ÿþ<HTML><HEAD><TITLE>RAMD&#256S&#298&#256 SIKHS</TITLE> <style type="text/css"> .BODY { background-color: #EAF1F7; background-image: url('images/gtbh.jpg'); background-repeat: no-repeat; background-attachment: fixed; background-position: center; color: #0066CC;} .C1{text-align: justify;color: #0066CC;FONT-size: SMALL;FONT-family: Tahoma;} .BIB{text-align: center;color: #000099;FONT-size: SMALL;FONT-family: Tahoma;} .CONT{text-align: right;color: #FF0000;FONT-size: SMALL;FONT-family: Tahoma;} </style><META NAME="keywords" CONTENT="RAMDS*,SIKHS"> <META http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8"></HEAD> <BODY class="BODY" oncontextmenu="return false" ondragstart="return false" onselectstart="return false"> <FONT ALIGN="JUSTIFY" FACE="Tahoma"> <p class="C1">&#65279RAMD&#256S&#298&#256 SIKHS is how Sikh converts from the community working professionally in leather are usually referred to as a class. The term Ramd&#257s&#299&#257s is an adaptation from Ravid&#257s&#299&#257s, as some Cham&#257r castes came to be called. They owed their affiliation to the famous Saint, Ravid&#299&#257s, a pioneer of Vai&#7779&#7751ava revival. In Uttar Pradesh, Ramd&#257s&#299&#257s are also called Ravid&#257s&#299&#257s. Ravid&#257s, being an unfamiliar name in the Punjab, became here Ramd&#257s or R&#257m D&#257s, which is the name which also belongs to the Fourth Gur&#363 of the Sikhs.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Cham&#257r(from Sanskrit <i>charmk&#257ra</i>, worker in leather) is a functional caste of skinners, tanners, curriers and shoe-makers. Cham&#257rs as "untouchables" lay at the lowest level 'of the Hindu social order only slightly higher than the Ch&#363h&#7771&#257s or scavengers by virtue of their being craftsmen. "Ch&#363h&#7771&#257 Cham&#257r" was till recently a common pejorative conjoint referring to the two castes. The teachings of the Gur&#363s with their rejection of the caste system and emphasis on ethnic equality of all human beings naturally appealed to them. Of special significance for them was the canonization of the <i>b&#257&#7751&#299</i> or hymns of Bhagat Ravid&#257s in the Sikh Scripture by Gur&#363 Arjan (1563-1606). Consequently, many Cham&#257rs converted to Sikhism and they were as a class given the respectable name of Ramd&#257s&#299&#257 Sikhs. Later, when industrialization and opening up of new avenues of employment facilitated occupational mobility, many Cham&#257rs including Ramd&#257s&#299&#257 Sikhs took to weaving, considered to be a cleaner and more honourable occupation than tanning and shoe making. It also brought them better bargaining power through its semi-bartering and semi-money trading economic roles. Conversion of Hindu Cham&#257rs to Sikhism accelerated towards the end of the nineteenth century. This was due to the rise of .Si&#7749gh Sabh&#257 movement launched in 1873 for the restoration and propagation of Sikh teachings, including the removal of caste distinctions. The fact that one of the leading figures of the movement was himself a Ramd&#257s&#299&#257 Sikh, Gi&#257n&#299 Ditt Si&#7749gh, who enjoyed wide esteem in the Sikh community served as an example. The number of Cham&#257rs who declared Sikhism as their religion increased from 100,014 in 1881 to 155,717, in 1931. This was besides 66,080 others listed as Ramd&#257s&#299&#257 Sikhs in 1931. The converts were usually very particular about maintaining the five symbols of the <u>Kh</u>&#257ls&#257 and were therefore nicknamed Rahit&#299&#257s, i.e, those meticulously observing the Sikh <i>rahit</i> or code of conduct. Meanwhile the term Ramd&#257s&#299&#257 was no longer confined to Sikhs. During the census of 1931, many Hindu Cham&#257rs registered themselves as Ramd&#257s&#299&#257s or Ravid&#257s&#299&#257s, and still many more who registered themselves Ramd&#257s&#299&#257s/Ravid&#257sias declared &#256di Dharam (lit. the primal faith) as their religion (&#256di Dharam&#299s, a new category comprising both Cham&#257rs and Chuh&#7771&#257s and also some other so-called <i>achhut</i> or untouchable classes, denied being Hindus). Yet of all Ramd&#257s&#299&#257s/Ravid&#257s&#299&#257s nearly 52.8 per cent declared themselves Sikhs.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Ramd&#257s&#299&#257 Sikhs, unlike Mazhab&#299 Sikhs, were generally a docile community. During World War II, however, the British enrolled them in the Indian army. They along with Mazhab&#299 Sikhs formed the Mazhab&#299 and Ramd&#257s&#299&#257 Sikh Regiment, later redesignated as Sikh Light Infantry. Recruitment to other service corps was also opened for them. After Independence, at the insistence of the Shiroma&#7751&#299 Ak&#257l&#299 Dal, a political party of the Sikhs, Ramd&#257s&#299&#257 Sikhs (along with Mazhab&#299, Kab&#299rpanth&#299 and Sikl&#299gar Sikhs) were included among the scheduled castes who were granted special rights and privileges guaranteed under the Indian Constitution for some depressed classes. Ramd&#257s&#299&#257s now form an integral part of the Sikh community, with additional concessions statutorily provided to them in education, employment and political representation.</p> </font> <p class="BIB"> BIBLIOGRAPHY<p class="C1"><ol class="C1">Rose, H.A., ed., <i>A Glossary of the Tribes and Castes of the Punjab and North-West Frontier Province</i>. Lahore, 1911-19<BR> </ol><p class="CONT">Park&#257sh Si&#7749gh Jamm&#363<br></p><BR> </font><img src="counter.aspx" width="1px" height="1px" alt=""></HTML></BODY>