Ramanand Dass
{{Short description|Indian religious leader (1952–2009)}}
{{Infobox religious biography
| background = #FF4576
| name = Sant Ramanand Dass
| image = Ramanand Dass of the Ravidassia.jpg
| religion = Ravidassia Religion
| alias = {{langx|hi| संत रामानंद }}
| Title = Sant Of Ravidassia Religion
| Period = 1973-74 to 2009
| ordination =
| post = Sant
| birth_date = {{birth date|1952|02|02}}
| birth_place = Ramdaspur, Alawalpur
| death_date = {{death date and age|2009|05|25|1952|02|02}}
| death_place = Rudolfsheim, Vienna, Austria
| parents =
| website = [http://www.gururavidassguruji.com/ Guru Ravidass Ji Website]
}}
Sant Ramanand Dass was a leader of Dera Sach Khand, a socio-religious organization founded by followers of Guru Ravidas.{{Cite journal |last=Singh |first=Gurharpal |date=2012 |title=Religious Transnationalism and Development Initiatives: The Dera Sachkhand Ballan |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/23065577 |journal=Economic and Political Weekly |volume=47 |issue=1 |pages=53–59 |jstor=23065577 |issn=0012-9976}}{{cite news |date=25 May 2009 |title=Preacher dies after Vienna clash |work=BBC News |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8066005.stm |access-date=2009-05-25}} His name came to international attention when he was murdered by Sikh radicals at the age of 57 in the 24 May 2009 attack on the Guru Ravidass Temple in Austria.{{Cite book |last=Singh |first=Pashaura |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7YwNAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA88 |title=The Oxford Handbook of Sikh Studies |publisher=Oxford University Press |year=2014 |isbn=9780191004117 |pages=88}}
Biography
Ramanand Dass was born on 2 February 1952, and he resided at Dera Sach Khand from 1973 onwards, according to RavidassGuru.com.{{Cite web |title=Amar Shaheed Sant Ramanand Ji |url=https://www.ravidassguru.com/dera-ballan/sant-ramanand/ |access-date=2022-09-24 |website=www.ravidassguru.com}} He was the chief editor of Dera Sach Khand's weekly newspaper, Begumpura Shaher, and he received the 20th National Dalit Literary Award from the Indian Dalit Literary Academy in 2004.{{Cite journal |last=Ram |first=Ronki |date=2008 |title=Ravidass Deras and Social Protest: Making Sense of Dalit Consciousness in Punjab (India) |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/20203488 |journal=The Journal of Asian Studies |volume=67 |issue=4 |pages=1341–1364 |doi=10.1017/S0021911808001800 |jstor=20203488 |issn=0021-9118}} He was second in command to Dera Sach Khand's current leader, Niranjan Dass, with whom he traveled abroad.{{Cite journal |last=Ram |first=Ronki |date=2009 |title=Ravidass, Dera Sachkhand Ballan and the question of Dalit identity in Punjab |url=https://punjab.global.ucsb.edu/sites/secure.lsit.ucsb.edu.gisp.d7_sp/files/sitefiles/journals/volume16/no1/1-Ronki%20Ram16.1.pdf |journal=Journal of Punjab Studies |volume=16 |issue=1 |pages=12–15, 27 |via=}}
On 24 May 2009, Ramanand Dass was injured in an attack by six Sikh militants at a temple in Vienna, Austria. He suffered multiple gunshot wounds, and he died in a hospital early the next day. The attack triggered rioting across much of northern India.{{cite news |date=25 May 2009 |title=Punjab riots after Vienna killing |work=BBC News |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8066783.stm |access-date=2023-09-19}} He was cremated with full state honors on 4 June 2009, at Dera Sach Khand, India.{{Cite news |date=2009-06-05 |title=Lakhs attend state funeral for Sant Ramanand |work=The Times of India |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/lakhs-attend-state-funeral-for-sant-ramanand/articleshow/4615567.cms |access-date=2023-09-28 |issn=0971-8257}}{{Cite news |date=5 June 2009 |title=Sant Ramanand cremated amid tight security arrangements |work=The India Post |url=https://theindiapost.com/features/featured/sant-ramanand-cremated-amid-tight-security-arrangements/ |access-date=2023-09-28}}
References
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Category:Indian murder victims
Category:People murdered in Austria
Category:Victims of Sikh terrorism
Category:2009 murders in Austria