Dera Sacha Sauda
Encyclopedia
Dera Sacha Sauda colloquially DSS) is a non-profit spiritual organization based in Sirsa, Haryana
, India. The Dera Sacha Sauda was established by Shah Mastana Ji from Baluchistan
in 1948, as a center for spiritual learning.
The organisation has achieved Guinness World Records for several blood donation drives and a tree-planting initiative.
. Some historical sources tell of how, when Guru Nanak Dev was a young boy, his father gave him twenty some money and instructed him to conduct a business operation in order that he make a profit and learn business skills. Guru Nanak used the money to buy food to feed the poor, and explained to his father that in doing so he had done a "True Deal."
, equality
, no acceptance of materialistic wealth, and truth and faith over everything else, meditation to road of truth, no politics, strict individual discipline, strict social discipline, hard work, true faith and meditation to escape from re-births (moksha
).
", which now has more than 35,000 doctors, engineers, rescuers, paramedics, and tradesmen participating. The organisation has rendered aid during many of India's natural disasters.
Haryana
Haryana is a state in India. Historically, it has been a part of the Kuru region in North India. The name Haryana is found mentioned in the 12th century AD by the apabhramsha writer Vibudh Shridhar . It is bordered by Punjab and Himachal Pradesh to the north, and by Rajasthan to the west and south...
, India. The Dera Sacha Sauda was established by Shah Mastana Ji from Baluchistan
Baluchistan (Chief Commissioners Province)
The Chief Commissioner's Province of Baluchistan was a province of British India located in the northern parts of the modern Balochistan province.- History :...
in 1948, as a center for spiritual learning.
The organisation has achieved Guinness World Records for several blood donation drives and a tree-planting initiative.
Etymology
The name Sacha Sauda ("True Deal") refers to an incident in the life of Guru Nanak DevGuru Nanak Dev
Guru Nanak was the founder of the religion of Sikhism and the first of the ten Sikh Gurus. The Sikhs believe that all subsequent Gurus possessed Guru Nanak’s divinity and religious authority, and were named "Nanak" in the line of succession.-Early life:Guru Nanak was born on 15 April 1469, now...
. Some historical sources tell of how, when Guru Nanak Dev was a young boy, his father gave him twenty some money and instructed him to conduct a business operation in order that he make a profit and learn business skills. Guru Nanak used the money to buy food to feed the poor, and explained to his father that in doing so he had done a "True Deal."
History
Dera Sacha Sauda was established in 1948 by Shah Mastana from Baluchistan, who focused on attracting followers from different backgrounds. His successor, Shah Satnam, opened branches in several different states and continued his work. Under the current head, Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh.Principles and positions
The cardinal principles of the sect laid down by Shah Mastana Ji are 1.Only vegetarian food is allowed 2. The drinking of liquor is forbidden 3. Illicit sex is not allowed. The sect also believes in secularismSecularism
Secularism is the principle of separation between government institutions and the persons mandated to represent the State from religious institutions and religious dignitaries...
, equality
Egalitarianism
Egalitarianism is a trend of thought that favors equality of some sort among moral agents, whether persons or animals. Emphasis is placed upon the fact that equality contains the idea of equity of quality...
, no acceptance of materialistic wealth, and truth and faith over everything else, meditation to road of truth, no politics, strict individual discipline, strict social discipline, hard work, true faith and meditation to escape from re-births (moksha
Moksha
Within Indian religions, moksha or mukti , literally "release" , is the liberation from samsara and the concomitant suffering involved in being subject to the cycle of repeated death and reincarnation or rebirth.-Origins:It is highly probable that the concept of moksha was first developed in...
).
Green S Welfare Force
Singh formed a welfare and disaster relief organisation called "Shah Satnam Ji Green-S Welfare ForceShah Satnam Ji Green-S Welfare Force
Shah Satnam Ji Green-S Welfare Force is a welfare agency of Dera Sacha Sauda. With the aim of dedicated selfless service to humanity in distress, Guru Ji founded this specialised disaster relief and welfare agency...
", which now has more than 35,000 doctors, engineers, rescuers, paramedics, and tradesmen participating. The organisation has rendered aid during many of India's natural disasters.
Charitable programs
Singh has initiated a variety of charitable programs during his tenure.- An annual eye care camp on 13–15 December each year, staffed by eye surgeons.
- A campaign against female foeticide; the organisation has also built the Shahi Betiyan Basera for orphan girls who were to be killed by their parents. This home is called the Home for the Royal Daughters and provides amenities for destitute female children.
- Support for the transgendered; Singh has directed his organisation members to help intersex children who join itinerant transgender communities.He plans to support their schooling in special institutions. This community is heavily afflicted with HIV due to commercial sex.
- Blood donationBlood donationA blood donation occurs when a person voluntarily has blood drawn and used for transfusions or made into medications by a process called fractionation....
drives, for which DSS has thrice been recognised by the Guiness World Records:- 7 December 2003 in Sirsa, Haryana with 15,432 donors in 12 hours
- 10 October 2004 in Bapu Ji village, Sri Ganganagar, with 17,921 donors
- 8 August 2010 in a dedicated camp in Haryana, with 43,732 donors participated.
- Anti-drug initiatives, including a free drug and alcohol rehabilitation centre in Sirsa. The institution sees chemical dependency as a behavior disorder and encourages the addicts to bring about a positive change in their personality.
- Anti-prostitution initiatives; in November 2009 Singh called on his followers to counter prostitution, and to help sex-workers escape a "life of perpetual slavery". Over 1450 followers were reported to have responded to the call and offered to marry sex-workers to "help them escape their dreary existence". Singh referred to these former prostitutes as shubh devi ("holy angel").
- Tree planting, for which they set a Guiness World Record with 43 lakhLakhA lakh is a unit in the Indian numbering system equal to one hundred thousand . It is widely used both in official and other contexts in Pakistan, Bangladesh, India, Maldives, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Myanmar and is often used in Indian English.-Usage:...
of trees planted worldwide on Singh's birthday on 15 August 2010. - Disaster relief; DSS was instrumental in making one of the largest contributions to Gujarat Earthquake relief in the year 2001. The first village to be reconstructed in Gujarat was village Pratapgarh in Rapar Taluka in Bhuj. Likewise, Orissa, after being hit by a supercyclone was the recipient of Singh's largesse when 34 wagonloads of an entire goods train were dispatched for the victims.
- Sports programs: in 2004 the Parampita Shah Satnam Ji Educational and Welfare Society, which is affiliated with Dera Sacha Sauda, built the Shah Satnam ji Cricket Stadium in Sirsa, Haryana. Using a workforce of 10,000, the stadium was said to have been built in 45 days and have a capacity of 30,000. It is spread over 100 acreAcreThe acre is a unit of area in a number of different systems, including the imperial and U.S. customary systems. The most commonly used acres today are the international acre and, in the United States, the survey acre. The most common use of the acre is to measure tracts of land.The acre is related...
s, which would make the second largest in Asia. - Organ and whole-body donation; DSS encourages donation of bodies and eyes after death. It has emerged as one of the leading whole body donor agencies as per newspaper reports.
- They have trained tribals in various vocational skills.
Controversies
In the 2000s, the organisation received attention due to several controversies involving its leader, Ram Rahim Singh:- In 1991, Dera manager Faqir Chand, who was considered a confidante of Ram Rahim Singh, suddenly disappeared. In 2007, in a TehelkaTehelkaTehelka is an Indian weekly political magazine under the editorship of Tarun Tejpal known for its undercover exposé style of journalism. Its cover price is Rs 20 per issue. The publication began in 2000 as a news website, Tehelka.com...
published a report, in which Gurmeet Singh's former driver and aide Khatta Singh alleged that the murder was ordered by Gurmeet Singh. This led to the filing of a murder case against the Dera by the CBI in February 2010, which was subsequently dismissed on 2 December 2010.
- In 2002, an anonymous letter, supposedly from a Sadhvi living in the Dera, was sent to the then Prime Minister Atal Bihari VajpayeeAtal Bihari VajpayeeAtal Bihari Vajpayee is an Indian statesman who served as the tenth Prime Minister of India three times – first for a brief term of 13 days in 1996, and then for two terms from 1998 to 2004. After his first brief period as Prime Minister in 1996, Vajpayee headed a coalition government from...
as well as the judges of The Punjab and Haryana High Court. In this letter, the sadhvi alleged being raped by Gurmit Singh Ram Rahim. In 2007, the CBI filed charges against Gurmit Singh Ram Rahim under the sections 376 (rape) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the IPCIndian Penal CodeIndian Penal Code is the main criminal code of India. It is a comprehensive code, intended to cover all substantive aspects of criminal law. It was drafted in 1860 and came into force in colonial India during the British Raj in 1862...
. As per the directions of the Punjab and Haryana high court, the daily hearing of the case started in the CBICBI- Places and installations :* Cape Breton Island, part of Nova Scotia, Canada* Center for Biomedical Imaging, a research facility of Boston University Medical Center* Central Bukidnon Institute, a secondary school in the Philippines...
special court in PanchkulaPanchkulaPanchkula is a planned city in Panchkula district, Haryana, India. It is a satellite city of the Union Territory of Chandigarh. It also shares seamless border with Mohali district in Punjab. The prestigious Chandimandir Cantonment Headquarters of the Indian Army Western Command, is also located in...
from 28 September 2011.
- In 2007, Singh and the DSS were the target of widespread protests, following an incident in which Ram Rahim Singh appeared in an advertisement dressed in a way which Sikhs said was similar to the tenth Sikh Guru, Gobind SinghGobind SinghGobind Singh VC was an Indian soldier, and recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest Commonwealth award for gallantry "in the face of the enemy", during the First World War....
. One person was killed in the violence and over 100 injured. This incident resulted in a series of three apologies from DSS and Singh, as well as a 2007 arrest warrant against Singh and subsequent criminal case which was dismissed in 2009.