Indian Independence Day is celebrated on August 15 and like any other Independence Day it is the day we pay tribute to all those leaders and fighters who spent and laid their lives for the cause.  The Nirankari Mission also observes “Mukti Parv” or Liberation Day on August 15 to remember those who had devoted their lives to the Ultimate Truth specifically Shenshah Baba Avtar Singh Ji and Nirankari RajMata Kulwant Kaur Ji.  It is a day that reminds us also of salvation for the soul through liberation from bondages of birth and death. His Holiness specifically addresses bondages that are present at the very basic level in society such as caste, creed, color, ego from wealth and power, alcoholism, hatred to name a few; he focuses on breaking these bondages and realizing the self through God realization.

Keeping these teachings in mind, the Nirankari Mission Chicago Chapter participated in the Naperville Independence Day Parade, which was held in downtown Naperville on Sunday, August 16, 2015. Participants dressed in shirts with slogans focusing on His Holiness’ message of unity, oneness, breaking walls and building bridges, and harmony.  There was a float decorated to focus on the message of God realization through self-realization.  Even before the parade began, the energy amongst the youth was unparallel. At the beats of the ‘dhol’, a traditional drum-like Punjabi instrument, the youth performed the steps of a dance which broke records in London during 2013 Nirankari International Samagam.

As the youth was revving up the energy, the elderly were getting situated on the float so they could also enjoy. The parade began and went through parts of downtown Naperville, through residential neighborhoods, and ended at the community concert arena. Throughout the thirty some minutes of the parade, the slogans of peace and love were chanted. Amongst the booming voices of the youth and adults, peace of a different kind ensued. The kind of peace that is experienced only when one is surrounded with love. His Holiness’ message of love was seen in pure action during this parade.

Chants of “oneness”, “peace not pieces”, and “love is all we need” filled the atmosphere. The aura radiating from the chants was so powerful that the audience at the sidelines were seen to be enjoying the bliss as well and several amongst them were seen chanting the same slogans, especially “love is all we need”. This parade was a testimony to the fact that in essence all humanity needs is love and that is the message that His Holiness is tirelessly working on spreading. Through God realization, we break from any and all bondages we have created for ourselves; we are able to break those walls when there is knowledge of the Ultimate and head away from the darkness of ignorance and towards the mind that is enlightened. Then it becomes effortless to spread that love.

~Prepared by Nimarta Singh Bhinder

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