Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Jattvibeday laid the foundation stone of Sri Guru Ravidas Bani Adhyayan Centre at Naugajjan village in Kartarpur, Jalandhar, in the presence of Dera Sachkhand Ballan head Sant Niranjan Das. Coming up at a cost of Rs 37 crore, the Centre will be built on 10.4 acres of land.The centre, a long-pending demand of the Ravidassia community, is dedicated to the life and philosophy of Guru Ravidas. The CM said ahead of the 650th Parkash Purb of Guru Ravidas in 2027, he had “opened up the (state) treasury” for the grand celebrations, including Rs 100 crore set aside for the purpose.The CM said, “Guru Ravidas’ bani (teachings) were dedicated to humanity. His teachings will be studied at the centre. For the 650th Parkash Purb, I have asked Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema to ‘open up the treasury’. Guru Ravidas’ philosophy will reach every home through documentary shows and vans, which will cover 13,000 villages in 23 districts.”He added, “Guru Ravidas led a movement against forces which divided society. His movement turned into the Bhakti lehar. The seeds of hatred don’t grow in Punjab. I can see all communities sharing space here too. Our enemies tried a lot to disrupt brotherhood, through bombs and AK-47s, but it didn’t break us.”The ceremony comes close on the heels of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Jalandhar in July, when he flagged off Sant Ravidas Express, a special train for Ravidassia devotees.Amid apprehension of the dera’s growing proximity with the BJP, AAP has also rolled out a red carpet for the community ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections. The Ravidassia community comprises a sizeable chunk of the state’s Dalit population, and their votes are decisive in determining electoral outcomes.Seechewal skips eventApart from Sant Niranjan Das, AAP sent invites to numerous other saints and religious heads of the region. However, AAP Rajya Sabha MP Balbir Singh Seechewal didn’t attend the event.