Editor-in-Chief: Prem Kumar Chumber Contact: 001-916-947-8920 Fax: 916-238-1393 E-mail: chumbermedia@yahoo.com Editors: Takshila & Kabir Chumber

VOL - 8 ISSUE - 48-49 February 15, 2017 www.ambedkartimes.com www.ambedkartimes.org

The 640th Prakash Utsav of Sri GuruRavidass Ji was celebrated by SriGuru Ravidass Sabha Pittsburg (CA),at Guru Ravidass Temple on February12, 2017 in Pittsburg California. TheBoard of Directors, Managing Com-mittee members, Priests (Granthies)and the Sangat worked tirelessly fordays to celebrate this occasion. SriGuru Ravidass Ji granted a bright &sunny day on Sunday, after a longweek of wet & rainy weather. Sangatcame from all over California espe-cially Fresno, Yuba City, Bakersfield,Fremont, San Francisco and otherneighboring cities to get the blessingsof Sri Guru Ravidass Ji on this piousday. Sangat started thronging Gu-rughar right from early morning andthe Darbar hall, Langar hall, patios,parking lot and the open stalls areawere full of devotees by noon. Devo-tees had to drive few blocks to findparking on the streets a gathering ofabout 5,000 Sangat members anddevotees got the blessings of GURUGRANTH SAHIB and listened pa-tiently to the Kirtankars, Ragis,Kathavachaks and other speakerswho emphasized and elaborated thepreachings of Guru Ravidass Ji.

Akhand Path of GURUGRANTH SAHIB was started on Fri-day and concluded on Sunday morn-ing with Ardas for peace, welfare andhappiness of the entire Sangat. Theprominent Jatha of Bhai GurcharanSingh Rasia (Ludhiana wale), GianiGurnam Singh & Giani Ompal Singh,Giani Parkash Singh and KumarKhatkar enhanced this Kirtan Diwanuntil late afternoon.

Senior members of our Gu-

rughar Mr. O.P. Balley, Mr. SukhrajChopra, Mr.Jagdev Ram, BhaiSukhdev Singh, Mr. Prem Kumar

Chumber Editor-In-Chief “AmbedkarTimes” & “Desh Doaba” weeklynewspapers and representatives of

the other Sri Guru Ravidass GurdwaraSabhas, from Sacramento Mr. RajSood, from Bay Area Mr. VinodKumar Chumber and Mr. RandhirSingh Suman, from Yuba City Mr.Kuldip Singh and from Fresno Mr. Rajinder Momi and Mr. Karam SinghBangar shared teachings of Sri GuruRavidass Ji and congratulated Sangaton the Parkash Utsav of Sri GuruRavidassJi. Mr. Prem Kumar Chum-ber, Editor of Desh Doaba andAmbedkar Times, Harpal Singh fromSadelok newspaper were personallypresent for the News coverage.

Sangat collected funds andsent to Gurughar in Houston Texas.Hardial Banga helped that Gurugharpersonally. Abhishek took the leadfor collecting funds. He announcedreopening of the Gurughar andthanked everyone whoever con-tributed towards this great cause. Mr.Fakira Mehmi released new CD byKanthKaler. President Kashmiri Bha-tia was the major contributor for thisCD of Sri Guru Ravidass Ji.

Consul K. VenkataRamanarepresented the office of Consul Gen-eral of India San Francisco. He spokein detail about the teachings and phi-losophy of Sri Guru Ravidass Ji. Heinteracted with the community andassured the helping hand with thevisa and passport related issues.

Council Member Mr. Juan Ba-nales from the City of Pittsburg at-tended this function and paidrespects to Sri Guru Ravidass ji andconveyed the message of support onhis behalf as well as on behalf of

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Weekly

CONGRATULATIONS ON 640thTHE BIRTH ANNIVERSARY OF SAHIB SHRI SATGURU RAVIDASS JI MAHARAJ

Sri Guru Ravidass ji's 640 Parkash Utsav

Prem Kumar Chumber (Editor: www.ambedkartimes.com)

Guru Ravidass Ji Maharaj, whose 640th birth anniversary is being celebratedthroughout the world, was a great saint/Guru of medieval Bhakti movementof North India. He belonged to the lowest of the low castes in India whosetouch used to be considered polluting to the Savarnas. He opened a frontalattack against the system of Untouchability. He rejected the tradition of Brah-min mediator to reach the Supreme Being. He also said that one need not tohide his caste or leave his low profession to reach God. He became a modelfor his fellow beings to overcome the hierarchical barriers of Brahminical So-cial Order and to establish Begumpura - a state without fear and sorrows.Guru Ravidass elevated the status of the labor by emphasizing on the factthat honest labor is empowering. He completely rejected the concept of liv-ing on charity or miraculous wealth obtained by Paras.

By defeating the famous Kashi Pundits in a formally organized Shas-trartha, Guru Ravidass proved that merit is not the fiefdom of so called uppercastes alone. Everybody is capable of worshipping Him. The fourfold divisionof Hindu society is a big lie and a trick to make and keep a large section ofthe Indian society under the cruelty and control of the few in the name ofpurity-pollution principle made by the so-called Brahmins. It is against thisvery system of religiously sanctified social differentiation that Guru Ravidassenvisioned establishing a state where there would be no place for untouch-ability and social oppression.

For the social transformation of the society, Guru Ravidass laid emphasison labor, compassion, virtue, prohibition of alcohol and all bad deeds. Healso reiterated on the urgent need of remembering the formless God whomhe addressed by varied names. Some scholars are of the view that GuruRavidass did not form an organization nor he launched any consistent andsystematic agitation against the system of untouchability. This is true. Butto raise a loud voice at his times was no less than a clarion call to dismantlethe unjust system of Brahminical social order. It is also true that the pathtold by him has become the beacon light for the Dalit movement in the coun-try and abroad.

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Sri Guru Ravidass ji's 640 Parkash Utsav

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Sri Guru Ravidass ji's 640 Parkash Utsav

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Sri Guru Ravidass ji's 640 Parkash Utsav

Mayor Merl Craft who could notmake it because of preoccupations.Sargam Restaurant, Tandoor Restau-rant and Dass Sweets made freshfood for the Sangat. Aloo Tikkie, Gol-Gape, BhatureChane, Mango Lassi,RasMalai, Kari Chawal, BreadPakore,Saag&Makki-di-Roti, Kulfee and freshJalebies were served to Sangat atstalls in addition to Guru Ka Langar in

the langar hall. Managing committeeand the entire Sangat appreciates thelangar Sewa, food and drinks stalls bySantokhMadhar, Balwinder Kumar,Jarnail Singh Jindowal, Ajay Chahal,Des Raj Chumber, Jarnail Singh Lam-bardar/Sarpanch, Karnayal Singh,Gurnam Rattu, Surinder Rattu, KuldipSingh and Shashi Pal. Attorney Man-preet Singh Gahra put up a booth

along with his legal team in Gurugharand gave Sangat very important infor-mation about the changes in immigra-tion laws and helped people withimmigration issues. This was veryhelpful to the Sangat, especially peo-ple who are not citizens. He an-swered questions people had aboutthe new laws. The entire Sangat isthankful for this gesture and free in-

formative service to the community.Chairman Shinder Paul Narebat, Pres-ident Kashmiri Bhatia and the entirecommittee worked with great enthu-siasm. General Secretary. Gina Bha-tia, Vinod Kumar and Dilbag Singhhandled the stage very well. May Wa-heguru bless His SANGAT withhealth, happiness and prosperity.

Report by Ramesh Suman