55-year-old arrested for killing Dalit man in Palamu
Daltonganj: Police on Tuesday arrested Ramesh Singh alias Mora Singh, 55, an accused in the daylight murder of Prabhunath Rajwar, 50, a Dalit man, under Pipra police station limits. Rajwar was allegedly attacked with a sharp-edged iron weapon, locally known as a baluwa, while playing cards under a banyan tree at Madhubana village around 1.30 pm on Monday. He succumbed to his injuries on the way to Medinirai Medical College and Hospital, Daltonganj. Witnesses present at the spot identified Mora Singh as the assailant, police said. The accused allegedly fled immediately after the attack, abandoning the weapon near the crime scene. An FIR was lodged on Tuesday by the victim’s brother, Shyam Lal Rajwar. Pipra police registered a case under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita pertaining to murder, along with provisions of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. Chhatarpur SDPO Prashant Kumar said during the interrogation, Singh confessed to the crime and cited a longstanding personal grudge against the victim. Caption: SDPO Chhatarpur Prashant Kumar addresses a news conference after the arrest of murder accused Ramesh Singh alias Mora Singh in Palamu on Tuesday. Courtesy : TOI Note: This news is originally published on https:/timesofindia.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
Opinion: How important is it for a Dalit to lead the Jantar Mantar movement? Has GenZ changed the political agenda?
CJP Protest: The CJP movement against the NEET paper leak sparked a new debate in the country’s politics and society. Dalit youth Abhijeet Deepak led this movement, but he focused on issues like education, paper leaks, and unemployment rather than caste. Following the movement, the government accepted their key demands. Many see this as a sign of GenZ’s changing mindset, where opportunities, education, and employment are becoming more important to youth than caste. A movement that channeled the anger and frustration of young people in India has recently been in the headlines. The Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) launched a major movement and finally achieved the acceptance of its key demand. Most notably, this movement was led by a Dalit youth, Abhijeet Deepak. For the first time in India, a major mass movement was led by a Dalit, and that too, a movement that was not in favor of reservation. This clearly demonstrates that India’s younger generation is overcoming the curse of caste. This is a very positive development. Abhijeet Dipke, a resident of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar in Maharashtra, comes from a Dalit family. His father became an engineer from a poor village farmer family. Abhijeet did not prioritize caste in his movement. He clearly stated that his focus was on the education system, paper leaks, and unemployment. Allegations of leaks in exams like NEET, student suicides, and a lack of jobs were the issues. He demanded the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. In June 2026, he returned from the US and began a protest at Jantar Mantar in Delhi. Gradually, the movement spread to many cities across the country. Protests at Jantar Mantar and Dalit Abhijeet Dipke The protest at Jantar Mantar continued for approximately 36-37 days. The students remained steadfast even in the rain. Abhijeet himself was seen several times pleading with the police, asking for permission to erect a tarpaulin. On July 25, 2026, significant news broke. Talks were held between the government and the CJP. Dharmendra Pradhan resigned. An assurance was given to withdraw the cases filed against the protesters. The CJP called off the agitation. Abhijeet said, “This proves that if you don’t fear, you can win.” Dalit Movement and History To understand this success, it’s important to examine the history of the Dalit movement in Maharashtra. Maharashtra has always been a stronghold of the fight for social justice. In the nineteenth century, Jyotirao Phule laid the first strong foundation in this direction. Phule himself belonged to the Mali caste, but he spoke out against the oppression of the upper castes. He founded the Satyashodhak Samaj. Phule believed that education is the real weapon. Along with his wife, Savitribai Phule, he opened schools for girls and backward castes. This was a significant achievement at the time. Phule’s book “Gulamgiri” is still read today against the caste system. He clearly stated that the Brahminical system enslaved the Shudras and Atishudras. The Ambedkar Era After Phule After Phule came the era of Babasaheb Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar. Ambedkar belonged to the Mahar community of Maharashtra. He not only criticized the caste system but also waged an organized struggle against it. The Mahad Satyagraha and the Kala Ram Temple Entry Movement—these are pages of history. Ambedkar showed the path of education, organization, and struggle. While drafting the Constitution, he provided for reservations so that Dalits and backward classes could find a place in the mainstream. In 1956, he embraced Buddhism along with millions of followers. Ambedkar’s message was: Be educated, stay organized, and fight. Maharashtra, the land of the Dalit movement The Dalit movement has always been strong in Maharashtra because of these two great men. Later, leaders like Kanshi Ram and Mayawati gave it political strength, but its roots remain in Maharashtra. Ambedkarite thinking still runs deep in Marathwada and Vidarbha. Abhijeet Deepak also emerged from this soil. He held Ambedkar’s book in his hand and spoke about the Constitution. He talks about cleaning up education, ending exam malpractices, and giving opportunities to youth. Has Genji changed his political agenda? This reflects Genji’s thinking. Today’s youth has grown up on social media. Opportunity, employment, and respect matter more to them than caste. The older generation associated caste with every issue. The new generation considers issues as issues. Abhijit’s movement has become a symbol of this sentiment. It is remarkable that a Dalit leader has been able to garner such widespread support for a non-caste issue. This is change. Some critics will argue that caste still exists. Abhijit faced casteist attacks when he identified himself as a Dalit. But the support was overwhelming. Millions of young people stood with him without questioning his caste. This is change. Author: Vivek Shukla Courtesy: Hindi News
BJP bets on Ravidas Temple for Pan-India Dalit outreach before 2027
Varanasi: Ahead of UP and Punjab polls in 2027, the BJP will launch its mega Dalit outreach programme from Sant Ravidas Temple in Varanasi on Wednesday by taking out a countrywide Kalash Yatra. For this, BJP workers will carry 131 urns from the birthplace of 15th-century poet-saint Sant Ravidas to different parts of the country. The mega event will be flagged off on Wednesday in the presence of the UP CM Yogi Adityanath and the party’s national president Nitin Nabin. The temple has remained the nucleus of the BJP’s Dalit outreach since 2008, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi visiting it three times since 2016. Led by BJP SC Morcha national president Lal Singh Arya and state general secretary (organisation) Dharampal Singh, party workers gathered near the Ravidas Temple on Tuesday and filled 131 urns with soil from the saint’s birthplace. After worshipping the kalash, the party also organised a religious procession carrying the urns. On Wednesday, Yogi, Nabin and state president Pankaj Chaudhary will flag off the “Shri Guru Ravidas Maharaj Samrasta Sankalp Abhiyan” with the same 131 urns to mark the 650th Prakash Parv of Sant Ravidas. The campaign will be formally inaugurated on Guru Purnima on Wednesday and, following a series of programmes, will conclude on Maghi Purnima on Feb 20, 2027. Maghi Purnima is celebrated as Ravidas Jayanti. The political significance of the temple increased when then chief minister Mayawati tried to develop a grand park at Sant Ravidas’ birthplace in Seer Gowardhanpur in 1997, although the bid was foiled by the Yadav-dominated local population. The BSP supremo attended the Ravidas Jayanti celebrations as chief minister in 2008 and gifted a golden palanquin to the temple. She also ensured the creation of Ravidas Park and a ghat in the saint’s name along the Ganga. Following Mayawati’s visits, politicians from almost all political parties began visiting the Ravidas temple as part of their Dalit outreach efforts. Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended the Ravidas Jayanti celebrations in 2016 and 2019 and also visited the temple in 2023. After participating in the Ravidas Jayanti celebrations in 2018, CM Yogi visited the temple several times to monitor the ambitious project for the development of the saint’s birthplace. Apart from them, Congress MPs Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi, former Delhi chief minister and AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal, and former Punjab chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi have also visited the temple in recent years. The satsang ground of the Ravidas temple at Seer Gowardhanpur, which witnessed the foiling of Mayawati’s dream project by SP functionaries in 1997, later hosted the rally of the then SP-BSP grand alliance for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, addressed by Akhilesh Yadav and Mayawati on May 6, 2019. Courtesy : TOI Note: This news is originally published on https:/timesofindia.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
Farmers protest in Syana, serious allegations against accountant: Indefinite sit-in protest against indecency and illegal extortion of Dalit woman
On Monday, dozens of farmers, led by State Vice President of Bharatiya Kisan Union (Bhanu), Sunil Singh, staged a strong protest at the tehsil premises in Syana, Bulandshahr. They raised slogans and launched an indefinite sit-in, leveling serious allegations against a clerk posted at the tehsil. The farmers allege that the clerk misbehaved with a Dalit woman in Rukhi village. Furthermore, he is accused of illegally occupying the lands of dozens of farmers in the village and making illegal extortions from them on a daily basis. The protesters also alleged that the clerk is negligent in his official duties. Speaking to the media, State Vice President of Bharatiya Kisan Union (Bhanu), Sunil Singh, said, “This accountant is involved in corruption. He is disrespecting women and encroaching on the lands of poor farmers. Our indefinite sit-in will continue until this accountant is immediately transferred and a case is filed against him and strict action is taken.” The protesting farmers raised slogans against the administration in the tehsil premises. Farmer leaders demanded that the administration conduct a high-level investigation into the matter, take departmental action against the guilty accountant, and provide justice to the victim. They warned that if their demands were not met soon, the agitation would be intensified and a demonstration would be held at the district headquarters. Aman Tyagi | Syana (Bulandshahr), Bulandshahr Courtesy: Hindi News
Dalit Youth Assaulted for Drinking Water From Public Pot in Rajasthan; FIR Registered After Court Order
Police in Rajasthan’s Balotra district have registered an FIR against a man accused of assaulting and abusing a Dalit youth with casteist slurs after he allegedly drank water from a public earthen pot outside a grocery shop. The case was registered at Gida Police Station following directions from an SC/ST court after the complainant alleged that police had failed to act on his earlier complaints. Victim alleges assault after drinking water According to the FIR, the incident took place on June 11 at around 7 pm near a bus stand in Khokhsar village under the Gida police station area. The complainant alleged that he was waiting for a bus to Chaba when, due to the heat, he drank water from a public earthen pot kept outside the grocery shop of the accused, identified as Rajuram Nai. He claimed the accused became angry, allegedly abused him using caste-based slurs and demanded money for drinking the water. When the complainant said he had no money, the accused allegedly slapped and punched him. The assault stopped only after local residents intervened, according to the complaint. The complainant further alleged that the accused later threatened to break his arms and legs and kill him if he pursued any action. Police registered case after court order The complainant said he reported the incident at Gida Police Station the following day and later sent a written complaint to the Balotra Superintendent of Police. However, alleging that no action was taken, he approached the SC/ST court. Following the court’s directions, Gida Police registered an FIR against the accused. Investigation underway Police said the case has been registered under Sections 115(2) and 126(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), along with relevant provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. Courtesy : TOP Note: This news is originally published on https:/theobserverpost.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human ri
Special Court Decision: Five Convicts in Narsinghpur Murder of Dalit Middle-Aged Man Sentenced to Life Imprisonment
According to the prosecution, the incident occurred on March 14, 2025. Nitesh Mehra, a resident of Umaria village in the Gotegaon area, was called by accused Kamlesh Prajapati and abused… Read More Special Court Decision. Naidunia Representative, Narsinghpur. The court of Special Judge (Scheduled Castes/Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act) Manoj Kumar Ladhiya, delivering swift justice in a serious case of murder and caste-based atrocity, convicted five accused from the same family and sentenced them to life imprisonment. The Special Court convicted the accused, Kamlesh Prajapati (28), Annilal Prajapati (50), Akhilesh Prajapati (24), Chhotu alias Umesh (22), and Savita Bai (47) (all residents of Umaria village, Gotegaon police station) under sections 103(1)/190 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the SC/ST Act and sentenced them to life imprisonment and a fine. According to the prosecution, the incident occurred on March 14, 2025. Nitesh Mehra, a resident of Umaria village in the Gotegaon area, received a call from the accused, Kamlesh Prajapati, abusing him, and informing him that they were assaulting his father, Sukhlal Mehra. Nitesh immediately rushed to the scene (a gram field) and saw the accused brutally beating his father with sticks and kicks. Sukhlal suffered serious injuries due to a minor dispute (over leaving straw) and caste-based hatred. Sukhlal was later declared dead on the way to the hospital. Court Verdict and Sentence On behalf of the prosecution, ADPO Amit Kumar Rai presented strong evidence and oral arguments. The court agreed with the prosecution’s arguments and sentenced the five accused to life imprisonment and a fine of 2,000 rupees each under Section 103(1) of the IPC for murder. Kamlesh, Annilal, and Akhilesh were sentenced to 2 years’ rigorous imprisonment and a fine of 500 rupees each for rioting and other charges. Chhotu and Savita Bai were sentenced to 1 year’s rigorous imprisonment and a fine of 500 rupees each. BY VARIJ BAJPAIEDITED BY: NAVODIT SAKTAWAT Courtesy: Hindi News
Hathras Student Molested: Neighboring Youth Arrested, Police File Case
A case has been registered in Hathras Kotwali Sadar for the molestation of a Dalit girl. Police arrested the accused this afternoon. The incident occurred on the morning of July 20th, when a 17-year-old Dalit girl was on her way to computer coaching. In her complaint, the girl stated that Rizwan alias Nahna, son of Shamshad, who lived in a colony on Jalesar Road in the Kotwali Sadar area, stopped her on the way. The accused held her hand and made obscene remarks. The accused belongs to another community. When the girl protested, Rizwan abused her and used casteist slurs. As he left, he also threatened to kill her father. The girl returned home and informed her family about the incident. Acting on the complaint, the accused, Rizwan alias Nahna, has been arrested. Courtesy: Hindi News
BJP’s new strategy ahead of the 2027 Uttarakhand Assembly elections, attempts to garner the Dalit vote
BJP’s ‘Harmony Mission’ in Uttarakhand, using Saint Ravidas as a vehicle, new strategy for the 2027 Assembly elections, politics intensifies, report by Dheeraj Sajwan Dehradun: Ahead of the 2027 Uttarakhand Assembly elections, the BJP has decided to embark on its most significant social and political mission. To expand its reach among the Dalit vote bank in Uttarakhand, the BJP has launched a “Harmony Resolution Campaign” centered on the 650th birth anniversary of Saint Ravidas. The party aims to further strengthen its hold on the state’s approximately 17% Dalit vote bank. To achieve this, the Samrasata Sankalp Abhiyan will be launched in Uttarakhand, along with the entire country, in February next year, centering on the 650th birth anniversary of Saint Ravidas. The BJP is describing this campaign as a program of social harmony and cultural awakening. However, the opposition is calling it an electoral strategy to garner Dalit votes. According to political analysts, this campaign is not merely a religious or social event, but also a major political exercise to shift social equations in its favor ahead of the 2027 elections. 107 Ravidas temples will be the focus of the campaign, with the BJP reaching the booth level: Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently flagged off the Sant Ravidas Express from Jalandhar. Following this, the BJP is now launching a national-level “Samrasata Sankalp Abhiyan” leading up to the 650th birth anniversary of Sant Ravidas. The campaign will begin with the lighting of lamps on Guru Parva on July 29th, and various programs will be organized across the country until February 20, 2027. Crucially, election-bound states, including Uttarakhand, have been given special focus. 107 temples dedicated to Sant Ravidas in the state have been designated as the focus of the campaign. From Seer Govardhanpur in Varanasi, urns containing sacred soil from the birthplace of Sant Ravidas will be delivered to several states, including Uttarakhand. Following this, Kalash Yatras, social dialogues, seminars, and booth-level programs will be organized. The party’s objective is to spread the message of social harmony among the Dalit community while also strengthening its organizational base. BJP state spokesperson Mathura Dutt Joshi said, Congress attacks, saying, “The campaign is not about harmony, it’s an election stunt.” Congress has reacted sharply to the BJP’s campaign. Congress state spokesperson Pratima Singh called it an election stunt to influence the Dalit community. She said, “How can a party that has been accused of ignoring the ideas of Constitution maker Baba Saheb Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar and weakening the spirit of the Constitution, talk about harmony?” Congress state spokesperson Pratima Singh said, “Large leaders like Lalu and Mulayam are the products of Lohia’s non-Congressism: Political analysts believe that the social and political structure of Uttarakhand is quite different from that of states like Uttar Pradesh. The Dalit community here has its own social history, local leadership, and distinct political behavior.” Senior political analyst Ravindra Nath Kaushik explains that, Furthermore, senior political analyst Ravindra Nath Kaushik further adds that, Caste equations are nothing new in Indian politics: Ravindra Nath Kaushik explains that caste equations are nothing new in Indian politics. Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia’s non-Congressism movement gave a new direction to backward class politics, which later led to the emergence of leaders like Lalu Prasad Yadav and Mulayam Singh Yadav. He says that the BJP has also been conveying political messages from time to time through social representation. The recent appointment of Babita Sahotra to the Child Welfare Committee can also be considered part of this broader social strategy. According to him, the purpose of starting the campaign now is to ensure that this message continues to resonate with the society until the elections. Haridwar and Terai are the most focused areas, with the Bhim Army and BSP also a challenge: Senior journalist Bhagirath Sharma believes that the BJP’s entire strategy in Uttarakhand has been designed with Haridwar and the Terai region in mind. According to him, the BJP did not achieve the expected success in the Haridwar district in the last assembly elections. In the 2022 elections, out of the 11 assembly seats in the district, the BJP was able to win only three: Haridwar, Roorkee, and BHEL Ranipur. The remaining seats were won by Congress, BSP, and independent candidates. Dalit voters played a decisive role in most of these areas. Senior journalist Bhagirath Sharma says, Dalit voters are in a position to influence election results in many assembly seats: According to Bhagirath Sharma, Dalit voters are in a position to influence election results not only in Haridwar, but also in several assembly seats in the Pachhadun region of Dehradun, Doiwala, Rishikesh, Udham Singh Nagar, and Nainital districts. This is why the party is already developing a network of social dialogue down to the booth level. Political experts believe that an important aspect of Uttarakhand politics is that the Dalit community has been deeply connected not only to national symbols but also to its local social leaders. Devbhoomi has given birth to numerous Dalit leaders and social reformers like Jayanand Bharti, Hari Prasad Tamta, and Khushi Ram Arya, whose social acceptance remains intact in many areas. In such a situation, the biggest question will be whether the national-level harmony campaign in the name of Saint Ravidas will be able to influence Uttarakhand’s local social symbols, or will the state’s politics continue to revolve around local social identities. However, it is certain that political parties’ activism and social campaigns aimed at the Dalit vote bank will intensify in the coming months ahead of the 2027 assembly elections. The Dalit community can play a decisive role in Uttarakhand’s electoral politics: While the BJP is striving for social expansion through harmony, the Congress, BSP, and Bhim Army are facing the challenge of maintaining this same social base in their own ways. In such a situation, the Dalit community may once again play a decisive role in Uttarakhand’s electoral politics. Courtesy: Hindi News
Dalit woman denied payment, subjected to casteist slurs: Casteist slurs and assault upon protest; FIR filed a month later
In Vidyarthipuram village, under the Bichhwan police station area of Mainpuri, a Dalit woman was denied payment after purchasing goods from a shop. When she protested, the accused used casteist slurs against her and assaulted her, leaving her injured. An FIR has been filed a month after the incident. Vidyarthipuram resident Sapna, wife of Mansingh Jatav, stated in her FIR that on June 21st, at 2 p.m., she was alone at her grocery store when Akash, son of Sukhpal, and Nitin Chauhan, son of Guddan, from the neighboring village of Garh Nagla Bhagat, came to her shop and purchased goods. When Sapna asked for money, the accused began abusing her. They used casteist slurs and threatened to kill her if she complained. When Sapna asked for money, the accused also assaulted Sapna, leaving her injured. The woman filed a complaint with higher authorities. Subsequently, a case was registered on July 25th, and the woman underwent a medical examination on July 26th. Station House Officer Ashish Dubey stated that an FIR has been registered based on the complaint, and further action will be taken after the investigation. Shashikant | Orandh (Kurawali), Mainpuri Courtesy: Hindi News
As Modi meets Sachkhand Ballan chief, why Punjab’s largest Dalit dera matters politically
Home to Punjab’s largest Ravidasia congregation, the dera has evolved into a symbol of Dalit assertion, religious identity and electoral significance. Chandigarh: Last week, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi was in Jalandhar to inaugurate a new railway station, one of the few persons he chose to specially meet was Sant Niranjan Dass, head of the influential Dalit Dera Sachkhand Ballan. The warmth between the PM and the Dalit dera appears mutual. In December last year, Sant Dass had first met Modi inviting him to the dera on the occasion of Guru Ravidas Jayanti, and the PM visited the dera in February to participate in the ceremony. The dera chief was also honoured with the civilian award Padma Shri last month. Apart from the growing personal friendship, the PM’s open patronage of Punjab’s largest Dalit dera can also be read politically as part of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) outreach to Dalit voters ahead of next year’s assembly polls. ThePrint explains the emergence of Dera Sachkhand Ballan, located at Ballan in Jalandhar, and its political significance in Punjab. Three prominent deras Deras, widespread in Punjab, are socio-religious centres of various sects and organisations. Unlike Sikh gurdwaras, where the Guru Granth Sahib is considered a living guru, deras are generally led by a living guru with a personal following. Dera Radha Soami Satsang Beas, Dera Sacha Sauda (headquartered in Sirsa) and Dera Sachkhand Ballan are the three most followed deras in Punjab, commanding a following running into several lakhs. Though the dera Beas, located in the Majha belt, is considered to be apolitical, the BJP has in the past few years made multiple efforts to cement the party’s bond with dera chief Baba Gurinder Singh. The outreach has included the PM meeting Baba Gurinder Singh on several occasions. The dera at Sirsa, which has a large following in Malwa, is headed by Gurmeet Ram Rahim currently in jail serving multiple sentences for rape and murder. He is considered to be close to the BJP, with the administration allowing him breaks from jail several times in the year. Now, the bonhomie with a prominent Dalit dera in the heart of Doaba completes the picture. Dalits hold the key Dalits constitute almost 32 percent of Punjab’s population, the highest proportion of Scheduled Caste (SC) population among all Indian states, according to the 2011 Census. They are divided among Sikh, Hindu and Christian faiths, and many flock to deras. Dalits also do not vote en bloc in Punjab. Among the Dalits, the Ravidasias, Ramdasias and Ad-Dharmis are the major sub-groups, concentrated in the Doaba region comprising the districts of Jalandhar, Hoshiarpur, SBS Nagar and Phagwara. Ronki Ram, from the department of sociology, Panjab University Chandigarh, had in his seminal study on Punjab Dalits reported that the Ravidasias are the most prominent Dalit community in the state. “Out of the 39 SC castes in Punjab, the four major castes of Chamar (23.45 percent), Ad-dharmi (11.48 percent), Balmiki (9.78 percent) and Mazhabi (29.72 percent) constitute 74.44 percent of the total SC population,” he wrote in his research paper titled ‘Caste within Caste: Predicament of Political Solidarity among Scheduled Castes in Contemporary Punjab’. “Chamars are further divided into Ravidasias (leather workers) and Ramdasias (weavers). The Ravidasias have utilised the availability of reservation in education well, and are more upwardly mobile than Ramdasias,” he told ThePrint. The Ravidasias are followers of Guru Ravidas, a 15th-century Bhakti saint and social reformer of the Chamar caste whose egalitarian message resonated with Dalit communities. “Ravidas was born into the Chamar caste, also known as Kutbandhla, one of the Scheduled Castes (SC) in Uttar Pradesh. Chamars are known by their profession of leather and tanning. They were oppressed and their touch and sight were considered polluting by the upper castes. Ravidas revolted against this inhuman system of untouchability. He adopted bhakti as a mode of expression for his revolt,” reads Ronki Ram’s research paper. Guru Ravidas’s poetic hymns are also included in the holy text of the Guru Granth Sahib. Every year, trains full of devotees from Sachkhand Ballan head to Shri Guru Ravidas Janam Asthan in Varanasi to mark the guru’s birth anniversary. During his visit to Jalandhar last week, the PM also flagged off the Sant Ravidas Express connecting Amritsar to Varanasi to facilitate devotees travelling from Punjab. The Sachkhand Ballan Dera is the largest dera of the Ravidasias in Punjab. According to Ronki Ram, the growth and expansion of Sachkhand Ballan is an example of the upward mobility of Ravidasias. “Many Ravidasias went abroad and have earned well and have invested in Guru Ravidas deras. They have built temples, gurdwaras, bhawans (memorial halls), educational institutions/chairs, cultural organisations and hospitals in his name all over Punjab. They are also networked and, as a community, enjoy political clout. The growth and expansion of Sachkhand Ballan is an example of this upward mobility of Ravidasias,” he said. A faultline among Ravidasias and radical Sikhs emerged in 2009 when six armed men attacked a Ravidasia congregation at Ravidas Gurdwara in Vienna in Austria, where Sant Ramanand, the then second in command of the dera, was fatally injured. Sant Niranjan Dass, who was heading the sect even then and was with Sant Ramanand, was injured. Sikh extremists saw some Ravidasia practises as divergent from orthodox Sikh canon. They objected to keeping the Guru Granth Sahib at the same level as a human guru. The 2009 attack triggered protests in Punjab, with clashes among Sikhs and Ravidasias reported in Jalandhar, Hoshiarpur, and other areas. Several vehicles were burnt in the riots that ensued. A passenger train was torched after passengers were asked to evacuate. Then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had to appeal for peace. In September 2010, a Vienna court sentenced the main attacker to life in prison for murder and attempted murder, while four accomplices received 17 to 18-year sentences and a sixth received six months. Demand for separate identity The Vienna incident was pivotal in galvanising the community’s sense of a separate identity.