A dera for everyone

Sudhirendar Sharma

Sudhirendar Sharma

Punjab is known for its sprawling deras - a place where a self-proclaimed religious head recites sermons - and there are some 9,000 of such deras in the state. About 80 per cent of the state’s population patronizes these deras which are believed to pocket 90 per cent of the religious donations. It is not without reason, it gives a large dalit population, an estimated 32 per cent in the state, a sense of social identity by which it can wield massive influence that is not without controversy. While most deras are a heady mix of the esoteric and the politics, these are also reflective of the sacred geography. Over the years, however, each dera has emerged as a seat of alternative spiritual power.  

The Deras

The rising popularity of alternative religious sects has sparked much interest in the deras. These have emerged in response to prevailing caste-based social discrimination and exclusion of lower castes from the mainstream religion. Confirming the popularity of these sects among the lower castes, the contemporary attractiveness of the deras need to be understood as a complex social process. Not only that, the deras have influence on the character of the society which is often intertwined with its politics. While there is highly influential Dera Sachkhand Ballan on one extreme, the controversial Dera Sacha Sauda too dots the landscape. 

Religion is here to stay, or should it be said religious sect. In a sense, the deras act like tributaries of the main channel. Far from being boxed into narrow framework, the deras carry with them the rich diversity of deep philosophical realm. The Deras offers a compelling people’s perspective on the sociological imagination of these dynamic institutions which continue to evolve with time to stay relevant. However, the manner in which these institutions negotiate with the present scenario is fascinating. Spread across seven chapters, the book provides an ethnographic narrative on the dera culture that is not only growing but its social welfare perspective is gaining precedence.    

The modern narrative on the deras is somewhat progressive. Indeed, many deras are run by self-proclaimed gurus as personal enterprises. There is little denying the fact that there is a vast reservoir of free-floating disgruntling individuals for whom such progressive orientation of the dera is the way forward. These individuals want these deras to operate on purely entrepreneurial basis, investing in brand-building through charity work like blood donation camps and mass marriages. Deras have become congregations for electoral politics. Politicians of all stripes are understandably warming up to such possibilities. It is no surprise that the political patronage these deras receive in times of political crises is critical.

The Deras is an absorbing study on the dera culture in Punjab, which has gained unique profiles over the course of time with the adoption of distinct rituals, ceremonies, traditions, slogans, symbols, auspicious dates, customs, prayer, religious rituals, and attire of baba. Together with mammoth physical infrastructure, the deras provide social mobility for socially discriminated and economically poor sections of society. The book provides all that contributes pathological reasons for mushrooming of these deras. 

Author Santosh Singh reasons that mushrooming of deras has more to do with the fact that subaltern identity has yet to get mainstreamed. As this has yet to happen, the aspirations for inclusion and equality are far from fulfilled. The phenomenon of deras needs to be seen from the perspective of generating a social capital, which contributes to the emancipation and empowerment of lower caste and middle-class people in particular.

The Deras 

by Santosh Singh

Penguin, New Delhi 

Extent: 196, Price: Rs. 699.

(Dr. Sudhirendar Sharma is a writer and researcher specializing in development issues. He is based in New Delhi, India.)

First published in The Outlook on April 19, 2025.