Gurbachan Singh - Organisational Reforms

Organisational Reforms

With the passage of time, the fast growing number of devotees needed some organizational reforms. For this purpose, Baba Ji convened the First Mussoorie Conference on July 17 & 18, 1965, which was attended by the organizers and the preachers of the Mission. A number of important decisions were taken to streamline the administrative outfit and to spread message of Mission. To this end, the administrative work of the mission in 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.

Through world-wide tours of Baba Ji and his missionaries, the message of the Mission spread across the globe. In this way, the campaign for human redemption and spiritual enlightenment hitherto confined to the boundaries of India, began to travel overseas also.

Baba Ji convened the Second Mussoorie Conference on May 14, 15 and 16th, 1973. 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 the use of all kinds of intoxicants. Another decision was to promote dowry free marriages and observe austerity in other social functions.

Baba Ji gave a clarion call to all, especially the youth to implement the above decisions. He exhorted them to come to the fore for propagating the Mission and combating the social evils vigorously. 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, (selfless voluntary service unit) as its Primary Members.