Baba Black Sheep

Forty-four-year-old Baba Piara Singh Bhaniara was a Class Four employee in the state horticulture department before he declared himself as an incarnation of Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth guru of the Sikhs, in 1978. He gave up his job and set up a dera (ashram) spread over several acres in a lush green forest belt off Ropar in Dhamiana village.

Gradually, the nondescript village of Dhamiana started playing host to a number of new converts as word went around that the Baba had supernatural powers and performed miracle cures. In fact, the alternative Granth he published is supposed to be a compilation of examples of people miraculously cured by the Baba. His holy book—as voluminous as the Guru Granth Sahib—has been a subject of much controversy.

The Baba adopted an unusual lifestyle and even tried to imitate the tenth Sikh guru. The stable in his dera had 10 horses as the Baba occasionally ventured out riding in the tradition of the Sikh gurus. At times, he would even give discourses mounted on a horse. The favourite story told by his followers is that they saw him on a horse in their dreams. He would invite them to the dera to find a solution to all their problems.

The fact that Baba Piara Singh has three wives has often fuelled suspicion that he was sexually exploitative of his women followers. He has three sons from his first wife. All three wives live in a palatial bungalow built outside the dera in the village. After the arrest of the Baba and his eldest son, the rest of his family have escaped to an unknown destination, fearing public wrath.

Bhaniarewale Baba is a Dalit and has a natural constituency among the Sikh and non-Sikh Dalits. The majority of his followers, including politicians and government officials, are from the Dalit community. The Baba is reported to have said that he started the work on his Granth after one of his Dalit followers was barred from carrying the holy book for Akhand Path by a Ropar gurudwara sevadar.

Dhamiana village—which has a substantial Dalit population—largely supports the Baba. Apart from other factors, the existence of the dera has brought in business to the small village of around 1,200 people. "He is being falsely implicated. He was so kind to the poor and the downtrodden. He started a round-the-clock langar at his dera for all of us. He arranged the marriage of hundreds of poor girls," says Aamro Kaur, a local resident. "Hopefully he will be back safe and sound," says village sarpanch Luddan Ram.

Now the Baba's dera lies vandalised. His pictures have been desecrated, the valuables plundered, the foodstock for the langar stolen and hundreds of cattle driven away. Fearing a similar backlash, most of his followers have disowned the Baba. With the godman at the receiving end, they are hoping for some miracle.