Explained: Who are the Ravidassias in California pushing for legislation against caste discrimination?

Caste discrimination has become a buzz word in America and after Seattle became the first US city to ban this practice in February this year, other cities and states are following suit. One of the states that are moving towards outlawing caste bias is California.

In April, California’s Senate Judiciary Committee passed the bill banning caste discrimination, despite strong opposition from Indian-American business and temple organisations.

California’s attempt to become the first state in the nation to ban caste bias is being led by members of a small minority religious community, called the Ravidassia. They are followers of Ravidas, a 14th Century Indian guru, who preached caste and class equality. As of date, there are around 20,000 Ravidassias in California, mostly located in Central Valley.

They say that championing the legislation against caste bias is a worthy cause; moreover, fighting for equality is part of their history and their spiritual DNA.

Guru Ravidas

Ravidas was an Indian guru, mystic and poet who were one of the most renowned figures in the Bhakti movement, which placed love and devotion to god above all and preached against the caste system.

He was born in the 14th century in a village near Varanasi to a family of cobblers and tanners who belonged to the then-untouchable or leather-working caste known as “chamars.”

The Guru Granth Sahib, which is the sacred text of Sikhism, bears 40 verses or ‘shabds’ of Ravidas.

Ravidassia place of worship

A Ravidassia place of worship is called a sabha, dera, gurdwara or gurughar, which could all be translated as temple. Adherents cover their heads and remove their shoes before entering the prayer hall or place of worship. In California Ravidassia temples, the Guru Granth Sahib is the focal point of the prayer hall. The temples serve a post-worship meal as Sikh gurdwaras also do, which is known as langar. Ravidassia temples often display idols and/or pictures of Guru Ravidas in the prayer halls.

The Ravidassia identity

Professor Ronki Ram says the Ravidassia identity is challenging to pin down because it “cannot be compartmentalised.”

“More recently, they have been trying to carve out a separate identity for themselves,” he said. “But, they also follow Sikh traditions.”

Many male Ravidassia members wear long hair in a turban and carry Sikh articles of faith such as the kada or bracelet, kanga or wooden comb and kirpan, the sheathed, single-edged knife. Many men and women in the community also have Sikh last names — Singh and Kaur.

Ram points out that idols and images of Ravidas, however, can only be seen in a Ravidas temple. In addition, the community celebrates the birthday of their guru, which typically falls in February. Many Ravidass temples also observe the birth anniversary of BR Ambedkar, the Dalit rights icon whose given name was Bhimrao.

The faith also has followers who are Hindu and those who are from different parts of India. Ravidassia community members in California are largely of Punjabi descent.

Relationship with Sikhism

The Ravidassia community’s relationship with Sikhism is “flexible and nuanced,” said Sasha Sabherwal, assistant professor of Anthropology and Asian Studies, Northeastern University.

“It’s not an either-or relationship,” she said. “It’s a much more complex idea of what their faith means for them. Some (Ravidassia temples) may be autonomous spaces. But, in many cases, it’s blended or overlapping rather than something entirely independent. There is still a commitment to this larger Sikh project.”

Sabherwal said the path to unity may lie in making “meaningful structural changes.”

“The issue is that often, caste is not even acknowledged as a problem,” she said.

With inputs from AP

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