Sri Guru Ravidass Sabha UK, Europe and Abroad (SGRSUK)
Published an open letters to the Prime Minister and the President of India
London , August 2019-(Amanjit Singh Khaira)-
On 16 August 2019, the Sri Guru Ravidass Sabha UK, Europe and Abroad (SGRSUK)
published an open letters to the Prime Minister (see below) and the President of India calling
on them both to urgently intervene and correct the dark episode of the 10 August 2019
demolition of the sacred Mandir at Tughlakabad, New Delhi. The Sabha called for a new
Mandir to be built on the same site immediately. They also called for a ‘Stay Order’ on the
Delhi Development Authority on any further tampering with the site or any proposed build.
Representatives of the SGRSUK and the Ravidassia community in the UK met Her
Excellency Mrs Ruchi Ghanashyam, High Commissioner of India on 16 August at India
House, London, and handed over the letters. At the meeting the attendees raised with the
High Commissioner the deep pain, sadness, and alarm that under the Government’s watch, a
significant religious heritage site of immense historical, archaeological, and monumental
value had been allowed to be demolished. They stressed Ravidassia followers in India and
around the world looked to Prime Minister Modi and President Kovind for their early
intervention in this grave matter and for a new Mandir to be built on the same site
immediately.
Open letter to the Prime Minister of India Shri Narendra Modi
Dear Honourable Prime Minister Shri Modi Ji
Over the past years you have personally in the highest esteem paid homage to Sat Guru
Ravidass Ji including at his birthplace at Kanshi, Varanasi. It is with deep pain, sadness, and
alarm to our community that now under your Government’s watch, a significant religious
heritage site of historical, archaeological, and of monumental value, the Guru Ravidass
Mandir situated at Ravidass Marg, Tughlakabad, New Delhi, has been allowed to be
demolished. This has been carried out under a Supreme Court (SC) Order made with little
consideration of its impact on the religion, faith and hearts of the followers of Sat Guru
Ravidass Ji, in India, and around the world.
The unjust judgement by the Supreme Court - a bastion on which no Scheduled Caste or
Scheduled Tribe has been elevated in the past years - and the silence of the Central
Government on this outrageous demolition of a religious heritage site is unacceptable and
hurtful to the followers of Sat Guru Ravidass Ji around the world.
We, the Ravidassia Community indigenous to and part of India’s culture and history, have
been subjected to injustices because of Caste for thousands of years. This continues even 72
years after independence in spite of India’s Constitution providing protections including on
religious grounds. The demolishment of our religious site that is personally connected with
our great Sat Guru for over 600 years is yet another example of the atrocities against our
community. We believe the speed with which the Supreme Court sided with those calling for
the demolition is alarming. It has not taken into account the pain and human rights violation
the SC Order on the demolition would have, and has inflicted on our religion and faith. This
is unacceptable to us NRIs and that is why hundreds of thousands have come out on the
streets to protest in India and will continue to do so around the world. The demolition is an
immeasurable loss to the faith of hundreds of millions of Ravidassia Samaj all over India and
around the world.
We call on your urgent intervention to correct the dark episode of the 10 August 2019
demolition and for a new Mandir to be built on the same site immediately. We call on a ‘Stay
Order’ on the Delhi Development Authority on any further tampering with the site or any
proposed build. Sri Guru Ravidass Sabha UK, Europe and Abroad stand ready to support the
re-build, working with our brothers and sisters in India.We would find it helpful if you could
meet with our UK Sabha delegation in Delhi within the next ten days. We are ready to come
at our own expense.
Ravidassia followers in India and around the world look to your early intervention in this
grave matter.
Yours Sincerely,
Dalawer Bagha
President, on behalf of Sri Guru Ravidass Sabha UK, Europe and Abroad
Copies: Her Excellency Mrs Ruchi Ghanashyam, High Commissioner of India
Open letter to the President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind
Dear Honourable President Kovind Ji
This year you have personally in the highest esteem paid homage to Sat Guru Ravidass Ji. It
is with deep pain, sadness, and alarm to our community that now under your Government’s
watch, a significant religious heritage site of historical, archaeological, and monumental
value, the Guru Ravidass Mandir situated at Ravidass Marg, Tughlakabad, New Delhi, has
been allowed to be demolished. This has been carried out under a Supreme Court (SC) Order
made with little consideration of its impact on the religion, faith and hearts of the followers of
Sat Guru Ravidass Ji, in India and around the world.
The unjust judgement by the Supreme Court - a bastion on which no Scheduled Caste or
Scheduled Tribe has been elevated in the past years - and the silence of the Central
Government on this outrageous demolition of a religious heritage site is unacceptable and
hurtful to the followers of Sat Guru Ravidass Ji around the world.
We, the Ravidassia Community indigenous to and part of India’s culture and history, have
been subjected to injustices because of Caste for thousands of years. This continues even 72
years after independence in spite of India’s Constitution providing protections including on
religious grounds. The demolishment of our religious site that is personally connected with
our great Sat Guru for over 600 years is yet another example of the atrocities against our
community. We believe the speed with which the Supreme Court sided with those calling for
the demolition is alarming. It has not taken into account the pain and human rights violation
the SC Order on the demolition would have, and has inflicted on our religion and faith. This
is unacceptable to us NRIs and that is why hundreds of thousands have come out on the
streets to protest in India and will continue to do so around the world. The demolition is an
immeasurable loss to the faith of hundreds of millions of Ravidassia Samaj all over India and
around the world.
We call on your urgent intervention to correct the dark episode of the 10 August 2019
demolition and for a new Mandir to be built on the same site immediately. We call on a ‘Stay
Order’ on the Delhi Development Authority on any further tampering with the site or any
proposed build. Sri Guru Ravidass Sabha UK, Europe and Abroad stand ready to support the
re-build, working with our brothers and sisters in India. We would find it helpful if you could
meet with our UK Sabha delegation in Delhi within the next seven days. We are ready to
come at our own expense.
Ravidassia followers in India and around the world look to your early intervention in this
grave matter.
Yours Sincerely
Dalawer Bagha
President, on behalf of Sri Guru Ravidass Sabha (UK), Europe and Abroad
Copies: Her Excellency Mrs Ruchi Ghanashyam, High Commissioner of India
