EcoSikh Launches a Worldwide Plantation Campaign to Celebrate Guru Nanak’s 550th Birth Anniversary

Initiated a Gurbani based Garden in Moga, Punjab New Delhi, September 18, 2018: EcoSikh organisation launched a world-wide campaign to celebrate Guru Nanak’s 550th birth anniversary in 2019 by planting 550 trees each at 1820 locations in India and other parts of the world. The organization is targeting to plant 1 million trees by the end of next year and is planning to submit a report of this campaign to the United Nations. EcoSikh was launched in 2009 in New Delhi with the collaboration of the United Nations. It has worked on climate change issues with UN, the White House and with other international environmental bodies. It is spearheading a campaign to engage the Sikh community on environmental issues and has started the concept of the Sikh Environment Day being celebrated every year now on March 14. Over 5500 hundred Sikh gurdwaras, schools, colleges and institutions celebrated this day in 2018. Addressing the press at Delhi Press Club, EcoSikh Global President, Dr.Rajwant Singh stated, “Guru Nanak wanted every human being to have a harmonious relationship with nature and to live a life without harming the surroundings. We want to highlight teachings of Guru Nanak on nature and we are confident that this will inspire not only people of Punjab and India but people all over the world.” He added, “Delhi and other cities in Punjab and India are facing a dangerous level of air pollution and deforestation and haphazard development is bringing havoc in many regions. Kerala floods is the recent example. India has only 21 % forest area where as Punjab only 4 %. Planting trees at mass level has become a necessity and it must be considered a sacred act.” EcoSikh is also creating a mobile app platform to guide people on plantation methodology and to consolidate a report which will be presented at United Nations as a unified effort marking Guru Nanak celebrations. EcoSikh has also created a Gurbani based Guru Nanak Bagh (garden), a first of its own kind nature oasis in Punjab. Various species of trees mentioned in the Sikh scriptures, Guru Granth Sahib, has been planted at this five-acre site and it was inaugurated on August 20, 2018. This historical sacred spot in Moga has been visited by Guru Nanak. EcoSikh South Asia Project Manager, Ravneet Singh stated, “Over 50 teams of 500 youngsters from Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Chhatisgarh, Jammu, Karnal, Assam and foreign cities of Derby (UK), Hong Kong, Washington DC have already started plantations under the Guru Nanak 550 campaign.” EcoSikh also released a handbook ‘Shreni Anusar Rukhaan Di Vyontbandi’ in Punjabi, written by the renowned environmentalist of Punjab, Dr. Balwinder Singh Lakhewali to empower and educate common people to engage in plantation drives. “We have plans to translate and release the PDF version of the book in Hindi and English to reach out to the masses and benefit nature.” Added Ravneet Singh. Expressing his feelings, EcoSikh Delhi Coordinator Gagandeep Singh said, "Delhi’s air pollution has affected millions of lives and there is a significant rise in respiratory illnesses among the most vulnerable. It is critical that follow Guru Nanak’s teachings and care for having a clean air for all. We have engaged youngsters and families to plant trees before his 550th birth anniversary and combat air pollution.” EcoSikh Board Member, Mohan Singh from Faridabad who has been actively conducting plantation drives and engaging Residents Welfare Associations, said, “Guru Nanak has touched every heart, we will plant 550 trees in Faridabad with RWS and spread this idea with the other RWSs nationwide.” EcoSikh will also plant 550 trees at two locations in Pakistan which are sacred and are associated with Guru Nanak. EcoSikh has proposed a 100 acre sacred forest to Punjab’s chief minister so the green cover could be increased in the state.