Dera Sacha Sauda

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Dera Sacha Sauda (Punjabi: ਡੇਰਾ ਸੱਚਾ ਸੌਦਾ, Hindi: डेरा सच्चा सौदा) is a non-profit spiritual organization based in Sirsa, Haryana, India. The organization claims to have 10 million followers.^[1]

The Dera Sacha Sauda was set-up by Shah Mastana from Baluchistan in 1948, as a center for spiritual learning, based upon liberal theology that was in disagreement with established orthodox religions and philosophies. Shah Mastana was succeeded by Shah Satnam Singh, who was followed in 1992 by Gurmeet Ram Raheem Singh (also known as Sant Gurmeet Ram Raheem Singh ji and Hazoor Maharaj ji among his followers).^[1]

The organization does not accept any gifts, alms or donations. The inhabitants of the ashram work in the agricultural fields and the income from the produce is utilized for social welfare activities and meet the expenses of the organization.^[2]

1 Name
2 Principles and positions
3 Activities
4 Shah Satnam Ji Green S Welfare Force
5 Criticism and controversies
- 5.1 Clashes with Sikh community
- 5.2 Other controversies
6 References
7 External links

[edit] Name

The name Sacha Sauda (True business) refers to an incident in the life of Guru Nanak Dev. In one telling, when Guru Nanak Dev was 12 years old his father gave him twenty rupees and asked him to do a business to teach him business. Guru Nanak bought food with all the money and gave it to saints and poor. He told his father that he had done a "True business." Sacha Sauda is believed to be the place where Guru Nanak fed the poor. ^[3]

[edit] Principles and positions

The official principles of the sect laid down by Gurmeet Ram Raheem Singh are secularism, equality, no acceptance of materialistic wealth, and truth and faith over everything else, meditation to road of truth, no politics, strict individual discipline, strict social discipline, hardwork, true faith and meditation to escape from re-births (Moksha).^[4]^[5]

A complete list of the principles of Dera Sacha Sauda can be found on its website.

[edit] Activities

According to the Dera Sacha Sauda, the organization's main income is through agriculture. It also runs a 175 bed hospital in Ganganagar, Rajasthan, which is the birth place of Saint Gurmeet Ram Raheem Singh Ji, along with a hostel for girls, a boys' school and a degree college in Haryana. In 2002, an article in Frontline claimed that the organization is also involved in several other entrepreneurial activities including a petrol pump, biscuit factory, ice factory, restaurant and a supermarket.^[1].

Dera Sacha Sauda has been twice recognized by Guinness World Records for massive blood donation camps:

A camp conducted by Gurmeet Ram Raheem Singh in Sirsa, Haryana on 7th December 2003, in which 15,432 donors participated in merely 12 hours.^{[citation needed]}
A camp in a Bapu Ji village, Sriganganagar, India on 10th October 2004 in which 17,921 donors participated.^[6]

In 2004, the Parampita Shah Satnamji Educational and Welfare Society, which is affiliated with Dera Sacha Sauda, built the Shah Satnamji Cricket Stadium in Sirsa, Haryana. Using a workforce of 10,000, the stadium was said to have been built in 45 days and have a capacity of 30,000.^[7] It is spread over 100 acres (0.40 km²), which would make the second largest in Asia.^[8]

Dera Sacha Sauda also runs a Drug Rehabilitation Centre in Sirsa, where scores of people have been treated.^{[citation needed]} Gurmeet Ram Raheem Singh started a Drug Prevention Campaign against the use of intoxicants and inspires people to give up their drug addiction in every spiritual congregation. People willing to give up their addiction stay in Dera Sacha Sauda for seven days and medical treatment is available for them free of cost. The institution sees chemical dependency (Drug Addiction) as a behavioural disorder and encourages the addicts to bring about a positive change in their personality.^[9]

[edit] Shah Satnam Ji Green S Welfare Force

Present Master Saint Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh Ji formed Shah Satnam Ji Green S Welfare Force for rendering help during any natural calamity.^[10]

[edit] Criticism and controversies

[edit] Clashes with Sikh community

In May 2007 Dera Sacha Sauda was accused of insulting Sikhism after the organization's leader, Gurmeet Singh, "appeared in an advert in which Sikhs said he was made to look like the last Sikh Guru, Gobind Singh."^[11] This controversy developed into a serious law-and-order problem in various parts of Northern India, as riots broke out between Sacha Sauda followers and some Sikh groups. At least one person was killed, and over a hundred injured in the ensuing six days of sectarian violence."^[12]

On 20 May 2007, a press release by the organization mentioned that it regretted the events that had occurred. The sect admitted that the ad did create misunderstandings, but that it was never intended to hurt the sentiments of the Sikh community^[13] The organization again apologised on 27 May 2007 saying, "We are pained by the developments of the last several days. We are sorry for the misunderstanding and would like to apologise to Guru Gobind Singh."^[14]. However the Akal Takht rejected the apology, saying it was dissatisfied with the manner in which the Dera head has sent the apology.^[15].

On 20 June 2007, additional chief judicial magistrate A.L. Kitchi issued an arrest warrant against Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in connection with a criminal case registered against him under Section 295-A of the IPC on May 20 in Bathinda.^[16].

[edit] Other controversies

A joint sting operation conducted by Tehelka and IndiaTV team under Operation Jhootha Sauda uncover a cesspool of crime at the Dera Sacha Sauda. Its chief, Baba Gurmeet Singh, is now charged with murder and rape. A video has also been posted on their site. ^[17]

The organization and its head, Gurmeet Ram Raheem Singh, are also under investigation for the murder of a journalist, Ram Chandra Chatrapati, and for sexual exploitation of women followers.^[1]

Although Dera Sacha Sauda says it discourages donations, Gurmeet Ram Raheem Singh's favourite mode of transport is a fleet of Mercedes cars, protected by up to 25 bodyguards.^[18] In 2007, he clashed with the Punjab's state government after urging his followers to vote for the Congress party, which forms the opposition in Punjab.^[18]

Eighteen sadhvis examined by the CBI after they had left the Dera Sacha Sauda not only deposed against Dera chief Baba Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, but also called him and his followers “very dangerous people”. Two of them also charged the Dera chief with rape. A former driver of the dera chief, Khatta Singh, spilled the beans in all these cases by recording his statement before a magistrate in a court here earlier this year. There were allegations that former dera follower and a close aide of the sect chief, Ranjit Singh, was murdered by dera followers in July 2002 as he had highlighted the wrongdoings inside the dera headquarters, including the sexual exploitation of women followers by top people of the sect. ^[19]