The recent violence between Akali groups and the Dera Sacha Sauda in Punjab underscores the existence of a number of 'deras' in various parts of the state, which are but a manifestation of prevailing caste divisions and tensions. Dalits and other marginalised groups adhere to such deras for it promises them an alternative to mainstream, and in many respects, exclusionary Sikhism. Yet deras, especially in recent decades, have acquired strategic political overtones. This article looks at one such episode in Punjab's recent religious history.
