Ad-Dharmi

The Ad-Dharmi is a Dalit sect in the state of Punjab, in India.^[1][2] Ad-Dharmis comprise 11.48% of the total of lower status communities in Punjab.^[3][4][5]

Origin

The Ad-Dharm movement was started in the 1920s with the aim of establishing a distinct religious identity, similar to the Adi Dravida movement in Tamil Nadu. The founders of the Ad-Dharm Movement were Mangu Ram Mugowalia (a founding member of the Ghadar Party), Master Gurbanta Singh (a senior Congress leader), B. L. Gherra, and Pandit Hari Ram (Pandori Bibi), who served as the organization's secretary.^[6]

The movement projected Guru Ravidas, the 14th century Bhakti Movement saint, as their spiritual guru and adopted a sacred book called Ad Parkash for their separate ritual traditions. The Ad-Dharmi Dalits unified as a faith in 1925 during British rule in India.

In the 1931 census, over 450,000 individuals registered themselves as members of the new indigenous faith called Ad Dharam (or Original Religion).^[7] However, this faith and movement gradually declined after India gained independence due to the leaders' increasing involvement in state politics and the government's reservation policy, which focused only on providing reservations for low-caste individuals from Hindu, Sikh and Buddhist communities.^[8]

Religion

Although the Ad-Dharmi are followers of Guru Ravidas (now Ravidassia religion),^[9] and incorporate elements of Sikhism^[10] as they regard Shri Guru Granth Sahib as their religious text.^[11] But after killing of Ramananda Dass on Vienaa triggered them a lot and they formed separate Amritbani and customs.^[12]

Each of their settlement contains a gurdwaras and Ravidas Bhawans, which are both a centre of worship and as well as a focus of the community.

Notable people

• Mangu Ram Mugowalia, founding member of Ghadar Movement and Ad Dharm movement in Punjab^[13]

See also

• Chamar
• Ramdasia
• Ravidassia religion

References

1. "Deras and Dalit Consciousness". Mainstream Weekly. 13 June 2009. Retrieved 6 January 2016.
2. "'Ad-Dharm Movement was the Revolt Against the Hinduism' – Saheb Kanshi Ram's Speech at Sikri, Punjab, 12th February 2001 | Velivada". velivada.com. Retrieved 2021-06-27.
3. "Punjab Data Highlights: The Scheduled Castes" (PDF).
4. Singh, IP (July 13, 2020). "Give 'Adi-dharmi' as religion in 2021 census: Ravidassia leaders". The Times of India. Retrieved 2022-09-12.
5. "Why Everyone in Punjab loves a Dalit CM". NewsClick. 2021-09-22. Retrieved 2022-09-12.
6. pg 20, Sikh Identity: An Exploration Of Groups Among Sikhs by Opinderjit Kaur Takhar
7. "India's 'untouchables' declare own religion". CNN.com. Retrieved 6 January 2016.
8. Gill, Manmohan Singh (December 2, 2015). Punjab Society. ISBN 9788180690389. Retrieved January 6, 2016.
9. "Mention Ravidasia as religion: Dera Sachkhand to followers". Indian Express. Retrieved 6 January 2016.
10. Gupta, Dipankar (December 2, 2015). Like the other Sikh gurudwaras, Ad-Dharmis too keep the Guru Granth Sahib at their Ravidas Gurudwaras- Caste in Question. ISBN 9788132103455. Retrieved January 6, 2016.
11. Singh, IP (4 February 2010). "Ravidassia leaders reject new religion". The Times of India. Retrieved 6 January 2016.
12. "The strong differences within the Adi-dharmi/ Ravidassia community have taken another twist with a Phagwara-based century-and-a-half-old Dera of the community moving Punjab and Haryana High Court alleging that Dera Ballan indulged in plagiarism in preparing "Amrit Bani Satguru Guru Ravidass" Granth as it announced founding of a separate religion - Ravidassia- over three years back. - Times of India". The Times of India. Retrieved 2020-05-21.
13. Teltumbde, Anand (2016-08-19). Dalits: Past, present and future. Taylor & Francis. ISBN 978-1-315-52644-7.