Abbreviation DSS Founder Mastana Balochistani | Motto Universal Brotherhood Registration no. 5234 | |
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Established 29 April 1948; 68 years ago (1948-04-29) Type NGO
Non-profit Social Welfare & Spiritual Organization | ||
Dera Sacha Sauda (colloquially DSS) is a non-profit social welfare and spiritual organization, established on 29 April 1948, by the ascetic Mastana Balochistani, as a centre for spiritual learning. Its main centre is situated in Sirsa(Haryana), in the northern region of India. The organization has 46 ashrams (divisions) across India and branches abroad, in the US, Canada, UAE, Australia and in UK.
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History
Dera Sacha Sauda was established by Shah Mastana from Balochistan, in 1948. He was popularly known among his devotees as His Holiness Beparawah Mastana Ji Maharaj. He died on 18 April 1960. Shah Satnam Singh, born on 25 January 1919 took over the spiritual leadership position from Mastana Ji Maharaj at the age of 41 and served for thirty years (1960-1990). He died on 13 December 1991. Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh became the third leader of DSS on 23 September 1990. DSS is a registered member of NGO.
Principles and positions
The sect cites as its principles, laid down by Shah Mastana: secularism, equality, no acceptance of materialistic wealth, and truth and faith over everything else, meditation to the road of truth, quietism, strict individual discipline, strict social discipline, hard work, faith and meditation to escape from re-births (moksha). According to group documents, the organisation "envisions an egalitarian, conflict free and peaceful world where the inner spiritual realization, self-confidence and attainment of God are foremost through the practice of true meditation. The world order will be free of social evils, exploitation and sinful conduct. Practically the women will find their right place in society."
Welfare activities
Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh formed a welfare and disaster relief organisation called Shah Satnam Ji Green-S Welfare Force, which now has more than 70,000 doctors, engineers, rescuers, paramedics, and tradesmen participating. The organisation has rendered aid during many of India's natural disasters like Kolkata fire and the factory collapse in Jalandhar.
During the 2013 flash floods in Uttarakhand, a team of volunteers and doctors provided medical care to people, distributed food packets and conducted rescue missions. The area of Deoli-Brahmgram village was called a 'village of widows' as many men belonging to the area died in the floods. In an attempt to rehabilitate the women, Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh announced that 1,500 followers of the sect were willing to tie the knot with the Uttarakhand widows.
Anti-prostitution initiatives began in November 2009, when Singh called on his followers to counter prostitution, and to help sex-workers escape a "life of perpetual slavery". In December 2009, Dera and its volunteers took a step towards reducing sex trafficking in the country and also preventing the spread of HIV/AIDS virus, by giving a consent for marriage with adult sex workers and to "help them escape their dreary existence". In January 2010, a mass marriage ceremony for former sex workers took place in Sirsa. Dera Sacha Sauda's 400-bed multi-specialty hospital was inaugurated by Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in Sirsa in March 2014 and has been named Shah Satnam ji Speciality Hospital.
Dera Sacha Sauda had launched a social welfare campaign and had filed a petition in the Supreme Court to grant legal status to transgender people. On 15 April 2014 the Apex Court gave a judgement in favour of the Eunuchs and ordered that the hijras and transgender people will now be given the legal status of the third gender. This will make them eligible for quota in various government jobs, education institutions and also ensure medical treatment.
DSS also initiated a series of sanitation drives and as of 2016, about 30 Mega Cleanliness Campaigns have been conducted in several states of India.