Sikh religion vs Deras

What is Sikhism?

One of the world’s youngest religions, founded by Guru Nanak Dev in the 15th century.  The Sikh religious philosophy is based on the teachings of ten Sikh gurus. The tenth guru ordained Sikhs to consider holy scripture, Guru Granth Sahib as their ‘guru’ after him.

What are deras?

A dera is a term that describes the headquarter of a group of devotees owing allegiance to a particular spiritual leader, who invariably calls himself a sant or baba. A dera practices its own philosophy and symbols which are often inspired by tenets of Sikhism. Many deras also rever Guru Granth Sahib.

 Sikhs vs deras: why the conflict?

A dera is headed by a spiritual guru while the Sikhs resent the concept of a living guru. The Sikh clergy considers the concept of living guru as blasphemous. Many deras, who have their own tenets, also quote from the teachings of Guru Granth Sahib and offer their own interpretations which the Sikhs call distortions. Some of the deras keep the Guru Granth Sahib by the side of their spiritual guru which has caused much resentment among Sikh radicals. They claim it dishonours the Guru Granth Sahib and violates the Sikh religious code of conduct (Rehat maryada). This was the apparent cause of recent tension among Sikh radicals and Dera Sachkhand at Vienna.

Who are followers of deras?

The followers of deras could be Sikhs and Hindus. Some dera have Muslim and Christian followers as well.

What are the reasons for the large following of deras?

Dalits and backward classes, who patronise deras in large numbers, nurse a feeling of discrimination against them by the higher caste Sikhs as they are not included in the management bodies of gurdwaras. Several deras like Sachkhand are symbols of religious and social assertion by these classes.

How many deras exist in Punjab?

Estimates suggest there are over 8,000 big and small deras. However, there are a dozen-odd big deras whose followers exceed a lakh each. Some of these are Dera Radha Soami, Dera Sacha Sauda, Dera Sachkhand, Dera of Baba Bhaniarewala, Divya Jyoti Jagran Sanstha headed by Baba Ashutosh, Dera Nanaksarwale. They also have several branches spread across various states.