As PM Modi visits Dera Sachkhand Ballan on Sant Ravidas Jayanti, know who Ravidassiyas are, and why they consider themselves separate from mainstream Sikhism

On 1st February, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Punjab to mark the 649th birth anniversary of Sant Guru Ravidas, a 15th century Bhakti saint whose teachings on equality and human dignity continue to shape social and political discourse in the state. The visit will include a stop at Dera Sachkhand Ballan in Jalandhar district, which is a centre of faith for the Ravidassia community. Furthermore, there will be key infrastructure announcements, including the renaming of Adampur airport as Sri Guru Ravidas Ji Airport.

मानवता के अनन्य उपासक महान संत श्री गुरु रविदास महाराज जी को उनकी जयंती पर कोटि-कोटि नमन। उनके विचारों में न्याय और करुणा का भाव सर्वोपरि था, जो जनकल्याण की हमारी योजनाओं के मूल में है। उन्होंने सामाजिक समरसता और सद्भावना के जिस दीप को प्रज्वलित किया, वह देशवासियों के पथ को सदैव…

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) February 1, 2026

Notably, PM Modi’s visit to Ballan comes at a politically sensitive moment, as assembly elections in Punjab are less than a year away. It has renewed attention on the Ravidassia community’s long-standing assertion of a religious identity distinct from mainstream Sikhism.

PM’s Punjab schedule and infrastructure announcements

According to a press release by the Central Government, PM Modi will arrive at Adampur Airport at around 3:45 pm. He will formally unveil the new name of the airport as “Sri Guru Ravidas Ji Airport, Adampur” to honour the revered saint. The renaming has been a long pending demand of the community.

Why Dera Sachkhand Ballan matters

Dera Sachkhand Ballan is located in Ballan village near Jalandhar. It is regarded as the most influential religious centre of the global Ravidassia community. It was founded in the early 20th century and gradually emerged as a focal point for Dalit assertion, particularly among Chamars, who are traditionally associated with leather work and historically subjected to untouchability.

The dera’s influence is most pronounced in the Doaba region of Punjab. This particular region has around 45% Dalit population, which is significantly higher compared to the state average of 32%. There are 117 assembly seats in Punjab, and 23 of them fall in Doaba, with the Ballan dera believed to influence voters in at least 19 constituencies.

PM Modi’s visit comes days after the conferment of the Padma Shri to Sant Niranjan Dass, the dera’s chief, which has added to the perception of high-level recognition for the institution by the Central Government.

Who are the Ravidassiyas

Ravidassiyas trace their spiritual lineage to Guru Ravidas. He was a Bhakti saint born in Banaras. His poetry challenged caste hierarchies and emphasised devotion over ritual. For decades, many Ravidassiyas identified as Sikhs, as Guru Ravidas’s hymns are included in the Guru Granth Sahib and recited in Sikh gurdwaras.

However, tensions simmered over what the community describes as continued caste discrimination within Sikh society, particularly from dominant Jat Sikh groups. These tensions came to a head after the assassination of Sant Ramanand, a senior leader associated with Dera Ballan, in Vienna in May 2009. The killing triggered violent clashes in Punjab and sparked an intense debate over religious identity.

In 2010, Dera Sachkhand Ballan announced the formation of a separate religion, Ravidassia Dharm, on Guru Ravidas’s birth anniversary. The dera installed its own holy book, the Amrit Bani Guru Ravidas, which replaced the Guru Granth Sahib in several Ravidassia places of worship. It marked a formal break from Sikhism and from Hinduism as well.

Why Ravidassiyas see themselves as separate from Sikhism

The Ravidassia demand for a separate identity is rooted in lived experiences of caste exclusion. While Sikhism preaches equality, Ravidassiyas argue that social practice has often fallen short of theological ideals. The sense of exclusion intensified in the diaspora, as caste-based divisions from Punjab travelled overseas.

Studies document how Ravidassia communities in the UK, Canada, Spain and elsewhere established separate places of worship after facing discrimination in mainstream Sikh gurdwaras. In Britain, Ravidassia organisations actively mobilised for recognition, leading to the Office for National Statistics enumerating ‘Ravidassia’ as a separate religion in the 2011 Census. Over 11,000 people identified as Ravidassia, distinct from Sikhs or Hindus.

The diaspora has also played a critical financial and organisational role, funding dera infrastructure, overseas temples, charitable hospitals and schools, and international trusts linked to Dera Ballan.

Political implications in Punjab

For the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), PM Modi’s visit is part of a broader effort to expand its footprint in Punjab after the collapse of its alliance with the Shiromani Akali Dal in 2020. In the 2022 assembly elections, the party reportedly had a vote share of 6.6%, which saw a notable improvement in the 2024 parliamentary polls with 18.56%.

By reaching out to Ravidassiyas, the BJP aims to tap into Dalit aspirations and carve into the traditional support bases of the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party. Union ministers have framed the visit as non-partisan, emphasising respect for Sant Ravidas and his teachings.

Validation of a contested identity

For the Ravidassia community, PM Modi’s visit is being read as a validation of its long-asserted demand for recognition and dignity. Since 2010, the community has sought official acknowledgement of Ravidassia Dharm as a separate religion, including demands for a distinct census category, a demand that may be fulfilled in the upcoming census.