British Ravidassia Heritage Foundation (BRHF)
-Ramesh Chander
(Samaj Weekly)- British Ravidassia Heritage Foundation (BRHF) is a registered Charitable NGO in the UK floated by the Ravidassia community for the purpose as stated in the website of the organization “TO ADVANCE THE EDUCATION OF THE PUBLIC IN THE SUBJECT OF THE LIFE, TIME AND PHILOSOPHY OF SATGURU RAVIDASS.” I have had an opportunity to interact with the Trustees of BRHF at an International Seminar organized by them in Delhi in collaboration of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) in October, 2023 to which I was also invited as a presenter on the subject “Life, Time and Philosophy Satguru Ravidass”. My blog on the subject may be accessed at: https://diplomatictitbits.blogspot.com/2023/10/international-seminar-on-life-time-and.html
One fine morning of a cold day, Chairperson of the BRHF Trust, Om Parkash Bagha, belonging to his native place Bolina Doaba – a prominent village in the periphery of Jalandhar, called me to come and discuss with me an important matter with regard to the activities of the BRHF. Accordingly, Bagha Sahib along with one of my friends in the literary and intellectual circle, Roop Lal Roop came and made a proposal to join them in a missionary work to translate into English language a treatise, written in Gurmukhi script, of Roop Lal Roop – Guru Ravidass Pargas Di Khoj (Research and Study of the Life, Philosophy and Thought of Guru Ravidass). It was a pleasant surprise to me. Considering the enormity of the project to translate a huge volume (Granth of 432 pages that too both in prose and verse), I was a bit reluctant to undertake the job. Both Bagha Sahib and Roop Lal Sahib were insisted and said that they had come to me after considering all factors including my ability to do this difficult job. I told them frankly that I had not done any translation work so far though I write regularly in my blog or otherwise only in English. They said that they will be happy to associate me with this work. I could not say know and accepted the responsibility with whatever humility I have in my persona. In fact, I had already seen and glanced through the book kindly presented to me by the author, Roop Lal Sahib. I guess, perhaps, the author wished me to write some sort of review of his great work which I myself would have loved to do. But due other occupations and sheer size of the book deterred me from doing so. It seems now that it was destined like this and the honours fell on me to translate the book for wider circulation and benefit the society at large from the life, time and philosophy of the great Guru. I only pray Guru Ravidass gives me the wherewithal to do the job entrusted to me by BRHF and the author, Roop Lal Roop in the stipulated time frame of a year or so.
As I said that I met the BRHF brass at the JNU. Subsequent to that I found that BRHF was fully engaged in their mission to research, study and carry forward the lofty ideals of Guru Ravidass to establish a free and fair society as enshrined in the Vani “Begumpur Sehar Ka Naon; Dukh Ando Nahin Jis Ke Thaon” as stated in their website “WORKING WITH GLOBAL COMMUNITY, RELIGIOUS AND EDUCATIONAL ORGANISATIONS DELIVER A PROGREMME OF WORKSHOPS, SEMINARS, PUBLISH LITERATURTE, ESTABLISH ONLINE LIBRARY ON THE LIFE, TIME AND PHILOSOPHY OF SATGURU RAVIDASS TO VALUE TRADITIONALLY HELD VIEWS AND ANALYSE FROM A CONTEMPORARY AND SCIENTIFIC ANGLE TO PROMOTE THE IMPORTANCE AND RELEVANCE FOR PRESENT DAY LIFE AND TO INFER A DEEPER, WIDER INSIGHT.”
I will earnestly undertake the job of translation of the Granth “Guru Ravidass Pargas Di Khoj” in a month or so after completion of my current project – my forthcoming book “Bootan Mandi: Nerve Centre of Dalit Chetna” Meanwhile I again thank BRHF and my friend, Roop Lal Roop for showing faith and confidence in me, a humble follower of the great Guru Ravidass.
