DNA Exclusive: Political significance of Ravidas Jayanti

The nation today celebrated the festival of Ravidas Jayanti. The festival, which comes every year, was celebrated a little differently this time. Top politicians - starting from PM Narendra Modi to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Punjab Chief Charanjit Singh Channi were seen offering special prayers to saint Ravidas Ji at different places. To no one's surprise, the reason for political leaders' sudden interest in saint Ravidas was Punjab elections.

In today's DNA, Zee News Editor-In-Chief Sudhir Chaudhary analyses the political significance of saint Ravidas' birth anniversary and dominance of Ravidassia sect in Punjab's electoral politics.

The day began with visuals of PM Narendra Modi celebrating the occasion at New Delhi's Ravidas temple. Later, Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi were seen paying services at the popular saint Ravidas temple in Uttar Pradesh's Varanasi, also considered as the Sikh Guru's birthplace.

Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath also visited the same Ravidas temple in Varanasi.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and AAP's Punjab unit chief Bhagwant Mann too visited the saint Ravidas temple in Jalandhar, where they also campaigned for the party.

The biggest question that arises is - what makes Ravidas Jayanti so special?

The answer to the question is simple - Dalit community accounts for 31 per cent of Punjab's total population. Out of the total Dalit population, around 61 per cent of people are followers of Ravidassia sect, who are the followers of saint Ravidas.

Ravidassia community has a significant dominance in the Doaba region - which has four major districts under it.

Watch DNA with Sudhir Chaudhary to understand in detail the political significance of Ravidassia sect in Punjab politics.