Celebrating Global Love Day

3 May 2016
love

We, the regional team of North None India, celebrated the 1st of May 2016 as Global Love Day at Harijan Sewak Sangh with the help of our Senior Interfaith Representative, URI North India, Prof. Hira Paul Gangnegi.

The 1st of May is also marked as Labor Day and commemorated as the death anniversary of Nirmala Deshpande. Briefly, honorable Deshpande is known to have dedicated her life to the welfare of the marginalised and oppressed. At a time when militancy was at its peak in India, she visited Punjab and Kashmir to spread Gandhian values of peace and non-violence. Her other initiatives included an akhand (continuous) bhajan at Ayodhya to prevent the demolition of Babri Masjid, and peace rallies during the Kargil war. She also undertook a signature campaign for the release of Aung San SuuKyi and met with the Dalai Lama to find a lasting solution to the Tibetan crisis. She was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006.

Having jointly celebrated all of the above events, the focus of URI was largely on spreading the word of Global Love Day, pioneered by Harold W. Becker in 2003 and first launched for May 1, 2004. The annual event was created as a way to celebrate our humanity and unity through unconditional love.

The six tenets of Global Love Day are: 

  1. We are one humanity on this planet.
  2. All life is interconnected and interdependent.
  3. All share in the Universal bond of love.
  4. Love begins with self-acceptance and forgiveness.
  5. With respect and compassion, we embrace diversity.
  6. Together we make a difference through love.

We are grateful to our Cooperation Circle members, especially Tronica City CC (Mrs. Divya Tyagi), Nirmala Deshpande CC (Mr. Ram Mohan Rai) and Mahila Chetna Kendra(Veena Kumar) for their gracious support in distributing consumable items to children from all classes and castes. Our aim to spread the message of unconditional love and service to mankind was well supported by our Cooperation Circle members (Kasturba CC, Pashchim Vihar CC, Kashmir Valley CC, Kathak Dharohar CC and new members) and a gathering of 250 people (schoolchildren, orphans, members of Harijan Sevak Sangh and many others) by their active presence and support. We would like to thank Prof. Sankar Sanyal, the president of Harijan Sevak Sangh, and all other members of the community for joining hands with URI in our initiative and extending a warm welcome to all its members.