If you are a Sikh you have no caste and if you have a caste you are not a Sikh.
Before I answer the main question, I would like to to state something very important to a practicing Sikh (useful for non-Sikhs to know too).
Why label any sikh a Ravidassi, jatt, Mazhabi, Chamar or any other Sikh? It goes against the grain of Sikhism. It defeats the purpose of becoming a Sikh.
I keep hearing from Sikhs and propagators of annihilation of caste that education is the key. EXACTLY WHAT needs to be taught to eradicate caste?
My take is this: The first and foremost thing to teach your children is NOT that there is no lower or upper caste,
BUT that there IS NO CASTE (especially for Sikhs) whatsoever. So the question of high/low castes don’t arise in Sikhism but many Sikhs continue to follow the system (for whatever reason), that they were supposed tohave abandoned BEFORE becoming Sikhs. Theirr ancestors were MADE TO BELIEVE that they belonged to or had a caste. So THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A Dalit, Ravidassi, Jat, Chamar or Mazhabi SIKH as many say.
Unless this is understood, there is NO POINT IN TEACHING ANYTHING ELSE about Sikhism to encourage people to accept Sikhism. Thats the only way to annihilate caste. No castes means there can’t be caste discrimination. In Sikhism, there are no castes to discriminate against. The same goes for Buddhism.
Guru Nanak Devji says in the Granth Sahib..
No one should be proud of jati.
He alone is a Brahmin who knows the truth.
Do not be proud of your social class and status, you ignorant fool!
So much sin and corruption comes from this pride.
Everyone says that there are four Varnas, four social classes.
They all emanate from the same seed. The entire universe is made of the same clay.
The Potter has shaped it into all sorts of vessels.
The five elements join together, to make up the form of the human body.
Who can say which is less (inferior or bad), and which is more? (Superior or good)
Says Nanak, this soul is bound by its actions.
Without meeting the True Guru, it is not liberated.
(Mohalla-3, Ang 1128 SGGS)
My belief is Sikhism was born to fight Brahminism but got infiltrated by the Manuvadis at some stage.
The answer to; Why Guru Ravidasji called himself a Chamar?
There is nothing wrong in calling yourself a chamar IF AND ONLY IF your *PROFESSION* is of a chamar. In this case it is not a derogatory word. There are multi- millionaires in the leather and shoe industry. A Brahmin in the same situation is an eminent chamaar. Nothing to be ashamed about.
Chamar is profession like any other eg farmers, carpenters and engineers, scientists and cleaners.
In this sense guru Ravidasji was indeed an Eminent Chamar. His livelihood was such. There are no high or low means of ethical livelihood (Kirat).There’s just livelihood.
However, refering to anyone as belonging to a Chamar *CASTE* IS derogatory. In this case, a Chamar (as belonging to a jati) remains a Chamar even if he changes his profession or economic status and a Brahmin remains a Brahmin even if ge goes outside India and cleans lavatories.
Guru Ravidasji and all the Sikh gurus ACTIVELY spoke and worked against the caste (jati) system and encouraged honest means of livelihood (Kirat).
The primary mission of all great gurus mentioned in the Sikh holy book was annihilation of caste, without which it is impossible to build a Begumpura Khalsaraj, (i.e) a Prabuddha (enlightened) Bharat.
