This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Vikramsingh (talk | contribs) at 01:10, 5 November 2005. The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.
Revision as of 01:10, 5 November 2005 by Vikramsingh (talk | contribs)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)Baba Piara Singh Bhaniara (born in 1958) is the spiritual of a breakaway Sikh sect based in Dhamiana village in Ropar, Punjab. He is believed to have about 20,000 followers, majority of them dalit.
He once worked as an employee, of the Horticulture Department at a sericulture farm in Asmanpur village. His grew up in a modest family, his father Tulsi Ram, a mason, was a caretaker of two mazaars. After his father’s death, Bhaniara proclaimed himself a ‘baba’ ( a spiritually advanced person) and took over the mazaars.
The Baba was known a healer and for his social work. He used to leave food for wild animals in the forests. Senior Congress leader Buta Singh had visited the Baba several times between 1985 and 1995 for healing of his wife Manjit Kaur, who was suffering from several problems of heart, kidney, skin and lungs. Buta Singh later disassociated himslef from the Baba.
Baba Bhaniara has written a book "Bhavsagar Granth". This has offended the orthodox Sikhs, who complain that the baba is equating himself with the Sikh Gurus. An organization Khalsa Action Committee was formed headed by Mr. Charanjit Singh Channi, which disrupted a religious congregation at the home of one of Baba's followers in Ludhiana in 2001. The Baba's book was snatched and damaged.
Following this, Baba's followers were accused of burning the copies of copies of Guru Granth Sahib, the Sikh holy book. No evidence to support the accusation was found.
The baba was arrested in Oct. 2001. His book was banned by the government, and several copies of it were burned. An agitation was called by several Sikh youth organizations including Dal Khalsa and a building and a center of the baba was demolished. Attempt was made to convert the center into an orthodox Gurdwara.
In 2003, a man named Gopal Singh attempted to stab the baba, when he was Ambala, to appear in the court, in connection with his alleged involvement with the alleged burning of the copies of Guru Granth Sahib.
A member of Babbar Khalsa, Gurdeep Singh Rana is under arrest for trying to assasinate the Baba using a bomb in January 2005.
References
- "Buta denies links with Baba Bhaniara", The Tribune, (published from Chandigarh) Oct. 11, 2001.
- "22 followers of Bhaniara guru arrested", Tribune, (published from Chandigarh) Oct. 4, 2001.
- "Sacrilege: Violence mars Punjab bandh" Indian Express, October 6, 2001
- Times of India, Sept. 25, 2003.