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Baba Gurbachan Singh Ji was one of those great masters who lived and died for the noble cause of human unity through spiritual awakening. Throughout, he endeavoured to transform the demoniac face of human society and inculcate the spirit of peaceful co-existence, love and harmony. He was pained to find people quarrelling and suffering because of hatred generated by ignorance, blind faith and superstition.
Fortunately, Baba Gurbachan Singh Ji did not have to go out to learn the real purpose of human life, the reason for man's suffering and answer to his problems. His father, Baba Avtar Singh Ji and the founder of the Sant Nirankari Mission, Baba Buta Singh Ji blessed him with spiritual awakening and provided ample opportunity to him to imbibe and practise the noble traits of selfless service surrender to the divine will and truthful living, free from any kind of hatred or jealousy. This turned his life into a practical version of spirituality, a living example of divine truth, so much so that Baba Avtar Singh Ji chose to see the Satguru manifesting himself in him and preferred to live as an ordinary follower of the Mission for the rest of his life.
Baba Gurbachan Singh was born on December 10, 1930 in Peshawar, now in Pakistan. He received boundless love and affection from his parents, Baba Avtar Singh and Jagat Mata Budhwanti as also from the True Master Baba Buta Singh, then residing with the family. Right from his infancy, the child Gurbachan manifested rare and remarkable qualities. These qualities comprised sensitiveness to human sorrow and suffering, sympathy for the afflicted, avoidance of all disputes, discords and malice as also appreciation of fine traits in others.
Gurbachan was a shining student. After doing his middle schooling from Peshawar, he matriculated from the Khalsa School, Rawalpindi. He, however, could not pursue his studies further, because of the turmoil leading to Partition of India. He, however, acquired rich and rare experience of practical life by his wisdom and intelligence.
During the turbulent days preceding the Partition, every parent wished to be relieved of his pressing responsibilities as quickly as possible. Accordingly, Bhai Manna Singh solemnised the marriage of his daughter, Kulwant Kaur Ji, with Gurbachan Singh Ji on April 22nd, 1947, at a simple ceremony. Kulwant Kaur Ji who subsequently became popular as Nirankari Rajmata, marched shoulder to shoulder with her husband. Surely, the couple had been united by the Almighty for the well being of humanity.
During the bloodshed following the Partition, the Hindus and Muslims forgot their centuries-old co-existence and amity. Leaving their hearths and homes, they migrated to India or Pakistan. Forced by the circumstances, even the Nirankari devotees, who believed in Universal Brotherhood, had to migrate to India. For the migrants of the Rawalpindi area, a camp was set up at Wah. The Camp Officer entrusted to young Gurbachan the job of looking after the inmates of the Camp. The step had a deeper significance. It was actually a test of his spirit of selfless service, self-sacrifice and sense of justice. which was displayed by him admirably. One day it was announced on behalf of the Government that those desirous of migrating to India, could do so by aeroplanes, then available. All the devotees accordingly left for India, leaving their belongings to the care of Gurbachan Singh Ji. A few days later, he loaded all the belongings of the devotees in a goods train and reached India.
Following the migration, while Baba Avtar Singh Ji resumed the Mission's activities, Baba Gurbachan Singh Ji started business in auto-parts, first in Jalandhar in Punjab and later in Delhi. Simultaneously, he took keen interest in congregations. He would drive Baba Avtar Singh Ji to the places of congregations both in the morning and in the evening. Besides being at the service of the Satguru, he attended to devotees also.
On December 3rd 1962, while addressing a gathering of devotees at Paharganj, Delhi Baba Avtar Singh Ji declared that hereafter they should address Gurbachan Singh Ji as Baba Ji and extend him the same respect they had been extending to him. Accordingly, Baba Gurbachan Singh Ji started presiding over the Mission from December 3rd, 1962 and the entire Nirankari world saw the Satguru manifested in him on November 5th, 1963 when they assembled in Delhi for the 16th Annual Nirankari Sant Samagam. Immediately thereafter Baba Gurbachan Singh Ji speeded up the tempo of preachings, thus attracting large numbers to the Mission. The resultant increase necessitated some organisational reforms. For this purpose, Baba Ji convened the First Mussoorie Conference on July 17th & 18th, 1965, which was attended by the organisers and the preachers of the Mission. A number of important decisions were taken to accelerate the pace of preachings. To this end, the country was divided into four zones. On a suggestion from Baba Avtar Singh Ji who attended this conference as one of the missionaries, it was decided to start Building fund for setting up Satsang Bhawans to enable devotees to hold congregations regularly. As suggested by the devotees from foreign countries, it was also decided to undertake missionary tours abroad.
This Conference proved very fruitful and its results were evident very soon. The organisation functioned more efficiently and the missionary activities picked up considerable momentum. Devotees all over India began to contribute towards Building Fund and the construction of Satsang Bhawans started. Through world-wide tours of Baba Ji and his missionaries, the message of the Mission spread all over the globe. In this way, the campaign for human redemption and spiritual enlightenment hitherto confined to the boundaries of India, acquired global dimensions. Baba Ji vigorously pursued his missionary activities in distant countries and a series of foreign tours for regeneration of mankind were undertaken from 1967 to 1977 almost every year.
The 25th Annual Sant Samagam in 1972 was celebrated as the Silver Jubilee Samagam. To express their faith and devotion in their True Master, Baba Gurbachan Singh Ji, the devotees weighed Baba Ji and his consort, Rev. Mata Kulwant Kaur Ji, against currency notes. The spectacle was watched ecstatically by hundreds of thousands of devotees. While appreciating this rare gesture of devotion and dedication, Baba Ji announced, " Not a single penny out of this amount would be spent for the personal use of any member of my family; all the money would be used for public welfare. Earned by the sweat of brow of the devotees, the money would bestow happiness and bliss for whatever noble cause it is utilised",
Baba Ji convened the Second Mussoorie Conference on May 14th, 15th and 16th, 1973. About 500 delegates from India and abroad participated in it. Baba Ji desired that everyone should express his/her views freely and frankly and invited suggestions for further popularisation of the Mission among masses. The Conference turned out to be a watershed in the history of the Mission as it proposed a code of conduct for the missionaries. It was also decided at this conference that while we may not hate others on account of their diet-habits, we ourselves should abstain from all kinds of intoxicants. Another decision was to observe austerity in marriages and other social functions and not to show off dowry, etc.
Baba Ji gave a clarion call to the youth to implement the above decisions. He also exhorted them to come to the fore for propagating the Mission vigorously and combating the social evils. He advised the older generation to give full encouragement to the youth in this direction, failing which they would not only themselves lag behind but also hamper the progress of the Mission. Interestingly, Baba Ji's son Hardev (the present Head of the Mission) and daughters Niranjan, Jagjit, Mohini and Swaran all joined Sewa Dal as its Primary Members. Subsequently all of them made their own mark as disciplined and selfless volunteers, while taking part in different wings of the Sewa Dal.
Baba Gurbachan Singh Ji had his own peculiar style of working. Generally, people spend a long time in framing detailed plans and projects. However, Baba Ji believed in prompt implementation. That is why he was able to turn the apparently impossible into the possible. A little ahead of the Sant Nirankari Colony, the Mission had a large piece of wasteland. In 1965, when the country was facing a severe shortage of foodgrains, Baba Ji thought of contributing his mite in this direction by bringing the said wasteland under cultivation. The poor and arid condition of the soil did not, however, permit its cultivation. According to all the neighbouring cultivators, accumulated salinity had rendered it unfit for cultivation. The experts of the Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi too considered the land unproductive. This seemed to be the general consensus, but undeterred by such pessimistic verdicts, the enterprising and innovative Baba Ji took up the challenge. A little away from the land in question, the Government had set up a Water Treatment plant. The effluent from this plant made the surrounding area quite unhygienic. To kill two birds with one stone, Baba Ji chalked out a project to divert the effluent to this barren land. Thousands of devotees worked day and night for digging a long drain to divert the flow of this effluent from the plant to this land. In due course, the wasteland was transformed into a lush green field. The neighbouring farmers were amazed. The officials of the Indian Agricultural Research Institute too were wonder-struck when invited to see the wasteland yield a rich crop. They remarked that it was indeed a miracle. Baba Ji, however, said that even an impossible task could be accomplished, given dedication, firm faith and hard work. The Baba distributed the quality seed produced in this piece of land among his farmer devotees to enable them to step up production. Incidentally, the following year was proclaimed as the year of "Green Revolution". The land in question topped in production of foodgrains in the area.
Likewise, keeping in view the scarcity of petrol facing the country, Baba Ji with a knack for innovation, converted the petrol engines of the Mission's vehicles into diesel ones. Interestingly, the entire work was done in the Mission's own workshop under Baba Ji's supervision and guidance. All this was a message to the world that hardwork and sincerity of purpose were the master key to achievement.
Though not a qualified architect or engineer, Baba Ji himself conceived and designed the plans of the Bhawans. This is a testimony to his genius. The imposing hall at the first floor of the Nirankari Satsang Bhawan in Sant Nirankari Colony, Delhi, is an example of his architectural skill. Dispensaries and schools were also set up in various Bhawans. Buildings of two Senior Secondary Schools in Delhi and a Degree College at Sohna, Distt. Gurgaon, Haryana were also constructed as per Baba Ji's plans. Baba Ji took keen interest in homeopathy also.
Quite predictably, the voice of truth first raised by Baba Buta Singh Ji and Baba Avtar Singh Ji and now spread by Baba Gurbachan Singh Ji was opposed by the orthodox. The rapid progress of the Mission under the divine leadership of Baba Gurbachan Singh Ji, in fact, upset these elements to the level of desperation. Baba Ji called upon them to first understand the Mission and then point out if there was anything wrong. But all his gestures fell flat on them. Nirankari congregations were disturbed at many places. Violent attacks were also reported from several centers. The worst in the chain was the attack on the Baisakhi Samagam in Amritsar on April 13th, 1978. Baba Gurbachan Ji was scheduled to address the Samagam. But before he arrived, about 200 fanatics attacked the congregation. The police opened fire. Eighteen precious lives were lost. The incident was followed by a court case. Several Nirankari saints remained in judicial custody for more than two years before they were acquitted honourably. The case was declared to be false and fabricated. The court passed severe strictures against the then government for filing a totally false case against innocent Nirankaris. The court held fanatics responsible for brutal attack on peaceful Nirankari congregation.
While the case was on, Baba Gurbachan Singh Ji did not sit back due to the turmoil. He declared that such opposition Truth had always to face and the greatest quality of the saints is that they do not feel frustrated realising that the Truth is on their side and it must triumph in the long run. There was, therefore, no let up in the activities of the Mission.
The opposition, however, did not end with the historic Karnal verdict in the Amritsar case, acquitting all the accused Nirankaris, including Baba Gurbachan Singh Ji, honourably. The fanatics made Baba Gurbachan Singh Ji personally the target of their violence. They made an attempt on his life first in Kanpur in Uttar Pradesh and then near Durg in Madhya Pradesh. Ultimately, Baba Ji fell to their bullets in Delhi on April 24, 1980. Naturally, every peace-loving person lamented and condemned the senseless act of the fanatics as an attack on love and peace by the forces of hatred and violence. " An Apostle of God's glory, a Messiah of human unity and a true social reformer, had fallen prey to religious intolerance", commented newspapers. It was another blot on human history, said the intellectuals. And the peace-loving humanists felt that humanism had been ravaged.
Mere condemnation of the brutal act would, however, not suffice. The entire Nirankari world was in dismay. Their sense of tolerance as also the patience was under severe stress. It was only for His Holiness Baba Hardev Singh Ji Maharaj to come to their rescue. He put aside his own worldly sentiments usual for a son on the tragic demise of his father and consoled every follower of the Mission to face the tragedy boldly and without any feeling of vengeance.