Chandigarh:
EcoSikh, a global Non-Governmental Organisation(NGO) & a response from the Sikh community to the threats of climate change and the deterioration of the natural environment, has unveiled a major plan aimed at revival of ‘Baaj’ – the raptor associated closely with Guru Gobind Singh. The plan will be implemented in collaboration with Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS), a Mumbai based 140-year-old organization. The idea is to rehabilitate ‘Baaj’ or Northern Goshawk, the official bird of Punjab and another falcon breed, the Shaheen Baaj. EcoSikh has also launched a campaign to plant 350 forests to mark the 350th martyrdom of Guru Tegh Bahadur ji. These announcements were made at a press conference held at the Press Club, Chandigarh.
Dr Rajwant Singh, Global President of EcoSikh said, “The soaring bird of Guru Gobind Singh Ji, the ‘Baaj’ reminded people to live a life of dignity and courage. It is unfortunate that this important symbol of the great Guru and Punjab’s official state bird has now vanished from the state’s skies due to habitat loss, illegal trade, and pollutants.”
He informed that what’s concerning is that no recorded sightings of the ‘Baaj’ have been reported by the Punjab’s Wildlife Department in over two decades. This has initiated the plan to bring back ‘Baaj’ to Punjab to usher in an ‘ecological balance’ in the state and also to pay tribute to the revered bird associated with Guru Gobind Singh.
Dr Rajwant stated, “We at EcoSikh are excited about our MoU and collaborative plan with the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS), to embark upon an ambitious Sacred Fauna Mission, a scientifically guided initiative and collaboration with various stakeholders to rehabilitate the Northern Goshawk and restore its lost habitat across Punjab.”
At the press meet EcoSikh also announced that it will plant 350 Sacred Forests to honour Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji’s 350th Martyrdom Anniversary each a native mini-forest using the Miyawaki method that regenerates biodiversity in degraded lands.
Dr. Supreet Kaur, President of EcoSikh India, shared, “We are committed to planting 350 new Sacred Forests in tribute to Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji. Each forest will serve as a living classroom restoring biodiversity and honoring Sikh Gurus’ timeless relationship with nature.”
Over the last 16 years, EcoSikh Charitable Society has planted 1,350+ Sacred Forests across India each serving as a living sanctuary of biodiversity and spiritual reflection.
Charan Singh, Convenor of Sacred Forests & Sacred Fauna, EcoSikh, “Planting forests in the name of our Gurus has been our sacred tradition for years. With the Sacred Fauna Mission, we now extend this tradition to the skies. Restoring the Baaj is not just ecological work, it is spiritual service, a renewal of the Guru’s teaching of ‘Sarbat da Bhala’.”
EcoSikh is also treading steadily towards its goal of 1 million trees as it has already planted 1350 Guru Nanak Sacred Forests in Punjab and other states in India. 750K native trees have been planted during this campaign and each forest has 550 trees. This campaign was launched in 2019 in celebration of the 550th birth-anniversary of Guru Nanak.
Highlighting the impact of this initiative, Lokesh Jain, Managing Director of TK Steel and Convenor of ‘Lungs of Ludhiana’, an EcoSikh project dedicated to greening the city, shared, “Under the ‘Lungs of Ludhiana’ initiative alone, we have planted around 280 forests comprising more than 1,52,000 native trees.”
EcoSikh is also launching the establishment of Guru Har Rai Herbal Garden at Gurdwara Charan Kanwal Sahib in Haryana.
S. Ujjagar Singh, President of Gurdwara Charan Kanwal Sahib Committee, Panchkula, remarked, “With the support of the Sadh Sangat, EcoSikh is creating a Guru Har Rai Herbal Garden at Gurdwara Charan Kanwal Sahib. Guru Har Rai Sahib Ji was a true nature lover who established a medicinal herbal garden in Kiratpur, known as Naulakha Bagh – meaning ‘garden of 900,000 plants.”
