Dera Sacha Sauda ("Camp of the True Deal";[4] colloquially DSS) is an Indian non-governmental organization described as a "religious cult"[5] and "non-profit social welfare dera" that was established on 29 April 1948 by Mastana Balochistani, an ascetic follower of Baba Sawan Singh (the second Satguru of Radha Soami Satsang Beas (RSSB)),[6] as a centre for religious learning.
[3] Under the leadership of Mastana Balochistani, 25 Ashrams were established in Haryana, Punjab and Rajasthan, where Naam-Shabad, method of Meditation was taught to the followers who accepted three principles for the rest of their life: 1.
He was succeeded by controversial Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in 1990, who added more than a dozen ashrams and made Dera a much more visible organization.
The current leader, Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, who claims to have more than 60 million followers worldwide,[10] is a controversial figure in India and has been convicted for murder and rape.
[11][12][13] On 25 August 2017, a special CBI court in the city of Panchkula, Haryana, found him guilty of raping two Dera sadhvis (female followers).
[22] The Akal Takht of the Sikhs demanded closure of all the Deras in Punjab, and asked its followers to organise protest marches and bandhs.
[11][12][13] On 25 August 2017, a special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court in Panchkula, Haryana, found him guilty of sexually assaulting two Dera sadhvis (female followers), one of whom had written to the then prime minister of India Atal Bihari Vajpayee about it in 2002.
[11][25][26] According to India's Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), the sect defended castrations as done to "safeguard female followers from possible sexual advances".
[29] During the satsang gatherings, the Guru of the Dera sits beneath Hindu, Sikh, Muslim and Christian symbols organised in a way that depicts him as the union of these religions.
The Dera Sacha Sauda claims to be autarkic: it owns extensive lands in Haryana, Punjab and other states; and operates a supermarket, Canteens, a biscuit factory, a restaurant, etc.
[31] The previous Congress government enjoyed the organisation's support and it reciprocated by providing a Z-plus security cover for the group's leader.
[non-primary source needed] The organisation has rendered aid during many of India's natural disasters like Kolkata fire[40] and the factory collapse in Jalandhar.
[41][42] During the 2013 flash floods in Uttarakhand, a team of volunteers and doctors provided medical care to people, distributed food packets and conducted rescue missions.
[45] Anti-prostitution initiatives began in November 2009, when Singh called on his followers to counter prostitution, and to help sex-workers escape a "life of perpetual slavery".
[50][51] Dera Sacha Sauda had launched a social welfare campaign and had filed a petition in the Supreme Court of India to grant legal status to transgender people.
On 15 April 2014 the Apex Court gave a judgement in favour of the Eunuchs and ordered that the Hijras and transgender people will now be given the legal status of the third gender.
[52] DSS also initiated a series of sanitation drives and as of 2016, about 30 Mega Cleanliness Campaigns have been conducted in several states of India and also in other countries.
[57] The official publication of Dera Sacha Sauda claims that the world record was created by "sheer chance", thus denying the suggestions that it was a show-off for media attention and the glorification of their guru.
However, in 2003, the Dera had sent an e-mail to the Guinness Book compilers, seeking clarifications on the conditions that needed to be met to break the previous record.