RSS invite leads to split in Ravidassia sect society

Jalandhar: A vertical split has taken place in the Sri Guru Ravidass Sadhu Sampardai Society (SGRSSS) over the RSS invitation to its president Sant Nirmal Dass for the Dussehra event in Nagpur, which he did not attend. Three SGRSSS office-bearers rebelled against Nirmal Dass and announced a new society president.

The society has more than 300 members, who are heads of different Ravidassia and Adidharmi community deras across Punjab. Those supporting Nirmal Dass said he and chairman Sant Sarwan Dass (Bohan Wale) had already removed two office bearers, senior vice-president Sant Mohinder Pal and general secretary Sant Nirmal Singh Awadaan, on October 5.

They said the meeting held on Friday, in which Nirmal Dass was reportedly removed, had no legal sanctity. The Nirmal Dass faction made Sant Sarwan Dass (Ludhiana) and Sant Inder Dass senior vice-president and general secretary respectively.

A religious function held at the dera of Nirmal Dass in Raipur Rasoolpur village on Saturday turned out to be a show of strength with members of his faction claiming that around 100 members attended the event.

Although Nirmal Dass cited health reasons for not attending the Nagpur event, TOI reported on October 1 that strong opposition from other society members made him change his plans. SGRSSS members opposed to him attending the RSS event held a meeting at Bharomajra near Phagwara on September 29.

The two reasons cited for his “removal” by the faction opposed to him were that he was secretly implementing the RSS agenda in the community and gave Sri Guru Ravidass Public School, Chooharwali land on lease for 99 years.

They elected Sant Mohinder Pal (Pandva) as chairman, Sant Nirmal Dass as general secretary, Sant Kulwant Dass as president and Sant Seetal Dass as vice-chairman of SGRSSS. Earlier, the rival faction announced they would hold a meeting to select the new president on October 12. After president Nirmal Dass and chairman Sarwan Dass removed both, they hurriedly convened a meeting on Friday.

While Nirmal Dass did not take calls on Saturday, new senior vice-president Sarwan Dass said the meeting held by expelled office-bearers was illegal. He said Nirmal Dass did not attend the RSS event and it was wrong to accuse him of implementing Sangh agenda in the Ravidassia/Adidharmi community.

On allegations of the leasing of Chooharwali school land, he said it was affiliated with CBSE and the land, owned by SGRSSS, was required to be under the school managing committee, which consisted of 11 society members. “The school land has been leased out to the school managing committee of Sants and there is nothing wrong in it,” he said.