THE ASIAN INDEPENDENT UK
Ramesh Chander
The writer is A Retired Career Diplomat.
It is a matter of gratification to note that BJP has announced a roadmap to celebrate and observe the 650th Gurpurab of Guru Ravidass from July 29, 2026, on the auspicious occasion of Guru Purnima, to February 20, as pronounced by MP Tarun Chugh in the video clip: MP Tarun Chugh at Seer Goverdhanpur
https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1Ax4SBkU5S/
I appreciate the initiative taken by the BJP. But it is a matter of regret and concern that GOI is yet to take any substantive step to celebrate and observe the 650th Gurpurab of the great Guru. I had submitted some suggestions/proposal to the GOI/BJP in this regard which may be seen in my blog:
https://diplomatictitbits.blogspot.com/…/guru-ravidass…
The blog includes the following roadmap:
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 650th 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 Seer Goverdhanpur, 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 Tughlakabad in Delhi, Ravidass Chattri at Chittorgarh in Rajasthan, Sarnath/Budh Gaya in Bihar, Ahmedabad 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 650th 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 Doordarshan
· 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, Nirankari Satsang, Swaminarayan (Akshardham) among others, Chaitanya Prabhu outfits among others.
My humble request to BJP and GOI is that kindly consider the matter seriously with sincerity. The stakeholders abroad are also interested in celebrating and observing the Gurpurab in a befitting matter. The British Ravidassia Heritage Foundation (BRHF) of UK wrote to me on the subject. In turn, I requested the Indian High Commissioner in London to kindly join hands with the followers of Guru Ravidass in this regard. My E-mail message to the High Commissioner may be seen below:
Quote
For High Commissioner P. Kumaran
Dear Kumaran Sahib,
First of all, congratulations on your coveted assignment in London. I wish you all the best.
I am one of your retired colleagues of 1984 (YOA) now settled in Jalandhar with a view to join the crowd and do some community work humbly.
Kindly see the forwarded message of my friend and associate Sat Paul, President of British Ravidassia Heritage Foundation (BRHF) with regard to the celebrations of the 650th Gurpurab of Guru Ravidass ji, a harbinger of equality, fraternity and justice and a leading light of the Bhakti Movement of 15th centenary. You are aware a large chunk of the Indian diaspora in the UK is the followers of Guru Ravidass represented by the outfits like BRHF among others. They are observing and commemorating the 650th birth anniversary of the revered Guru in all solemnity and joy. The GOI under the leadership of Hon’ble PM Narendra Modi has pronounced to celebrate the Gurpurab year 2027 in a befitting way to pay tributes to the great Guru and to enforce the lofty ideals of Bhaichara and Samrasta in the society as enshrined in Constitution of India. It would only be good and appropriate to join hands with BRHF and others to make suitable programme and events to celebrate the Gurpurab of Guru Ravidass.
I am confident, Kumaran Sahib, that you will consider and respond to the submissions of BRHF as the flag bearer of India and its culture in the UK. Here in India, we have already submitted our proposals to GOI in this regard. We hope that you would soon listen from GOI (MEA/PMO) too.
I have endorsed a copy of this message to MBE Sat Paul. He would get in touch with you on listening from your high office.
With personal regards,
(Ramesh Chander)
Ambassador – IFS (Retired)
Jalandhar (Punjab)
The followers of Guru Ravidass are watching and waiting eagerly.
Mujhe Lorian De Rahen Hain Sabi
Kyon Ki Karbat Ley Raha Hai Zamana
