Sant Nirankari Mission

Sant Nirankari Mission

Sant Nirankari Samagam at Sant Nirankari Colony, New Delhi on 16 Nov 2014
Abbreviation	SNM
Motto	Universal Brotherhood
Formation	May 1929
Purpose	"Universal Brotherhood"
Headquarters	Sant Nirankari Colony, Delhi - 110 009. India.
Main organ	Sant Nirankari Mandal
Website	www.nirankari.org

The Sant Nirankari Mission (Hindi: संत निरंकारी मिशन; also known as Universal Brotherhood Mission) is a spiritual organisation based in India. The Sant Nirankari Mission identifies itself as "neither a new religion nor a sect of an existing religion, but an all-embracing spiritual movement dedicated to human welfare".

The Mission originated from the Nirankari movement started by Baba Dyal Singh but is no longer affiliated with the movement. It was established in 1929 by Baba Buta Singh who was a member of Nirankari sect. It has been targeted by orthodox Sikh groups, who consider the mission to be a heresy of Sikhism.

The Mission has about 3000 centers and millions of followers across the world.Its headquarter is located in Sant Nirankari Colony, New Delhi. Savinder Kaur, wife of fourth guru Baba Hardev Singh currently leads the mission.

The Nirankari movement began with the reformist teachings of Baba Dyal Singh in the early 19th century. Baba Dyal Singh emphasised the importance of a living guru, while mainstream Sikhism accepted the Sikh scriptures as the final, and current, guru of the faith. This eventually caused a distinction between mainstream Sikhism and the Sant Nirankari mission. In 1929, one segment of the movement led by Baba Buta Singh, now known as the Sant Nirankari Mission, disassociated itself from mainstream Sikhism and became an independent sect.

Baba Buta Singh was succeeded by Baba Avtar Singh. In the 1960s, the sudden growth of the Sant Nirankari Mission aroused the ire of fundamentalist Sikhs and led to violent clashes. In 1980, Gurbachan Singh, third chief leader (satguru) of the Mission, was assassinated by Ranjit Singh, a member of the Akhand Kirtani Jatha. The Jatha, shortly before the killing, had been involved in protests against the Sant Nirankaris. There were other violent clashes in 1978. After the assassination of third guru Gurubachan SIngh, his son Baba Hardev Singh succeeded as the chief leader of the organisation and remained until his death on 13 May 2016. On 17 May 2016, Baba Hardev Singh's wife, Savinder Kaur succeeded him. She is the first woman chief to lead the mission.