Dera Sacha Sauda ("Camp of the True Deal";[4] colloquially DSS) is an Indian non-governmental organization described as a "religious cult"[5] and "non-profit social welfare dera" that was established on 29 April 1948 by Mastana Balochistani, an ascetic follower of Baba Sawan Singh (the second Satguru of Radha Soami Satsang Beas (RSSB)),[6] as a centre for religious learning. After Baba Sawan Singh, the movement split into four groups, one of them led by Mastana Balochistani. After the death of Mastana Balochistani, his movement was split into three groups, with Shah Satnam Singh Ji also known as Param Pita Ji leading the Sirsa group, who then selected Gurmeet Ram Rahim to be his successor. Dera Sacha Sauda's main centre is situated in the city of Sirsa in Haryana state, northern India.[7][8] The organisation has 46 ashrams (divisions) across India and other countries.[3]

Under the leadership of Mastana Balochistani, 25 Ashrams were established in Haryana, Punjab and Rajasthan, where Naam-Shabad, method of Meditation was taught to the followers who accepted three principles for the rest of their life: 1. No consumption of meat, egg or gelatin, 2. no consumption of alcohol, drugs, tobacco etc. and 3. no adultery or illicit sex. He also laid the foundation of the main ashram in 1948 and coined the expression "Dhan Dhan Satguru Tera Hi Asra" (Dhanay hai tu Satguru, or humein tera hi sahara hai) widely used by the Dera.[9][clarification needed] Shah Satnam Singh lead the Dera from 1963 to 1990. He was succeeded by controversial Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in 1990, who added more than a dozen ashrams and made Dera a much more visible organization.

The current leader of Dera Sacha Sauda is Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, who has headed the organization since 23 September 1990, when he was appointed successor by Shah Satnam Singh at age 23. His Dera has a large number of followers, around 70 million. Under his leadership, the organization has been involved in welfare initiatives: DSS's 400-bed multi-specialty hospital, the Shah Satnam Ji Speciality Hospital, was inaugurated by him in Sirsa in March 2014, and the group filed a petition in the Supreme Court of India that contributed to a 2014 judgment granting legal recognition to transgender people as a third gender. DSS has also organized sanitation drives, with around 30 large-scale cleanliness campaigns conducted by 2016, and large-scale blood donation camps.

History

Dera Sacha Sauda was established in 1948 at Sirsa by Mastana Balochistani. He was born in Kotra, Tehsil Gandhey, Kalat (Now in Balochistan), in undivided India, now in Pakistan in 1891. He was popularly known among his devotees as His Holiness Beparawah Mastana. He died on 18 April 1960.[10] Shah Satnam Singh, born on 25 January 1919 took over the spiritual leadership position from Balochistani at the age of 41 and served until 1990. He died on 13 December 1991. Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh became the third master of DSS on 23 September 1990.[2] DSS is a registered NGO.[11][12][13]

2007 clashes with Sikhs

In May 2007, violent clashes broke out between the Khalsa Sikhs and the followers of the Dera Sacha Sauda over the Dera leader Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh's appearance in a newspaper advertisement. Sikhs alleged that he had impersonated their Guru Gobind Singh, thus insulting their faith. At least one person died in these clashes; several more were injured. The news media described the violence as the most serious since the Sikh–Nirankari clashes of the 1970s and the separatist insurgency of the 1980s.[14]

The Akal Takht of the Sikhs demanded closure of all the Deras in Punjab, and asked its followers to organise protest marches and bandhs. Ultimately, Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh issued an apology. However, this apology was rejected by the Akal Takht. The marches and boycotts against the Dera continued, until the situation subsided after several weeks.[15]

Allegations by Dera defectors

In 2008, a DSS defector seeking refuge in Austria had sent a complaint to the Austrian government regarding the wrongdoings of the Dera. However, the complaint was rejected.[16]

2017 conviction and subsequent riots

Its leader, Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, was accused of murder and convicted of rape by an Indian court.[17][18][19] On 25 August 2017, a special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court in Panchkula, Haryana, found him guilty of sexually assaulting two Dera sadhvis (female followers), one of whom had written to the then prime minister of India Atal Bihari Vajpayee about it in 2002.[20]

More than 150,000 followers of DSS had gathered at Panchkula, where the hearing was taking place, and a few other places. Upon learning of the court's verdict, they were involved in a mass riot which led to the death of at least 30 people and left more than 250 people seriously injured.

The Punjab and Haryana High Court ordered all of DSS's properties to be attached to pay for the losses incurred due to the violence. A few incidents were reported in the Indian capital, New Delhi, which is 243 kilometres (151 mi) away from the epicentre.

The incident led to widespread criticism of the ruling government, in that, despite the high court's repeated warnings, it failed to gauge the severity of the situation, and failed to enforce Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code. The latter prohibits an assembly of any more than four people, and was in effect at the time of the verdict.

Allegedly 400 followers of the sect have been castrated inside the sect’s headquarters to "bring them closer to god". One of the castrated men came forward and filed a complaint in court against the guru.[17][21][22] According to India's Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), the sect defended castrations as done to "safeguard female followers from possible sexual advances".[21][23]

On 4 September 2017, after receiving a 2-day notice from police to surrender weapons, DSS members turned in 67 firearms, almost half of which were licensed. Police confiscated 33 of the weapons.[24][25]

Teachings

The foundational teachings of Dera Sacha Sauda are centered on the practice of Surat Shabd Yoga (meditation on the divine inner sound) and the recitation of the Naam-Shabad (sacred words). Devotees are initiated into the method of meditation under the guidance of the spiritual master and are required to adhere to three lifelong principles: complete lacto-vegetarianism (abstaining from meat, eggs, and animal-derived gelatin), total abstinence from alcohol, tobacco, and intoxicating drugs, and strict adherence to marital fidelity.[26] Following initiation, followers are encouraged to adopt the surname "Insan" (meaning human) to signify the spiritual and social equality of all people across different castes and backgrounds.

According to official data tracked by the organization and published via media outlet Sach Kahu, the Dera actively administers a framework of 176 distinct humanitarian and social welfare initiatives under the guiding philosophy that "Humanity is our Religion."[27] These ongoing welfare works are mobilized globally through the Shah Satnam Ji Green 'S' Welfare Force Wing, a specialized disaster management and philanthropic task force founded in 2006 to handle natural exigencies.[28]

The organization's large-scale welfare metrics are categorized into several major public campaigns:

  • Health and 'True Blood Pump': Operating as a continuous voluntary blood donor network, the Dera's mass donation camps have secured multiple Guinness World Records, notably donating 15,432 units on 7 December 2003, 17,921 units on 10 October 2004, and 43,732 units of blood in a single day on 8 August 2010.[29] Devotees also pledge posthumous eye and organ donation, alongside running free mega eye-screening camps (such as the annual Yaad-e-Murshid camp) which provide cataract surgeries to underprivileged patients.
  • Environmental Campaigns: Dedicated tree-planting and large-scale cleanliness initiatives (Safai Abhiyan), where volunteer networks deploy to clean entire cities or regions within a designated timeframe, alongside holding specific Guinness World Records for maximum simultaneous tree transplantation.[30]
  • Social Rehabilitation: The group operates anti-drug rehabilitation campaigns (such as the DEPTH Campaign) leveraging meditation for substance abuse recovery. Other documented initiatives include the "Crown of the Lineage" program (supporting matrilocal residence to care for parents without sons), support for acid attack survivors, and programs for the rehabilitation and social reintegration of marginalized women.
  • Anti-Dowry Custom: The community strictly enforces dowry-free marriages through mass community weddings known as Brahma Vivah, where marriages are solemnized within the congregation via the mutual exchange of garlands, explicitly forbidding expensive rituals or monetary exchanges.

Membership

All the Dera Sacha Sauda Gurus have come from Sikh backgrounds, and the organisation has several Sikh adherents. However, the vast majority of its supporters are working-class and middle-class Hindus from the rural areas of Haryana and Rajasthan.[26]

In 2009, the Dera Sacha Sauda claimed to have over a million devotees. It had 38 ashrams, most of them in northern India.[26]

Funding

The word "Dera" is similar connotations to "ashram", while the word "Sacha Sauda" means "true deal"—a reference to the claim that the organisation does not accept monetary gifts from its devotees. The Dera Sacha Sauda claims to be autarkic: it owns extensive lands in Haryana, Punjab and other states; and operates a supermarket, Canteens, a biscuit factory, a restaurant, etc. These businesses, managed by its "sadhus," are said to be for the benefit of its devotees.[31]

Political activities

Dera Sacha Sauda is the only among the various Deras, which openly asks its supporters to vote for particular political parties.[32] The previous Congress government enjoyed the organisation's support and it reciprocated by providing a Z-plus security cover for the group's leader.[18] Singh's son is married to the daughter of the Congress leader Harminder Singh Jassi. The DSS supported Congress in the 2007 Punjab state elections, and helped the party take control of the Malwa region.[33] However, the Shiromani Akali Dal won the overall majority in the state, and allegedly persecuted the Dera supporters during the 2007 violence. When the Congress did not come out in the open support of DSS, the DSS decided not to endorse a single party in the 2009 parliamentary elections.

Before the 2012 Punjab state elections, the Congress leader Amarinder Singh, his wife Preneet Kaur and his son Raninder Singh visited Singh, asking him to extend his support to Congress.[34][35] However, Dera's support to Congress alienated the party's Sikh vote bank. In the 2012 elections, Congress performed poorly, and Jassi lost the election. The poor performance of Congress in Malwa in 2012 was seen as a signal of the downfall of Dera's political power.[33]

In 2014 Haryana polls and Lok Sabha Polls, Bharatiya Janata Party requested support from Baba Gurmeet Ram Rahim.[36] In February 2015, the organisation openly supported BJP in Delhi elections.[37][38][39] The organisation supported BJP in the Bihar assembly election in 2015, and nearly 3,000 Dera followers campaigned for BJP in the state.[40]

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.[non-primary source needed] The organisation has rendered aid during many of India's natural disasters like Kolkata fire[41] and the factory collapse in Jalandhar.[42][43]

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.[44][45] The area of Deoli-Brahmgram village which was called a 'village of widows' after the floods are still facing issues of hardship, the life of widows at a standstill.[46]

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".[47] 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 consent for marriage with adult sex workers and to "help them escape their dreary existence".[48] In January 2010, a mass marriage ceremony for former sex workers took place in Sirsa.[49][50]

Dera Sacha Sauda's 400-bed multi-specialty hospital was inaugurated by Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in Sirsa in March 2014 and was named Shah Satnam ji Speciality Hospital.[51][52]

Dera Sacha Sauda had launched a social welfare campaign and had filed a petition in the Supreme Court of India 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.[53]

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 and also in other countries.[54][55][56][57]

Blood donation camps

Like several other religious groups in India, the Dera Sacha Sauda has organised large-scale blood donation camps. In December 2003, a camp held on the death anniversary of its former guru attracted 15,432 donors. In October 2004, the Dera broke its own record during the mortuary ceremony of Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh's father. This time it attracted 17,921 donors, and collected 12,002,450 ml units of blood in a single day. This was recognised by the Guinness World Records as the largest ever amount of blood collected on a single day.[58]

The official publication of Dera Sacha Sauda claims that the world record was created by "sheer chance", thus denying the suggestions that it was a show-off for media attention and the glorification of their guru. However, in 2003, the Dera had sent an e-mail to the Guinness Book compilers, seeking clarifications on the conditions that needed to be met to break the previous record. During the donation exercise, the Dera had meticulously collected proofs needed to qualify for the world record. After creating the record, several Dera devotees also stated that their aim was to create the record.[59]

Doctors have criticised the "ostentatious" mass blood donation camps organised by Dera Sacha Sauda as wasteful.[60] According to the director of the Shiv Shakti blood bank in Sirsa, most of the blood collected in Dera's camps gets wasted. Moreover, the devotees do not respond to the blood bank's requests for blood donations at other times, when there is need for blood donation.[61]

References

  1. ↑ "State-wise list of VOs/NGOs signed up on the NGO-PS - Haryana(1183)". 12 August 2004. Retrieved 9 November 2016.[permanent dead link]
  2. 1 2 DSS (11 May 2013). "About Dera Sacha Sauda (DSS) – Social Welfare & Spiritual Organization". Archived from the original on 6 November 2016. Retrieved 5 November 2016.
  3. 1 2 "The Baba on song - Rise and spread of Dera Sacha Sauda". The Indian Express. 26 October 2014. Archived from the original on 23 January 2017. Retrieved 10 November 2016.
  4. ↑ Copeman, Jacob (2009). Veins of Devotion: Blood Donation and Religious Experience in North India. Rutgers University Press. ISBN 978-0813544496. "Dera"—the extended residential site of an influential figure—has similar connotations to "ashram," while "Sacha Sauda" means literally true deal or dealings, and is an allusion to the fact that monetary gifts from devotees are not accepted by the organization, which claims to be fully autarkic.
  5. ↑ Guruswamy, Mohan (28 August 2017). "Why religious cults such as Dera Sacha Sauda are so popular". Hindustan Times. Archived from the original on 14 October 2019. Retrieved 8 April 2020.
  6. ↑ Lane, David (12 December 2015). Split i the Radha Soami Movement, The Sach Khand Journal of Radhasoami Studies, Dec 12, 2015, Issue 10, p.11. Lulu.com. ISBN 978-1-329-75562-8. Archived from the original on 2 January 2024. Retrieved 12 September 2017.
  7. ↑ Largest Blood Donation. Guinness Book of World Records Archived 24 September 2015 at the Wayback Machine
  8. ↑ "Dera again makes it to Guinness Book of World Records Collects 43,732 units of blood in a day". The Tribune. 15 November 2010. Archived from the original on 20 December 2010. Retrieved 26 May 2011.
  9. ↑ "धन-धन सतगुरु...की शर्त पर अकालियों को डेरे का समर्थन, 02 Feb 2017". Archived from the original on 9 September 2017. Retrieved 9 September 2017.
  10. ↑ Rajalakshmi, T. K. (21 December 2002 – 3 January 2003). "Godman under a cloud". The Hindu. Chennai, India. Retrieved 7 March 2011.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  11. ↑ "List Of NGO In Sirsa". Archived from the original on 23 January 2017. Retrieved 8 November 2016.
  12. ↑ "List Of NGO of Sirsa". Archived from the original on 8 November 2016. Retrieved 8 November 2016.
  13. ↑ "Dera Sacha Sauda NGO ID-5488241216". Archived from the original on 24 August 2017. Retrieved 8 November 2016.
  14. ↑ Jacob Copeman 2009, pp. 122–123.
  15. ↑ Jacob Copeman 2009, p. 123.
  16. ↑ "RIS - Rechtssätze und Entscheidungstext für C7 318887-1/2008 - Asylgerichtshof (AsylGH)". Archived from the original on 22 July 2021. Retrieved 20 March 2021.
  17. 1 2 "Guru Ram Rahim Singh rape verdict draws crowds". BBC News. 25 August 2017. Archived from the original on 15 August 2022. Retrieved 20 July 2018.
  18. 1 2 "Baba Bling: Meet Gurmeet Ram Rahim, the Dera chief who thrives on controversies". 25 August 2017. Archived from the original on 17 April 2019. Retrieved 25 August 2017.
  19. ↑ "This Isn't Ram Rahim Singh's First Brush With Court And Controversy". 25 August 2017. Archived from the original on 27 April 2019. Retrieved 25 August 2017.
  20. ↑ "Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim found guilty of rape, CBI court ruling comes after 14 years". The Times of India. 26 August 2017. Archived from the original on 13 March 2022. Retrieved 25 August 2017.
  21. 1 2 "Rape trial, castration of followers: Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh is no stranger to controversies". 23 August 2017. Archived from the original on 25 August 2017. Retrieved 25 August 2017.
  22. ↑ Daro, Ishmael N. (3 March 2015). "India's 'guru of bling' accused of tricking 400 followers into cutting off their testicles to meet God". National Post. Archived from the original on 25 February 2024. Retrieved 27 January 2019.
  23. ↑ Bhatt, Farhana (11 December 2025). "Dera Sacha Sauda: Family, Age, Education". Farhanabhatt. Retrieved 11 December 2025.
  24. ↑ "Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh Dera Sacha Sauda Sirsa campus raided by police, huge weapons cache found; pics go viral". 4 September 2017. Archived from the original on 5 September 2017. Retrieved 4 September 2017.
  25. ↑ "Huge cache of arms recovered from Dera Sacha Sauda headquarters in Sirsa". 4 September 2017. Archived from the original on 4 September 2017. Retrieved 4 September 2017.
  26. 1 2 3 Jacob Copeman 2009, p. 114.
  27. ↑ "176 Humanitarian Welfare Works". derasachasauda.org. Dera Sacha Sauda. Retrieved 24 June 2026.
  28. ↑ "Shah Satnam Ji Green 'S' Welfare Committee". derasachasauda.org. Dera Sacha Sauda. Retrieved 24 June 2026.
  29. ↑ "Guinness World Records: Largest Blood Donation Camp". Guinness World Records. Retrieved 24 June 2026.
  30. ↑ "Guinness World Records: Tree Plantation". Guinness World Records. Retrieved 24 June 2026.
  31. ↑ Jacob Copeman 2009, p. 113.
  32. ↑ Sharma, Nidhi (2 December 2016). "Dera chiefs play gurus to tallest of politicians". The Economic Times. Archived from the original on 28 August 2017. Retrieved 25 August 2017.
  33. 1 2 Navjeevan Gopal (7 March 2012). "Amid depleting clout, dera chief's kin loses". The Indian Express. Archived from the original on 28 August 2017. Retrieved 25 August 2017.
  34. ↑ "Poll-bound Punjab awaits Dera Sacha Sauda diktat on voting". The Times Of India. 29 January 2012. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 25 August 2017.
  35. ↑ "Dera Sacha Sauda: The key to power in Punjab — Rediff.com News". Rediff. 28 January 2012. Archived from the original on 25 August 2017. Retrieved 25 April 2012.
  36. ↑ "Haryana polls: Dera Sacha Sauda's political wing to support BJP". 13 October 2014. Archived from the original on 8 December 2014. Retrieved 25 August 2017.
  37. ↑ Anand Kumar Patel (5 February 2015). "BJP's New Friend: Dera Sacha Sauda, the Sect Led by Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh". NDTV.com. Archived from the original on 25 September 2015. Retrieved 25 September 2015.
  38. ↑ "Delhi Assembly polls 2015: Dera Sacha Sauda extends support to BJP". Zee News. 5 February 2015. Archived from the original on 25 September 2015. Retrieved 25 September 2015.
  39. ↑ "Former Punjab top cop alleges Dera Sacha Sauda controversy was conspired by SAD govt". Times of India. 23 April 2014. Archived from the original on 27 September 2016. Retrieved 5 May 2014.
  40. ↑ "Messengers of self-styled godman Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh rooting for BJP". timesofindia-economictimes. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 22 April 2016.
  41. ↑ "Devastating fire breaks out in Darjeeling market". Hindustan Times. Archived from the original on 22 April 2012. Retrieved 20 April 2012.
  42. ↑ "1,500 Dera Sacha Sauda volunteers earn praise for rescue efforts". Hindustan Times. Archived from the original on 20 April 2012. Retrieved 17 April 2012.
  43. ↑ "Heroes of Jalandhar who saved many lives". IBN Live. Archived from the original on 25 April 2012. Retrieved 26 April 2012.
  44. ↑ "DSS sends a team of AIMMS docs to Uttarakhand". Millennium Post. Archived from the original on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 29 June 2014.
  45. ↑ "Uttarakhand Relief Work by Dera". Deccan Chronicle. Archived from the original on 24 September 2016.
  46. ↑ IANS (16 June 2015). "Uttarakhand floods: Two years on, life in 'Village of Widows' at standstill". Business Standard India. Archived from the original on 19 May 2018. Retrieved 19 May 2018.
  47. ↑ "Unbelievable Movement by Saint Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh Ji Insan against Prostitution". YouTube. 5 December 2009. Archived from the original on 15 December 2021.
  48. ↑ "Indian sect members vow to marry sex workers - Manchester News". Manchesterwired.co.uk. Archived from the original on 24 April 2012. Retrieved 29 January 2011.
  49. ↑ "Dera Sacha Sauda members to marry sex workers - Sakal Times". Archived from the original on 18 September 2016. Retrieved 5 November 2016.
  50. ↑ "Dera Sacha Sauda sect organises mass marriage ceremony for sex workers". Asian News International. Archived from the original on 6 September 2014. Retrieved 26 January 2010.
  51. ↑ "Dera Sacha Sauda opens 400-bed multi-speciality hospital". Hindustan Times. Archived from the original on 29 March 2014. Retrieved 28 March 2014.
  52. ↑ "A boon for the Grassroots- Shah Satnam Ji Speciality Hospital". Sachi Shiksha. 30 April 2014. Archived from the original on 19 October 2014. Retrieved 30 April 2014.
  53. ↑ "SC acts on Dera Sacha Sauda petition for eunuchs, grants legal status". Sachi Shiksha. 28 April 2014. Archived from the original on 19 October 2014. Retrieved 28 April 2014.
  54. ↑ "Mass cleanliness drive by Dera sect in Jaipur". The Times of India. 2 November 2011.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  55. ↑ "Raj min, Dera chief joins cleanliness drive". Business Standard India. Press Trust of India. 3 October 2016. Archived from the original on 28 October 2016. Retrieved 10 November 2016 – via Business Standard.
  56. ↑ "Punjab election move? BJPs Vasundhara Raje makes Gurmeet Ram Rahims MSG- The Warrior tax-free in Rajasthan". 6 October 2016. Archived from the original on 8 November 2016. Retrieved 10 November 2016.
  57. ↑ "Two days after Swachh results, Khattar takes part in Sirsa dera head's cleanliness drive in Karnal". Hindustan Times. 6 May 2017. Archived from the original on 10 June 2017. Retrieved 3 June 2017.
  58. ↑ Jacob Copeman 2009, pp. 105–106.
  59. ↑ Jacob Copeman 2009, pp. 108–109.
  60. ↑ Jacob Copeman 2009, p. 111,115.
  61. ↑ Jacob Copeman 2009, p. 120.

Bibliography

source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dera_Sacha_Sauda