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Thursday, February 9, 2012
GURU RAVIDASS PRAKASH UTSAV
Guru Ravidass Prakash Utsav was celebrated
with the desired enthusiasm throughout India
and abroad by the followers of the great
Guru Ravidassji. on February 7. The day is
an annual event of note not only at Bootan
Mandi in Jalandhar but also throughout in
Doaba region where the dalit followers of
Guru Ravidass are concentrated and are well
placed for the last 80 years or so. For the
successive second year, I am in Jalandhar
and observed the celebrations first hand.
The Shoba Yatra and the Nagar Kirtan were
taken out in the city with all pomp and show
on February 6. It was a sea of humanity at
loose. The Yatra was joined by all the local
dalit organisations and forums in and around
Jalandhar city. The entire route of the
Yatra was given a festive look with buntings
and flags and was punctuated by the podiums
with DJs and loud speakers playing glaring
music singing the praises of the Guru and
spirited numbers like " Hun Sare Kar Lao Eka
Beguampura Vasauna aan " etc. It looked as
if the whole city has come to streets. It is
to be noted with appreciation that the
entire route was spread out with Langars of
lunch, fruits, sweets, water, tea and other
food stuff to serve the moving caravan of
the great Yatra. I am happy to observe that
for last about 25 years the workers of
Soccer International ( a big local company
dealing in supports goods) under the
stewardship of my younger brother Krishan
arrange a big Langar near the Lovely Sweets
on Nakodar Road and extend warm welcome to
all the participating groups in the Yatra.
It is good and healthy tradition. The
strength of the community was at show. The
energy and awareness which has come, of
late, to the fore was clearly demonstrated.
But the flip side of the great show was lack
of discipline both on the side of the
participants, organisers and also the
authorities. The followers of the great Guru
should consider this and set an example of
order and discipline. It will add to their
credit and raise their status. Almost all
the vernacular dailies carried out the
stories and photos of the Yatra and rightly
so.
On the Gurupurab day that is February 7,
Kirtan Darbars were arranged in the presence
of the Guru Granth Sahib and the newly
established Amritvani followed by Langars in
the day time. The entire Bootan Mandi area
right from the Wadala Chowk to Abadpura was
turned into a great Mela in a total festive
mood. From the late evening to the late
mid-night, a number of functions were held
to sing and promote the mission and
philosophy of Guru Ravidass. These functions
were well attended where important and known
singers performed in the presence of leaders
including sitting and former MPs. MLAs,
senior Bureaucats etc. The message was
clearly emerging. The dalit community is
awakened. It is bubbling with energy. It
looks for avenues to find its due space and
place in the society. As poet Iqbal put it " jara si nam ho to
yeh mitti badi jerkhez hai saki ". But
unfortunately, the leadership is torn and
divided. They are doing a disservice to the
whole community on account of their selfish
and vested interests. In Bootan Mandi, a few
self appointed and self styled Seths with
narrow agenda and family fueds are holding
the entire society to ransom. They must
learn forthwith and stop. The caravan will
go on with or without these short sighted
individuals. Let us unite for the good of
the society as I said in my speech in one of
functions on February 7 at Bootan Mandi '
Tum hi tum ho to kya tum ho; Hum hi hum hain
to kya hum hain ".
PS; I was one of the Panelists on a
discussion on the Jalandhar Doordarshan on
the topic " Relevence of the Vani of Guru
Ravidass in the contemporary times'
telecasted on February 7.
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