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Spreading the message of oneness

Sib Kumar Das

BERHAMPUR: Far away from Punjab, families of the Nirankari sect of Sikhism live in large numbers Ganjam district. It may sound astonishing but these Oriya and Telugu families from rural areas have no family links with Punjab.

Nirankari sect has made inroads into Ganjam district and other parts of Orissa through migrant labourers.

According to N. Ragunath, the head of the Pochlima branch of Nirankaris in Ganjam district, there are around 30,000 Nirankari families in Orissa and most of them live in Ganjam district. There are 97 religious units of Nirankaris in Ganjam district which are managed by two centres at Pochlima and Chaitanyapur.

The spiritual movement of Nirankari sect was started by Baba Buta Singh in Peshawar in 1929. This spiritual movement propagated the oneness of formless God who could be realised in our day-to-day life.

Holy book

Some migrant labourers from Ganjam district, who used to work in undivided Punjab during pre-independence era and the those who used to work in Mumbai during fifties and sixties got interested in this sect.

They and their families became members of this sect. Guru Granth Sahib became their holy book although they were Oriyas and Telugus from Orissa. In 1962 Baba Guru Bachan Singh, the successor of the spiritual movement made a visit to Ganjam district and some more families who had never ventured out of the district also became interested in this caste and creedless sect.

Mr Raghunath said in recent past many persons have become Nirankaris due to the transformations in their lives after adhering to the principles of the sect. Lakhan Sahu, a noted anti-social of yesteryear from Balkrushnapur village was transformed into a pious man when he came in touch with R. Dhanuji, the head of the Chaitanyapur unit of Nirankaris in Ganjam district.

Devotion towards Gurus, feeling oneness of God at every moment, hurting no one both mentally and physically are the basic principles that a Nirankari observes in day-to-day life. "One must fulfil one's responsibility through honest hard work rather than becoming an ascetic to be burden on others.

Every one has equal access to almighty. So, it attracts people even from Ganjam district," said Mr. Raghunath.

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