Sikh Bhumihars

Some Bhumihar in parts of Bihar during the late 20th century rejected Hinduism and embraced Sikhism. The conversions were concentrated primarily in villages of the Dulhinbazar, Paliganj and Bikram blocks of Patna, with a few reported cases in neighbouring Arwal district. Several Sikh Bhumihar figures, including Sardar Krishna Singh, Sardar Lakshman Singh and Sardar Raghavendra became associated with anti-Naxalite politics and militias in central Bihar.

The Sikh conversation phenomenon, although geographically and numerically limited, produced figures and events that were so remarkable that they've become an indispensable part of the Bhumihar social history.

Bhumihar conversion to Sikhism

Introduction and the spread of conversions

Interaction between Magadha 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

Sikhism's martial appeal

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 left wing Naxal menace.

These Bhumihars sought motivation from Sikhism's special emphasis on warrior values, martial spirit and abandonment of redundant illogical dogmatic philosophies.

Social and cultural factors

• 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 stereotypical natural tendencies of Bhumihars.

• Apathy among the other local Bihari castes towards the targeting of Bhumihars by Left-wing militants also filled Bhumihars with mistrust towards their non-Bhumihar neighbours, laying bare the caste based faultlines within Hindu society and ultimately leaving those Bhumihars unsatisfied and disillusioned with Hinduism.

Attitude of new converts towards the Hindu orthodoxy

• Scoffed at their neighbouring Hindu Brahmins' smugness and their insistence on fighting the left wing 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.

Sardar Laxman Singh

Sardar Lakshman Singh

A Keshdhari Sikh born in the Kaab village of Patna, Bihar, Sardar Laxman belonged to the Atharva mool/clan of Bhumihars and his Gotra was Kaundinya or Kaundilya. He was a native of Bikram, Patna. At some point he was the right hand man of Shaheed Brahmeshwar Singh, the founder and the chief of Bihar's largest anti Naxal Militia, the Ranvir Sena.

Sardar Laxman was the second in command of the Ranvir Sena and was locally famous for saving the lives of many Bhumihars badly affected by the left wing terrorism in the Naxal hit zones of Patna district.

In 2014, he was finally apprehended by Bihar Police in a case of Ranvir Sena killing 10 alleged Naxals by shooting them from point blank range.

The police had found Ranvir Sena's name written on wall using blood, near the place of the incident.

Times Of India report on Sardar Laxman Singh when he was taken into the police custody.

Sardar Krishna Singh

Sardar Krishna Nandan Singh

• Sardar Krishna Nandan Singh was a three-term (1980–95) Sikh Bhumihar MLA from Arwal, Bihar, who had adopted Sikhism in his early years and founded the Brahmarshi Sena to fight the Naxalite menace in Bihar. Such was his popularity in the South Bihar region that he won the Bihar Legislative Assembly elections independently three consecutive times, without being affiliated with any political party, from the neighbouring district of Arwal.

• He belonged to the village of Akhtiyarpur in Paliganj Block, Patna district.

• Apart from his political career, he was more widely known for founding the Brahmarshi Sena, an armed outfit that served the interests of Bhumihars, more than a decade before the Ranvir Sena was formed. It was because of him that Bhumihars and other upper castes of the Patna district felt safe for many years and remained comparatively unaffected from the left wing naxal terrorism.

"When this tall Sikh drives along the Patna roads with his gunmen, people fear for their lives. A convert to SIkhism, the independent MLA was the first commander of the Bhumihar's sena." Sardar Krishna Singh's description according to an India Today report.

• He and his outfit were responsible for thwarting left wing Naxalite penetration into Patna district for years.
• The Communist Party of India considered Sardar Krishna Singh, a Bhumihar Sikh, to be one of the three most notorious figures in the politics of undivided Bihar and Jharkhand during his presence in active politics.

The Communist Party of India considered Sardar Krishna Singh, a Bhumihar Sikh MLA and the chief of Brahmarshi Sena, to be one of the three most notorious figures in the politics of undivided Bihar and Jharkhand during the 1980s and early 1990s.

Sardar Krishna Singh, a native Bihari Babhan Sikh, founded the Brahmarshi Sena to combat Naxalites and other far-left-wing elements. The Brahmarshi Sena was defending Bhumihars and fighting Naxalites long before the Ranvir Sena was formed.

Sardar Raghavendra Dhari Singh

The first among Bhumihars to adopt Sikhism was Raghavendra Dhari Singh from the Ain Khan village of Dulhinbazar Block of the Patna. He was the son of Jang Dhari Singh, and uncle of Amdrendra Dhari Singh, a Member Of Parliament for more than 6 years.

He was also a patron of the Patna Sahib Gurudwara.

Local News report testifying how some Bhumihar villages in Patna converted to Sikhism and Sardar Raghavendra Dhari Singh became a patron of Patna Sahib Gurudwara.