Jalandhar: Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann on Sunday laid the foundation stone of the Sri Guru Ravidas Ji Bani Adhyayan Centre at Dera Sachkhand Ballan, dedicated to the study of Guru’s life, philosophy and teachings. Dera Ballan head Sant Niranjan Das, Sant Samaj leader Sant Nirmal Das Jaure Wale and other sants were present.Mann’s outreach comes at a time when the BJP is seeking to strengthen its outreach to Dera Sachkhand Ballan, an influential dera among the Ravidasia/Ad-Dharmi community. With the research centre, Mann too appeared keen to reinforce his equation with the dera, making a point of highlighting his ties with Sant Niranjan Das and saying he was fortunate to have received his blessings.Sant Niranjan Das was recently conferred the Padma Shri.The centre will come up on 10.4 acres at an overall cost of Rs 37 crore, including Rs 11 crore for the land, with Punjab govt bearing the construction cost. It will have a three-storeyed administration and teaching block, boys’ and girls’ hostels with accommodation for 54 students each, and a two-storeyed building for teachers and staff.The project is part of the Punjab govt’s year-long celebrations marking the 650th Parkash Purab of Guru Ravidas, for which Rs 100 crore has been earmarked. As part of the celebrations, 50 mobile vans are travelling across all 23 districts to screen documentaries on his life, philosophy and teachings in 13,000 villages.Mann said the centre would facilitate extensive study of Guru Ravidas’s Bani and help propagate his teachings globally. “I hope this centre will act as a lighthouse for further perpetuating the ideology of Sri Guru Ravidas so that our future generations can seek inspiration from his Bani,” he said.Linking the initiative to his govt’s education push, Mann said, “No freebie or concession cards can eliminate poverty or other social maladies in the state but education is the key that can pull people out of this vicious circle by raising their standard of living.”He said his govt was making efforts to improve education standards and empower people.Mann said Guru Ravidas had given the message of welfare of humanity and equality of all sections of society, and raised a voice against caste discrimination and social inequality.Mann was accompanied by ministers Harpal Singh Cheema, Aman Arora, Tarunpreet Singh Sond, Mohinder Bhagat, Ravjot Singh, Harbhajan Singh and Lal Chand Kataruchak, besides Lok Sabha MP Raj Kumar Chabbewal.
