Sikh Bhumihars

Bhumihar conversion to Sikhism

Introduction and the spread of conversions

Interaction between Bihar and Sikhism goes back as far as the birth and earliest days of Sikhism itself. Guru Nanak Dev Ji himself visited Magadha and travelled through its main centres, namely Patna, Gaya, Nalanda, and Rajgir. Later, Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji, while passing through Bihar on his way further east, stopped at Patna, where Sikhism's last Guru, Guru Gobind Singh Ji, was born. However, it was not until the 20th century that a few Bhumihars, tired of Hinduism's prevalent dogmas, found a warm refuge in the Guru's words and became Sikhs. Unfortunately, this phenomenon was limited to only a handful of villages in Patna district, just a few kilometres outside the city of Patna.

The Bhumihar conversion to Sikhism was mainly a phenomenon confined to:

• A few villages in the Bikram and Paliganj blocks of Patna district.
• Some cases in the neighbouring district of Arwal as well.

Reasons behind the conversions

Most of the conversions, although very limited in nature, were fuelled by Sikhism's militaristic charm, which caught the attention of some Bhumihar youths grappling with the hardships induced by the raging Naxal movement targeting Bhumihar landlords in Bihar. They were constantly looking to seize any opportunity that came their way and could help them fight the Naxal menace.

Bhumihars, already fond of rangbaazi, a local term denoting the habit of making flashy displays of dominance and fearlessness, found a natural home in Sikhism, hoping they had found a religion that prioritized action over ritualistic dogmas and suited the natural tendencies of Bhumihars.

Attitude towards Hindu orthodoxy

These new converts:

• Scoffed at the Hindu Brahmins' smugness and their insistence on fighting Naxals with Vedic philosophy and Sanskrit mantras.
• Were puzzled by the absolute irrationality of their neighbours, who were convincing them to fight armed-to-the-teeth Naxals by employing Vedic philosophy and shouting Sanskrit in the face of raining bullets.

Raghavendra Dhari Singh and his influence

The first-generation strongman of central Bihar, the renowned landlord from the village of Ain Khan, Raghavendra Dhari Singh, had embraced Sikhism. Under his mentorship, many young Bhumihars from Bikram, Paliganj, and Arwal adopted Sikhism.