The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday, 29 July launched its nationwide Samrasta Sankalp Abhiyan to mark the 650th birth anniversary of Sant Ravidas Maharaj, rolling out a multi-phase campaign that will run until 20 February (Magha Purnima) under the direction of the BJP's national leadership. The drive aims to carry Guru Ravidas's teachings of equality, dignity, social harmony, and social justice to communities across the country, with Punjab as a key focus state.

How the Campaign Begins

Punjab BJP President Kewal Singh Dhillon announced on Tuesday that the opening phase will be the Shri Guru Ravidas Maharaj Samrasta Deep Mahotsav, during which lamps will be lit at Guru Ravidas temples across the state. The lighting ceremony will be accompanied by bhajans, religious discourses, cultural programmes, and community langars, setting the tone for a campaign centred on spiritual outreach and social inclusion.

Phase-by-Phase Rollout

The campaign unfolds in several structured phases. The Shri Guru Ravidas Maharaj Kalash Vandan Abhiyan, running from 29 July to 10 September, will see a sacred Kalash carrying holy soil from Guru Ravidas's birthplace at Seer Govardhanpur in Varanasi ceremonially received and taken across Punjab before being handed over to Guru Ravidas temples.

The Sant Sampark Abhiyan, active until 31 August, will have BJP leaders and workers seeking the blessings of saints associated with the Guru Ravidas tradition. This will be followed by the Shri Guru Ravidas Maharaj Samrasta Yatra from 5 October to 5 November, a march carrying the saint's message of equality and national unity from Dera Sach Khand Ballan in Jalandhar to Seer Govardhanpur in Varanasi.

The final phase, the Shri Guru Ravidas Maharaj Chhatrawas Sampark Abhiyan, runs from 26 November 2026 to 15 January 2027 and targets students in hostels through Samrasta Samvaad programmes, acquainting them with Guru Ravidas's teachings and the vision of a Viksit Bharat.

State Committee Constituted

To oversee effective implementation in Punjab, Kewal Singh Dhillon has constituted a state-level committee headed by Jagmohan Singh Raju, General Secretary of BJP Punjab. The panel includes former legislators Avinash Chander, Sheetal Angural, and Ravi Inder Kahlon, along with former IAS officer S.R. Ladhar, Renu Kashyap, and Bhanu Partap.

Significance and Context

Guru Ravidas, a 15th-century saint-poet from the Bhakti movement, is revered particularly among Dalit communities across northern and western India. His philosophy of social equality and rejection of caste discrimination continues to hold deep resonance, and his birthplace in Varanasi draws lakhs of pilgrims each year. This is not the first time the BJP has aligned major outreach campaigns with significant religious anniversaries — the party has consistently used such occasions to deepen engagement with communities that have historically been courted by multiple political formations. The campaign's reach into Punjab, a state with a substantial Ravidassia community, adds a clear electoral dimension ahead of the state's political calendar.

The Samrasta Sankalp Abhiyan is expected to conclude with large-scale events around Magha Purnima on 20 February, when the Guru Ravidas Jayanti is traditionally observed.