"He is perhaps the first environmentalist in South Asia who during his reign from 1644 to 1661 started and promoted herbal gardens and wild life refuge and exhorted Sikhs to care for nature," EcoSikh said.
Perhaps the most glaring example to demonstrate the struggle is a cultural one and it is between authoritarianism vs the will of the people is that of Nodeep Kaur.
The fine work of the EcoSikh organization (which also lead a campaign to plant gardens of trees in honor of the 550th incarnation remembrance of Guru Nanak) established a new Sikh holiday:
Guru Gobind Singh Ji clearly states that both love and respect should be at the foundation of every relationship. The 16th Hukam reads, "Istri da mooh nahi fitkaarnaa" – do not subject your wife to cursing or verbal abuse.
Talking to her made me feel like I was talking to a lioness, not a middle-aged woman. Jaswant Kaur and her family have been at the borders for the last 25 days. She, and many other women and their families, journeyed from their pind (village) to Delhi via tractor.
It is infused with gurmat and tailored for young Kaurs (Sikh women). Kaur Life hopes to be a space where Kaurs can express their ideas, share stories, and learn more about their Sikh culture to empower themselves.