
With this, I take this opportunity to pay my hearty tributes to the great social reformer, revolutionary Guru and harbinger of a just and equitable social order and also social harmony. Let us transform India that is Bharat into Begumpura – country and society without sorrow and exploitation as visualized by the Great Guru.
