Ramdasia

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Ramdasia
ReligionsSikhism • Hinduism
LanguagesPunjabi • Hindi • Dogri
Populated statesPunjab • Haryana • Jammu • Himachal Pradesh

The Ramdasia were historically a Sikh Hindu sub-group that originated from the Hindu caste of leather tanners and shoemakers known as Chamar.[1] Nowadays people of this community do Farming, large number of them are Governnent officials, Granthi in gurudwara and prominent Politicians. In book called British Untouchables: A Study of Dalit Identity and Education by author named Paul Avtar Singh Ghuman, its clearly mentioned on page number IX under the heading 'Glossary of Terms' that Ramdasias are chamars who converted to Sikhism.[2]

Terminology[]

"Ramdasia is a term used in general for Sikhs whose ancestors belonged ex untouchables Chamar caste. Originally they are followers of Guru Ravidass ji who belongs to Chamar community ".[1]

Ramdasia sikhs are enlisted as scheduled caste by Department of Social justice, Empowerment and Minorities- Government of Punjab. On Department's list of Scheduled Caste, this caste is listed on serial number 9 alongside with other Chamar caste synonymous such as Ravidasia, Jatav and so on.[3]

Military service[]

British Raj[]

The Sikh Light Infantry march past during the Republic day parade in New Delhi, India

The Ramdasia Sikhs, together with the Majhabi Sikhs, were recruited to the Sikh Light Infantry regiment (SLI) after its formation in 1941.[4] The Sikh Light Infantry has always been a "single class" regiment in the parlance adopted from the British Raj era. This means that it recruits only from one demographic, which in this instance means the Ramdasia Sikhs and Mazhabi Sikhs.[5] Indeed, the SLI was initially called the Mazhabi & Ramdasia Sikh Regiment.[6] Despite unwillingness among some policy makers, the British had to abandon their traditional distinction between martial and non-martial races during the Second World War. This was necessitated by the need for more recruits than could be supplied by those communities upon which they usually relied, such as the Jat Sikhs, Dogras and Punjabi Musalmans. In addition, indiscipline among Jat Sikhs caused by their concerns regarding a post-war division of India was another reason to prefer recruitment of new classes. While recruitment from the pre-war martial classes was still pre-eminent, that from newly recognised classes such as the Ramdasias snd Mazhabis became significant.[7]

After independence of India[]

When India became independent in 1947, the British Indian Army became the Indian Army. This, like its predecessor, relies on the martial race theory for much of its recruitment and thus there is a grossly disproportionate number of Sikhs within its ranks.[8] The Ramdasias Sikhs amd Mazhabi Sikhs continued their service with the SLI in the new army.[4] The SLI has served in almost all of the post-1947 conflicts involving India, including the wars with Pakistan in 1947, 1965 and 1971, the Hyderabad Police Action of 1948 and the Chinese aggression in 1962. It has also served in Sri Lanka, where the 1st, 7th, 13th and 14th Battalions have contributed towards peace-keeping.[9]

Difference between Ramdasia Chamar and Ramdasia Julaha[]

Nowadays people gets confused between Ramdasia Chamar sikhs and Ramdasia Julaha , Origin of both sects is same . Ramdasia Chamars are more dominated in Malwa region of Punjab and active in Politics and on the other hand Ramdasia Julaha is minority in Doaba region and population wise they are in few thousands. Julaha sect is politically inactive and till date there is not even single prominent politician in punjab belong to this sect.

Hindu Ramdasia[]

This sect of Ramdasia having faith in Hinduism and they mostly residing in Pathankot, Jammu, Himachal Pradesh and Jalandhar. Hindu Ramdasia migrated from Pakistan and back in Sialkot, these Ramdasia were involved in Leather/Sports Goods Business. After migrating in Jalandhar they established their own Tanneries and Sports Goods manufacturing Units. For This purpose Government of Punjab, India helped them by providing liberal loans and allotting sites for their Factories[10] Hindu Ramdasia's are staunch follower of Guru Ravidass and they follow Dera Swami Gurdeep Giri ji, Pathankot. According to Department of Social Justice and Empowerment, Government of India Ramdasias are listed as Chamar Caste on serial number 4 and 14 for Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh respectively.[11][12]

Ravidasia/Ramdasia Chamar Diaspora[]

Demographics[]

As of 2011 Census, there were 3,095,324 Chamars in the Indian state of Punjab, of whom 1,017,192 declared themselves as Ad-Dharmi Chamar and 2,078,132 declared themselves as Chamar. According to this Census, during the same year the population of and in Punjab was 1,443,079 and 629,157 respectively.[13]

Most of the Hindu Ramdasias (Counted alongside with other Chamar Caste Synonyms such as Ravidasia and Jatav) living in the Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Haryana. As of 2011, there were 212,032 Ramdasia in Jammu and Kashmir, comprising 209,512 Hindus, 2,486 Sikhs and 34 Buddhists,[14] 2,429,137 lived in Haryana (2,390,403 Hindu, 37,191 Sikh and 1,543 Buddhists)[15] and 458,838 resided in Himachal Pradesh (453,871 Hindu, 4,887 Sikh and 80 Buddhists)[16]

Prominent Ramdasia Chamar[]

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b Chander, Rajesh K I. (2019). Combating Social Exclusion: Intersectionalities of Caste, Class, Gender and Regions. Studera Press. p. 64. ISBN 978-93-85883-58-3.
  2. ^ Ghuman, Paul (May 2011). British Untouchables A Study of Dalit Identity and Education. Ashgate Publishing, Limited. p. iX. ISBN 075464877X.
  3. ^ http://socialjustice.nic.in/writereaddata/UploadFile/Scan-0015.jpg
  4. ^ Jump up to: a b Wilkinson, Steven I. (2015). Army and Nation: The Military and Indian Democracy Since Independence. Harvard University Press. p. 11. ISBN 978-0-67472-880-6.
  5. ^ Wilkinson, Steven I. (2015). Army and Nation: The Military and Indian Democracy Since Independence. Harvard University Press. pp. 39–41. ISBN 978-0-67472-880-6.
  6. ^ Cohen, Stephen (2013). "The Untouchable Soldier". In Karsten, Peter (ed.). Recruiting, Drafting, and Enlisting: Two Sides of the Raising of Military Forces. Routledge. p. 170. ISBN 978-1-13566-150-2.
  7. ^ Marston, Daniel (2003). Phoenix from the Ashes: The Indian Army in the Burma Campaign. Greenwood Publishing Group. pp. 218–220, 236. ISBN 978-0-27598-003-0.
  8. ^ Roy, Kaushik (2015). "Indian Society and the Soldier". In Pant, Harsh V. (ed.). Handbook of Indian Defence Policy: Themes, Structures and Doctrines. Routledge. pp. 66–67. ISBN 978-1-31738-009-2.
  9. ^ "Story of The Sikh Light Infantry". The Sikh Review. Archived from the original on 2002-05-31.
  10. ^ Sharma, Krishan L. (1980). Entrepreneurial Growth and Development Programmes in Northern India. Abhinav Publications. p. 67. ISBN 9780836406498.
  11. ^ http://socialjustice.nic.in/writereaddata/UploadFile/Scan-0006.jpg
  12. ^ http://socialjustice.nic.in/writereaddata/UploadFile/Scan-0030.jpg
  13. ^ "SC-14 Scheduled Caste Population By Religious Community (States/UTs) – Punjab" (XLS). The Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India. Retrieved 2021-06-27.
  14. ^ "SC-14 Scheduled Caste Population By Religious Community (States/UTs) – Jammu and Kashmir" (XLS). The Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India. Retrieved 2021-06-27.
  15. ^ "SC-14 Scheduled Caste Population By Religious Community (States/UTs) – Haryana" (XLS). The Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India. Retrieved 2021-06-27.
  16. ^ "SC-14 Scheduled Caste Population By Religious Community (States/UTs) – Himachal Pradesh" (XLS). The Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India. Retrieved 2021-06-27.
Retrieved from ""