‘Dera traditions do not allow nepotism’

Tribune News Service

Sirsa, September 2

A grandson of Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh’s predecessor Shah Satnam Singh says there is no place for nepotism under Dera Sacha Sauda traditions. Ram Rahim Singh’s family has been making efforts to appoint his son Jasmeet Singh as his successor. It is for Ram Rahim to decide if he wishes his son to succeed him.

Contrary to the high profile life Ram Rahim lived before he was jailed for the rape of two sadhavis of his dera, Shah Satnam Singh’s family lives in small Jalalana village, 40 km from Sirsa town.

Shah Satnam Singh, who was the second head of Dera Sacha Sauda founded by Shah Mastana Balochistani in 1948, had nominated Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh as his successor in 1990, a year before his death.

Shah Satnam Singh’s grandson Bhupinder Singh, a farmer, told The Tribune today that their family had stopped visiting the dera in 2002. Incidentally, this was the year when allegations of sexual exploitation of dera sadhvis against Ram Rahim surfaced.

“My grandfather, Shah Satnam Singh ji, started looking for a successor when he attained the age of 70. Dera followers wanted my father Ranjit Singh to succeed my grandfather but he strictly told them that the dera was not a personal property that a father could pass on to his son,” he said.

Later, Shah Satnam Singh named Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh as his successor.

During clashes between Sikhs and dera followers, radical leader Sukhwinder Singh Khalsa had alleged that Ram Rahim Singh with the help of Punjab terrorists had intimidated Shah Satnam ji to make him dera head.

“We heard such allegations when Ram Rahim Singh became dera head at the age of 23. But we had no evidence to support this,” Bhupinder said.

Asked what has changed in the dera since he grandfather left, Bhupinder said he was only 15 years’ old when Shah Satnam ji died. They could see commercialisation having taken over the dera culture.

Free langar service to devotees has also given way to canteens where followers have to pay for food.

Asked if Jasmeet Singh could be appointed successor, Bhupinder said it was for Ram Rahim Singh to decide whether he follows the age-old traditions of the dera or not. “We have heard he had got registered some trust deeds mentioning his son Jasmeet as his successor. But the question of successor arises only after the death of a person,” he said.

“At the end of the day, it is for Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh to take the call. He can appoint his son as his successor, if he wishes so, but if he decides to go by the dera traditions, there is no place for Jasmeet,” he added.