From the world of manufacturing prescription drugs to the metaphysical world, Gill has taken the path less travelled
Shamsher Chandel
Chandigarh, September 11
Cipla House occupies a curved, glass-fronted building in Peninsula Park, Lower Parel, Mumbai. It’s one of the most striking structures in the clutch of blue-chip power centres that have made this swathe of land, formerly housing Dawn Mills, their home. It was in this tower that Jasdeep Singh Gill, Cipla’s Chief Strategy Officer, sent his resignation on May 14 and it carried a cryptic but significant clue about his imminent journey.
From the Maximum City, Gill was poised to move to the sleepy township of Beas in Punjab, where the slow burbling river water and the soft chants at the Dera Radha Soami Satsang merge in a peaceful embrace.
“Gill is a big name in the pharma world. But no one could read into the subtle prelude Gill’s resignation letter cited that he was stepping down to pursue “personal interests,” says a source who has been part of the mid-level management in a top pharma company. He had specified May 31, 2024, as his last working day. He adds, “I mean, at 45, if you say you are resigning and not joining another place, it does alarm you.” Indeed, the bewilderment is compounded when it becomes clear that the tug and pull of corporate machinations aren’t quite interchangeable with the loftier requirements of metaphysical questions; a dispute that perhaps only the Dera can fully resolve. “
Those close to him knew that he had taken a naam daan at Dera Radha Soami but no one knew that he was the chosen-one for the top position.”
Did he know he would lead the dera?
On his journey back from Mumbai to Beas, Gill might not have fully grasped his exact role. However, this uncertainty reflects the often fluid and adaptable nature of Radha Soami Satsang Dera’s decisions. The recent eleventh-hour flip-flop, where Gill was nominated as the deputy, nomenclatured ‘Huzurji’ which means that after sant guru steps down, Gill will be the patron of the dera, and the decision was conveyed to the sangat that Gurinder Singh Dhillon would remain the sant guru, exemplifies this unpredictable process. Nonetheless, Gill would have been aware, at least four-months prior of the significant responsibility awaiting him following which he resigned at Cipla, says a keen observer of the deras in Punjab.
Dr Sukhwinder Singh, a keen watcher of Punjab affairs, whose maternal grandmother was a dera follower says, “It’s the same script being played out from 35 years ago by dera. Look at the uncanny similarity. In 1990, the current patron Gurinder Singh Dhillon had a high-flying corporate career in Spain. He chose to come to India and was suddenly anointed as the new patron of Dera Radha Soami Satsang by his maternal uncle Baba Charan Singh.” He adds, “The Radha Soami Satsang Beas (RSSB) is very secretive about such things.” A dera follower, a retired army officer not willing to be named also confirms. “I know Babaji (sic) (Gurinder Singh Dhillon’s) sister very well. I spoke to her recently, but from my conversation with her I think even she had no inkling what was about to come.”
Dera’s history of succession
Jaimal Singh founded Radha Soami Satsang Dera at Beas after retiring from the British Army in 1891. He was succeeded by Sawan Singh, a leader not related by blood to Jaimal Singh. Following Sawan Singh, Jagat Singh took over the mantle of heading the dera. However, a noticeable shift occurred in 1951 when Baba Charan Singh, the grandson of Sawan Singh, became the patron of Radha Soami Satsang Beas (RSSB). Since Charan Singh’s appointment, the tradition has leaned towards selecting successors from within the extended family. Baba Charan Singh was succeeded by his nephew from the maternal side, Gurinder Singh Dhillon. This trend of making the dera head from within the familial circles continued with Gurinder Singh’s appointment.
Adding to this legacy of family preference, Jasdeep Singh Gill, who is the grandson of Gurinder Singh’s aunt (his mother’s sister), has now been nominated as Huzurji (the second highest position in the dera). This appointment underscores the ongoing practice of favouring relatives in the succession process, but at the same time also not disregarding merit.
Zeroing-in on Jasdeep Singh Gill
Jasdeep Singh Gill likely emerged as a potential leader within RSSB following a notable development involving Shivender Mohan Singh, the owner of Fortis Healthcare. In 2015, Shivender made an unexpected announcement of his intention to join Radha Soami Satsang Beas. Shivender, who is Gurinder Singh Dhillon’s nephew from his mother’s side, is also the maternal grandson of the previous guru, Charan Singh. There were speculations that Shivender might succeed Gurinder Singh Dhillon. However, Shivender’s move was not the sort of dramatic renunciation one might expect like a ‘Monk Who Sold His Ferrari’ tale of seeking inner peace and everlasting happiness. Instead, it represented a shift from one formidable empire to another. While Fortis Healthcare was a vast corporate empire, the Radha Soami Dera was a spiritual empire with 20 million followers (almost equal to the population of Australia). The only difference was the switch from the corporate to spiritual, from manufacturing prescription drugs to uttering words of wisdom.
In October 2019, the Economic Offenses Wing of the Delhi Police arrested Shivender Mohan Singh and his brother Malvinder Singh following allegations of financial mismanagement by diverting funds from Religare Finvest Limited (RFL), a subsidiary of Religare Enterprises Limited. Probably, it was during this period of upheaval that RSSB began its search for a new successor and ultimately may have focused on Jasdeep Singh Gill. At that time, Gill had recently joined Cipla and brought with him an impressive academic and professional background. Armed with an engineering degree from IIT, a doctorate in chemical engineering from Cambridge, and an alumnus status from MIT, Gill’s stellar corporate resume resonated well with Gurinder Singh Dhillon. His prior experience at Ranbaxy, the pharmaceutical giant previously managed by Malvinder and Shivender Singh, further solidified his credentials. This blend of academic excellence and industry experience made Gill a compelling choice for the role.
However, true to its reputation for secrecy, the dera remains tight-lipped about the recent changes. Attempts to glean more information are met with polite but firm deflections. “Whatever we have to say is there on our website there is nothing more to add,” said Davinder Kumar Sikri, the secretary at the RSSB, before the line went dead.
