For example, what are the reasons for the existence of deras? What is the impact of deras on people? Do deras do pro-people work? How much do deras affect the common people? What is the relationship between religion and deras? What are the reasons for the flourishing of deras? There are many other questions, which we all should consider deeply. If we talk about Punjab, then we know that here, behind five or seven villages, some small or big dera has definitely become the center of devotion of the people. From small deras that offer thread amulets to large gatherings of devotees in the number of lakhs, it would not be an exaggeration if the number of these deras is in the thousands. The main reason why the common people go to these deras can be considered to be mentally weak. All kinds of people, from illiterate to highly educated people and from poor to very rich, go to these deras. By going continuously, the people’s faith in the head of the dera becomes strong like God. Whether the animal is sick or the person is sick, women have great faith in the Babas of these Deras that with the blessings of these Babas, the disease will be cured.
Many Deras also motivate people to stay away from drugs, this also has a great impact on the common people. Some of these Deras are related to Sikhism and some are related to Hinduism. Many Deras have their own distinct identity and their followers remain steadfast devotees of these Deras despite following their respective religions. Among the Deras that have the most impact on the people of Punjab, we can specifically mention Radha Soami Dera Beas, Nirankari Mission, Dera Sacha Sauda Sirsa, many Deras related to Nanaksar Thath, Dera Rumi Wala, Ashutosh Da Dera of Nurmahal, Dera Sachkhand Ballan Wale. Whenever the election season comes, political leaders start visiting these Deras. These deras influence everything from panchayat elections to assembly and Lok Sabha elections. The votes of devotees who come to the deras in large numbers can be the reason for the victory or defeat of any candidate. Since the beginning, these deras have been silently influencing the elections in Punjab. It is generally believed that these deras have been getting internal support from the Congress, the political party that has been ruling at the center for a long time, to politically weaken the regional party of Punjab, the Shiromani Akali Dal. The majority of people who follow the Sikh religion have been supporting the Shiromani Akali Dal, considering it a Panthic party.
The deras had never supported any declared political party before the 2007 Punjab assembly elections. Dera Sacha Sauda Sirsa openly supported the Congress party. The Congress had won a big victory in the Malwa region, considered the stronghold of the Akalis, due to the shifting of the votes of the Dera devotees, even though the people of Majha and Doaba had given a mandate to form the Akali-BJP coalition government, and this government continued for ten consecutive years. The decision of Dera Sirsa to extend open support to the Congress forced all political parties to feel the increasing political interference of the deras. Senior leaders of all political parties started giving preference to attending the functions of these deras. Political leaders and administrative officials started forming close relationships with the administrators of these deras. Keeping in mind the political benefits, these deras became influential with the help given by the governments in the initial days. Devotees who go to the functions of the deras are generally taught to connect with God. They are told to stay away from drugs and to prioritize taking care of their families by working honestly. The naive devotees are generally unaware of the things that influence politics by the administrators of the deras.
After the elections, the administrators of the deras who oppose the political party forming the government during the elections also have to face many difficulties. Whenever elections come, the issue of granting parole to the head of Dera Sirsa repeatedly on the recommendation of the BJP government of Haryana has further highlighted the political importance of the deras. Those who do politics need votes and the administrators of the deras need closeness to the government. Today, both have become complementary to each other, that is, both are complementary and slaves to each other in some way or the other. Before the elections, politics is the slave of the deras and after the government is formed, the deras become slaves of politics.
The effect of religious faith and caste cannot be ignored in our country. It is the nature of man that he feels safe by forming close relations with the state. As the wealth of the deras increases, the dera head or the administrators start feeling the need for closeness to the government more and more. The intoxication of wealth and fame makes even the wisest of men make mistakes. Making mistakes creates fear within a man. Political parties keep a close eye on such fears. Political leaders force the dera head or administrators to become slaves of the state by making such mistakes. The factionalism of the dera administrators also encourages political people to interfere more. The dera head who is visited by big political leaders and big administrative officials in large numbers, that dera
And the number of people coming also increases very rapidly. The common people think that even big leaders who do politics have to come and bow down to the Babas, but the reality is that the deras have to run as slaves of politics. If the deras do not run according to politics, then they have to face many difficulties.
When the enthroned head of a dera dies, the interference of political leaders is also common in the selection of his successor. At present, the activities of a dera head in Punjab have become a topic of discussion for the common people. The activities of this dera head seem to be more influenced by politics than by spirituality. When a leader who is called the spiritual head of a dera starts to appear closer to political activities, people are easily forced to say that this Baba is now working under some political pressure. Therefore, we are naturally forced to wonder who is the slave of whom in politics and the camps?
