Ramdasia

From Bharatpedia, an open encyclopedia
Information red.svg
Scan the QR code to donate via UPI
Dear reader, We need your support to keep the flame of knowledge burning bright! Our hosting server bill is due on June 1st, and without your help, Bharatpedia faces the risk of shutdown. We've come a long way together in exploring and celebrating our rich heritage. Now, let's unite to ensure Bharatpedia continues to be a beacon of knowledge for generations to come. Every contribution, big or small, makes a difference. Together, let's preserve and share the essence of Bharat.

Thank you for being part of the Bharatpedia family!
Please scan the QR code on the right to donate.

0%

   

transparency: ₹0 raised out of ₹100,000 (0 supporter)



Ramdasia
ReligionsSikhism • Hinduism
LanguagesPunjabi • Hindi • Dogri
Populated statesPunjab • Haryana • Jammu • Himachal Pradesh

The Ramdasia were historically a Sikh Hindu sub-group that originated from the caste of leather tanners and shoemakers known as Chamar.[1] Nowadays people of this community do farming, large number of them are governnent officials, Granthi in gurudwara and prominent politicians. In the book British Untouchables: A Study of Dalit Identity and Education by Paul Avtar Singh Ghuman, it is clearly mentioned on page number IX under the heading "Glossary of Terms" that Ramdasias are chamars who converted to Sikhism.[2]

Terminology[edit]

"Ramdasia is a term used in general for Sikhs whose ancestors belonged ex untouchables Chamar caste. Originally they are followers of Guru Ravidass ji who belongs to Chamar community ".[1] Both the words Ramdasia and Ravidasia are also used inter changeably while these also have regional context. In Puadh and Malwa, largely Ramdasia in used while Ravidasia is predominantly used in Doaba.[3]

Ramdasia Sikhs are enlisted as scheduled caste by Department of Social justice, Empowerment and Minorities- Government of Punjab. On Department's list of Scheduled Caste, this caste is listed on serial number 9 alongside with other Chamar caste synonymous such as Ravidasia, Jatav and so on.[4]

Military service[edit]

British Raj[edit]

The Sikh Light Infantry march past during the Republic day parade in New Delhi, India

The Ramdasia Sikhs, together with the Majhabi Sikhs, were recruited to the Sikh Light Infantry regiment (SLI) after its formation in 1941.[5] The Sikh Light Infantry has always been a "single class" regiment in the parlance adopted from the British Raj era. This means that it recruits only from one demographic, which in this instance means the Ramdasia Sikhs and Mazhabi Sikhs.[6] Indeed, the SLI was initially called the Mazhabi & Ramdasia Sikh Regiment.[7] Despite unwillingness among some policy makers, the British had to abandon their traditional distinction between martial and non-martial races during the Second World War. This was necessitated by the need for more recruits than could be supplied by those communities upon which they usually relied, such as the Jat Sikhs, Dogras and Punjabi Musalmans. In addition, indiscipline among Jat Sikhs caused by their concerns regarding a post-war division of India was another reason to prefer recruitment of new classes. While recruitment from the pre-war martial classes was still pre-eminent, that from newly recognised classes such as the Ramdasias snd Mazhabis became significant.[8]

After independence of India[edit]

When India became independent in 1947, the British Indian Army became the Indian Army. This, like its predecessor, relies on the martial race theory for much of its recruitment and thus there is a grossly disproportionate number of Sikhs within its ranks.[9] The Ramdasias Sikhs amd Mazhabi Sikhs continued their service with the SLI in the new army.[5] The SLI has served in almost all of the post-1947 conflicts involving India, including the wars with Pakistan in 1947, 1965 and 1971, the Hyderabad Police Action of 1948 and the Chinese aggression in 1962. It has also served in Sri Lanka, where the 1st, 7th, 13th and 14th Battalions have contributed towards peace-keeping.[10]

Hindu Ramdasia[edit]

This sect of Ramdasia having faith in Hinduism and they mostly residing in Pathankot, Jammu, Himachal Pradesh and Jalandhar. Hindu Ramdasia migrated from Pakistan and back in Sialkot, these Ramdasia were involved in Leather/Sports Goods Business. After migrating in Jalandhar they established their own Tanneries and Sports Goods manufacturing Units. For This purpose Government of Punjab, India helped them by providing liberal loans and allotting sites for their Factories[11] Hindu Ramdasia's are staunch follower of Guru Ravidass and they follow Dera Swami Gurdeep Giri ji, Pathankot. According to Department of Social Justice and Empowerment, Government of India Ramdasias are listed as Chamar Caste on serial number 4 and 14 for Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh respectively.[12][13]

Ramdasia Religious faith[edit]

Ramdasia community having faith in Guru Ravidas and they have established several shrines dedicate to him. In India first recognized shrine was constructed in Kolkata and outside India first shrine was established on Fiji island in 1939 in Nasinu. In Nasinu first Sikh Gurdwara dedicated to Guru Ravidas was constructed by migrants from Doaba region of Punjab.

Gurdwara Guru Ravidass, Nasinu, Fiji Established in 1939
Gurdwara Guru Ravidass Bhavan, Birmingham
Gurdwara Guru Ravidass Sabha, Southall

Ravidasia/Ramdasia Chamar Diaspora[edit]

The Ravidasia/Ramdasia Chamar diaspora emigrated from India and Pakistan is significant. Emigration from the Punjab began before and after the 19th century, with many Ravidasia/Ramdasia Chamar settling in Europe,[14] and also a large Ravidasia/Ramdasia Chamar population in North America such as the United States and the Canada.[15] There is sizeable population of Ravidasia/Ramdasia Chamar in Oceania too.

In 2006 Canadian Ravidasia/Ramdasia Chamar diaspora celebrated the 100 years of dalit heritage in Canada with the support of Guru Ravidass Gurdwara Vancouver, honorary chairs Mayor Derek Corrigan (Burnaby) and Commissioner Lahori Ram (Economic Development, State of California). Canadian politicians such as councilor Sav Dhaliwal (Burnaby), MLA Raj Chauhan (Burnaby-Edmonds), MLA Dave Hayer (Surrey), MP Peter Julian (Burnaby), MP Sukh Dhaliwal (Surrey-N. Delta), Ex-Premier BC & MP Ujjal Dosanjh (Vancouver), MLA Sue Hammel (Surrey), MLA Bruce Ralston (Surrey), councilor George Chow (Vancouver), and Deputy Commissioner Paul McDonnell (Burnaby) also participated in this centennial function.[16]

Today they have presence in every major city of world where they have also established Guru Ravidass Gurdwaras and Temples.

Demographics[edit]

As of 2011 Census, there were 3,095,324 Chamars in the Indian state of Punjab, of whom 1,017,192 declared themselves as Ad-Dharmi Chamar and 2,078,132 declared themselves as Ramdasia/Ravidasia Chamar. According to this Census, during the same year the population of Sikh Ramdasia/Ravidasia and Hindu Ramdasia/Ravidasia in Punjab was 1,443,079 and 629,157 respectively.[17]

Most of the Hindu Ramdasias (Counted alongside with other Chamar Caste Synonyms such as Ravidasia and Jatav) living in the Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Haryana. As of 2011, there were 212,032 Ramdasia in Jammu and Kashmir, comprising 209,512 Hindus, 2,486 Sikhs and 34 Buddhists,[18] 2,429,137 lived in Haryana (2,390,403 Hindu, 37,191 Sikh and 1,543 Buddhists)[19] and 458,838 resided in Himachal Pradesh (453,871 Hindu, 4,887 Sikh and 80 Buddhists)[20]

Prominent Ramdasia Chamar[edit]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Chander, Rajesh K I. (2019). Combating Social Exclusion: Intersectionalities of Caste, Class, Gender and Regions. Studera Press. p. 64. ISBN 978-93-85883-58-3.
  2. ↑ Ghuman, Paul (May 2011). British Untouchables A Study of Dalit Identity and Education. Ashgate Publishing, Limited. p. iX. ISBN 978-0754648772.
  3. ↑ "Punjab's dalit conundrum: A look into Sikhs' caste identity". The Times of India. 30 September 2021. Retrieved 11 October 2021.
  4. ↑ http://socialjustice.nic.in/writereaddata/UploadFile/Scan-0015.jpg
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Wilkinson, Steven I. (2015). Army and Nation: The Military and Indian Democracy Since Independence. Harvard University Press. p. 11. ISBN 978-0-67472-880-6.
  6. ↑ Wilkinson, Steven I. (2015). Army and Nation: The Military and Indian Democracy Since Independence. Harvard University Press. pp. 39–41. ISBN 978-0-67472-880-6.
  7. ↑ Cohen, Stephen (2013). "The Untouchable Soldier". In Karsten, Peter (ed.). Recruiting, Drafting, and Enlisting: Two Sides of the Raising of Military Forces. Routledge. p. 170. ISBN 978-1-13566-150-2.
  8. ↑ Marston, Daniel (2003). Phoenix from the Ashes: The Indian Army in the Burma Campaign. Greenwood Publishing Group. pp. 218–220, 236. ISBN 978-0-27598-003-0.
  9. ↑ Roy, Kaushik (2015). "Indian Society and the Soldier". In Pant, Harsh V. (ed.). Handbook of Indian Defence Policy: Themes, Structures and Doctrines. Routledge. pp. 66–67. ISBN 978-1-31738-009-2.
  10. ↑ "Story of The Sikh Light Infantry". The Sikh Review. Archived from the original on 2002-05-31.
  11. ↑ Sharma, Krishan L. (1980). Entrepreneurial Growth and Development Programmes in Northern India. Abhinav Publications. p. 67. ISBN 9780836406498.
  12. ↑ http://socialjustice.nic.in/writereaddata/UploadFile/Scan-0006.jpg
  13. ↑ http://socialjustice.nic.in/writereaddata/UploadFile/Scan-0030.jpg
  14. ↑ {{cite FOREFEUROPE. (2019) ‘The ‘Untouchables’ In Europe – 10 Years After the Murder of Their Saint, 19 September 2021 [Blog]. Available at https://foref-europe.org/blog/2019/09/12/the-untouchables-in-europe-10-years-ago-their-guru-was-murdered-in-vienna/ (Accessed 21 October 2021}}
  15. ↑ "Dalits in Canada call Vienna killing 'act of terrorism". Hindustan Times. 26 May 2009. Retrieved 11 October 2021.
  16. ↑ {{cite PVCHR. (2006) ‘Dalit centennial report, 20 September 2006 [Blog]. Available at https://pvchr.blogspot.com/2006/09/dalit-centennial-report.html/ (Accessed 21 October 2021}}
  17. ↑ "SC-14 Scheduled Caste Population By Religious Community (States/UTs) – Punjab" (XLS). The Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India. Retrieved 2021-06-27.
  18. ↑ "SC-14 Scheduled Caste Population By Religious Community (States/UTs) – Jammu and Kashmir" (XLS). The Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India. Retrieved 2021-06-27.
  19. ↑ "SC-14 Scheduled Caste Population By Religious Community (States/UTs) – Haryana" (XLS). The Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India. Retrieved 2021-06-27.
  20. ↑ "SC-14 Scheduled Caste Population By Religious Community (States/UTs) – Himachal Pradesh" (XLS). The Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India. Retrieved 2021-06-27.

Template:Ethnic groups, tribes and clans of the Punjab

Retrieved from "https://en.bharatpedia.org/index.php?title=Ramdasia&oldid=255083"