NIRANKARI MISSION IN UK AND EUROPE

-By: Barrister Harbans Singh (UK)

The Second World War had left Britain starving for manpower that it required reconstruct its economy. To satisfy its growing hunger for unskilled, skilled, blue and white-collar labour force, migrant workers in hundreds of thousands came to the United Kingdom from the Indian sub-continent and West Indies, within the two post-war decades. And, in the early sixties, among the many thousands of Indian immigrants were a number of Nirankaris who had come to make their contribution to the British economy.

These Nirankaris kept in touch with the Nirankari Mandal in Delhi through letters and 'Sant Nirankari' magazine. It did not tale them long to seek each other out in this new land, and to organise themselves into a Sangat comprising of handful of enlightened souls. By 1964, they were holding weekly congregations in rotation at Slough, Leicester and Birmingham, despite the fact that this involved many hours and miles of travel each week to majority of the congregates. Their undoubting determination and will power prevailed all adversities.

This small but strong and very young congregation nourished an intense desire to see His Holiness in the UK. And their prayers were finally answered in 1967 when they were awarded with the first ever visit of His Holiness Baba Gurbachan Singh Ji Maharaj.

His Holiness, with his entourage, travelled in a volkswagen overland from Iran through Europe to the UK. This was an historical visit, which transformed the congregation of a handful souls into that of many hundreds of Nirankaris. Suddenly Branches mushroomed all over the UK where regular congregations were established and the Samagams became an annual feature.

The spiritual four of Baba Gurbachan Singh Ji Maharaja had been a tremendous success. Nineteen sixty-seven had witnessed the genesis of the Nirankari Mission in the United Kingdom.

The year 1968 too turned out to be a memorable year. It was marked with Shehenshah Baba Avtar Singh Ji's nearly three month long historic visit. We all had a wonderful time. Seekers thronged in hundreds to listen to Shehenshahji's postulations.

Shahenshahji tirelessly travelled up and down the country preaching the gospel of truth and explaining the message of Holy Scriptures, guiding the disciples and seekers alike. During those summer months, where ever Shahenshahji went, seekers were blessed with divine knowledge, Gyan, in large numbers. Shehenshajji used to tell us angrezzan kol brahmgyanian wale sare gun han, sirf gyan di lor hai. (These English people have all the qualities of the enlightened souls, all they need is God-knowledge).

Following year was Baba Gurbachan Singh Ji's second visit. By now the Mission had become well established with the help of the youthful and resourceful team of Missionaries under the aegis of senior, but young founder Nirankaris. (The average age of the Mission's members in the UK in those days was probably less than 25 years).

Sewa Dal

Rapid growth of the Mission necessitated the constituting of the UK Sewa Dal and also the founding of the national Executive Committee to manage the Mission's affairs under the supreme stewardship of His Holiness. The constitution for the Nirankari Mission in the UK was formally adopted, and the Mission was registered as a Charity with the Charity Commission for England and Wales in the name of Sant Nirankari Mandal UK also known as Universal Brotherhood or Nirankari Mission.

The seventies obliged the UK Mandal to focus its attention on the needs of the continuously expanding local congregations and to the provision of meeting places, Bhawans. First such Bhawan was acquired in Smethwich near Birmingham, which is the Mission's UK head office. The Smethwick Bhawan was followed by acquisition of further two Bhawans in Leicester and Wednesbury.

Today, there are seven Bhawans wholly owned by the Mission, the other four being situated in Bradford, Bedford, Oxford and London. The London Bhawan is hardly a stone's throw distance from the world's busiest airport and is located in an open space area on two-and-half acres of prime land. Plans are also in the pipeline to expand the London Bhawan to meet growing traffic, and the local needs. The plans are under consideration to build a massive Bhawan-cum-community centre for the West Midlands region.

The Mission has maintained excellent links with the other people and has over the years sponsored, contributed and / or executed the economic, business and social regeneration schemes. In line with its motto to serve mankind, the Mission sponsored and supported charitable causes, and will continue to do so with zeal and dedication.

British Asians

In the UK, we now have second and third generation of British born Indians/Pakistanis, who rather call themselves "British Asians". These generations find themselves living in two cultures: the culture of the parents at home, and the culture of the West outside. This situation has given rise to unwelcome conflicts and dilemmas: mental torment and suffering. Many a youth have been rendered rootless and face a serious dilemma.

The Indian youths in the UK are searching for their roots and the ancestral past, so that, they too can have a sense of belonging to the past of which they can be proud of.

However, our British born Nirankari youths, I am happy to record, are able to enjoy full immunity from these multi-cultural dilemmas and conflicts that inflict their contemporaries. Their upbringing in this Mission and their grounding in the Mission's philosophy of equality an respect for other cultures, has served well to give them ability, strength and skill to negotiate such problems and spread tolerance, love, respect and understanding, instead. Our Nirankari youths are in a position to show their colleagues way out of these dilemmas and to direct them to leading a purposeful life of service to the society and mankind.

Moreover, British Nirankari youths are mindful of the Mission's expectations, and are preparing themselves for their role for the millennium. Our youths are being encouraged to learn Indian as well as the modern language, and are being equipped to understand and appreciate other cultures, the importance of having diversity and the relevance of the concept of unity in the Divine Being Nirankar. They know that they are expected to form bridges between different cultures and countries: between India and Britain and between Britain and other nations.

Young Nirankaris are fully aware that this land has been specially blessed by His Holiness Baba Gurbachan Singh Ji, who once said "this land will become land of the enlightened souls." To make those words come true (these words are going to come true anyway), they seek to organise and equip themselves with Baba Ji's blessings to perform the task that lies ahead.

Expansion in Europe

The UK also has been the base for the expansion of the Mission to other European countries. As a result, we have Nirankari Mission centres in Germany, France, Holland, Austria, Denmark, Sweden and Spain. The Missionaries from the UK have regularly supported these centres, and the UK Mandal is set to promote the expansion of these European centres.

One may also mention that search of better jobs has taken many a prominent saints who were also members of the UK congregations, to the USA and Canada. They are, of course, playing leading roles in the Mission in those countries.

The UK Mandal acknowledges it has a mammoth MISSION to fulfil, which it will doubtlessly do with the "Divine Blessings" and guidance of Baba Hardev Singh Ji Maharaj. Four of the founder Nirankaris, who brought the message of the Nirankari Mission to this country in the sixties, are already serving the UK Mandal as President, Vice-President, General Secretary and as an Executive Member.