Environmental Stewardship ~ Steps and Mis-steps

 

ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP

SHARING SIKH THOUGHT & SOME SIKH EXPERIENCES

By Nirmal Singh

INTRODUCTION

I am thankful to Terri Eickel, Interreligious Eco-Justice Network [IREJN], for asking me to share something from the Sikh perspective for their full day Climate Stewardship Summit, on 7 November, 2013. The purpose of the conference is to create awareness among religious and lay leadership about unique responsibility of religious communities’ to respond to climate change and empower these communities to act on this responsibility.

In trying to construct a Sikh perspective, I would briefly share the rich Sikh theological empathy with nature as well as some anecdotal Sikh experiences that may resonate with your searches and experiences, albeit with a somewhat different flavor.

Sikhs, around 25 million globally, are the fifth largest faith group, but yet a small part of the CT community. When I had come to live in Hartford vicinity in 1989, we had to drive to New York City for joining in a religious service at a Gurdwara. The community has grown since but still its presence within the larger CT community is rather sparse. So, in my examples, I will draw upon the Sikh experiences here in the US and in Punjab, where most of us originally belonged. 

SIKH THEOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE[1]

Sikhi is a life affirming faith and Sikhs are enjoined to live a householder’s life, work to provide for themselves and their families, share with the needy, seek the company of virtuous and devote themselves to prayerful, ethical living. Sikhs therefore tend to be respectful of common good and once past their initial hesitancy, can turn to become constructive and willing participants in local communities. This is beginning to happen though for several reasons their initial hesitancy is still quite in evidence in the American setting. We will leave talking about that for another occasion.

Coming to the creation, Sikhs believe that after creating the universe God lovingly pervaded all in it. In this universe, air is characterized as the Guru, water as the father and earth as the mother. The entire play of good and evil in this world keeps unfolding in the laps of day and night acting as the metaphoric nanny[s].[2]

The creation is real, not illusory but subject to dissolution and death. The earth, installed in the midst of this creation, is an abode of duty, action.[3] On the earth abide beings of myriad hues and infinite forms. Of all living beings God has given extra merits to the humans.[4] Even as the other beings have their own place and purpose in God’s scheme, they also fulfill the purposes of the humans.[5] While man has a pivotal role, humans are told that God loves His creation the way it is and looks at it joyfully. God also is the one who watches it all[6] and men are counseled not to unduly worry because God will protect and provide for all.[7]

For Guru Nanak one single essence pervades the entire multiplicity of the cosmic existence. God is immanent in His creation and this world is his home[8]. The world that we see is in the likeness of God and is His visible manifestation. This world is intended by God to be a place of beauty, an arena for virtuous deeds and moral actions and not a place of suffering or sin. The relationship between God and soul is likened to the sun and its rays. There is inter-connectedness between the matter and spirit; the divine and the gross; God and nature.

The Sikh scripture, Sri Guru Granth Saheb, is written in poetry and set to Ragas. The choice of words and imagery is from nature and life – the sun, the moon, the stars, day, night, rain, clouds, changing hues of sky, cool breeze, budding flowers, trees, woods, animals prancing in the wild, chirping birds, breaking dawn, the early morning feeling of expectancy – so much so that it reaches the inner depth of one’s being transporting one to a state of ecstatic wonderment and feel of oneness with God’s creation, closer to a deep, uplifting spiritual experience.

Several of the Sikh festivals and fairs are linked to harvest times and change of seasons. The folk songs and dances are vigorous and earthy. The colorful dresses are homage to the indescribably beautiful hues of the tropical sunsets.

Sikhs are encouraged to take a holistic look at life and man’s place in the scheme of things. The persuasion is for progressive, constructive, responsible living in harmony with and caring for God’s creation.

RECENT SIKH ENVIRONMENTAL EXPERIENCE & RESPONSES

While the Sikh love of and respect for nature did not abate, over the last several decades the life styles have changed dramatically, turning many of the older paradigms that helped maintain the ecological balance around us, redundant. Just ahead of this change, Sikhs in the Western parts of Punjab including the farmers who had been mostly instrumental in the development of those arid areas into fertile lands when a canal network was built by the British, left when the British India was divided into the present India and Pakistan in 1947.

Initial Steps that turned Mis-steps

In the newly independent India, the loss of fertile lands created major food scarcities and Punjabi farmers, many of whom had moved from Pakistan, rose to the challenge by ushering in, what has come to be known as a green revolution. Punjab contributed to the country’s food security and also showed the way to prosperity through rural development. The growth however came at very high costs. The state is now faced with some difficult environmental problems.

Indian Punjab did not have a canal irrigation network, but subsidized electric power was offered and farmers turned to the use of electric pumps to exploit groundwater for agriculture. They took to the use of farm machinery and liberal use of chemical fertilizers and soon achieved extremely high productivity growths turning the state into a granary for the huge population of the country. The enterprising farmers also started using the cheap groundwater resources to cultivate paddy that fetched better returns. The Sikh farmers became highly prosperous and were seen as symbol of the emerging modern India!

However excessive exploitation of groundwater led to rapid depletion of the water table with its damaging effect on the soil and intensive use of fertilizers and pesticides led to pollution of the water resources. A study connected high nitrate levels in potable water with excessive use of nitrogen based fertilizers. Another study on the ground water samples taken in the vicinity of coal-fired power plants showed uranium levels up to 15 times above the safe limits. Extension of cultivatable land and other developmental needs led to deforestation and loss of tree cover. Soon  the region once hailed as the home to the Green revolution seemed in danger of turning into a killer wasteland - all in the course of a few decades.

The above narrative replicates the experience in several developing societies in the 20th century world where increased pollution levels and environmental damage has been the cost of achieving higher incomes and prosperity. Increases in the incidence of cancer, genetic and neurological disorders etc is leading to awareness about the need for environmental protection and pollution control.

Sikh activism is again to the fore and while the projections still do not bring great assurance, the change for the better is also in the news. Let us see some examples.

Tree Plantation

Baba Sewa Singh, a Sikh clergy from Khadoor Sahib, the town from where Guru Angad ran his ministry, has taken upon himself the task of planting trees for the betterment of environment. With his efforts roads along over 300 kilometers in parts of Punjab and neighboring states have been tree lined. 

He is aware of the threat to the environment: "The main challenge before the world is global warming. The glaciers are melting and I believe environment is the foremost crisis. We have to preserve the water reservoirs; the air is also getting polluted --- The more trees you plant the fresher the air will be. The environment will remain clean."

A modest man, he says "The whole credit for this achievement goes to Sikh devotees. It's a team effort and one person alone could not have done it. We get the inspiration from the teachings of the holy Shri Guru Granth Sahib, which talks about protection of trees --- If we get more cooperation from Sikh devotees then we can enlarge the effort as we have 100,000 saplings in our nursery."

Clean-up of Kali Bein

Kali Bein is a 160-km-long rivulet in Punjab.  Guru Nanak is believed to have taken a dip in the river ere he is said to have attained enlightenment around 1699. Over time, with several drains pouring into it from adjoining townships as well as effluents from a Railway Coach factory, the river had turned into a virtual sewer infested by overgrown weed. Sant Balbir Singh Sinchewal, decided to start clean up of the river by removing the weeds with his bare hands in July 2002. Hundreds of Sikhs joined in and in about six years they succeeded in clearing the whole length of Bein of hyacinth and silt through kar seva [Sikh voluntary service].

In an integrated development, 110 km long unpaved road has been prepared along the river and at six places bathing Ghats have been established. At Sultanpur Lodhi, flowers and fruit trees adorn the whole place amid free boating facilities. The river has been deepened from Sultanpur Lodhi down to Harike Pattan so that the water from Beas can recharge the river upto Sultanpur.  

Balbir Singh Sinchewal is a man of many parts. He left college in 1981 to become a follower of Sant Avtar Singh, then chief of Nirmal Kuteya Seechewal. After demise of Sant Avtar Singh in 1988, he succeeded as the head of the mission. On Guru Nanak’s birthday in 1991, he started the project of preparing roads in the backward areas of Punjab and planting fruit and flowering trees along the roads, rivers and in cremation grounds. He installed an effective low-cost underground sewage system in many villages and towns. He has helped in the building of roads and bridges in remote areas, establishing schools and colleges for the poor and the needy to help them develop skills to become productive members in a developing society.

Akal Takht Directive

Akal Takht at Amritsar, the Sikh holy city, is the seat of the highest Sikh religious authority. The Jathedar of Akal Takht cautioned the global Sikh community of the dangers of environmental degradation and issued a decree declaring March 14th, the day associated with the succession by the seventh Sikh Guru, Har Rai, to his Guru ministry as the Sikh Environment Day. Guru Har Rai was known to be very fond of flowering plants, herbs and maintained an infirmary to serve the poor and needy.  

US SIKHS IN PLAY

EcoSikh

The Sikh presence in the US even though small and highly dispersed, fortunately has a sprinkling of pretty aware and socially engaged activists. Dr Rajwant Singh and his associates got interested in environmental issues and in 2010 EcoSikh was inaugurated as a Sikh response to the United Nations call for world religions to protect the Earth and to catalyze involvement of Sikhs, as faith group, in issues concerning environment.

EcoSikh has done a commendable job in generating interest among Sikhs in getting involved in the emerging challenges of environmental degradation, so vividly evident in Punjab as pointed to earlier. One of the results was the announcement by Akal Takht about the Sikh environment day. The other was collaborating with The Alliance of Religions and Conservation to launch Green Pilgrimage Network in November 2011, including Amritsar among 8 faith cities to become the founding members of the network.

EcoSikh has also facilitated Nanded, represented by the Sikh Takht Hazoor Sahib committee, to become a part of Green Pilgrimage Network. It also helped form Eco Amritsar that celebrated July 6, 2013 as Amritsar Foundation day focused on city’s quality of air, water and other natural endowments so important for the quality of life and health of the citizens. 

Working with Interfaith Groups

A number of Sikhs have been actively working with interfaith groups in different locations and at different levels of interfaith initiatives on environmental issues including participating in their conferences, discussions and advocacy. Some names that come to mind include Dr Harbans Lal in Texas, Ralph Singh in Syracuse, NY, Dr Rajwant Singh in Washington, DC. I too have had the opportunity to offer similar help in my interfaith involvement over the last fifteen years or so earlier in CT and then PA.

Individual Activists

I do want to mention here Prabhjot Singh who has recently been in the news because he became a victim of a hate crime for being a Sikh in Harlem, NYC. Prabhjot is a practicing doctor in East Harlem, Assistant Professor of International and Public Affairs and Director of Systems Design at the Earth Institute at Columbia University, besides leading One Million Community Health Worker Campaign by African Union and UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network for helping improve health outcomes by intervening through health workers. His wife, Manmeet, leads a startup venture empowering health workers in Harlem. Though mauled physically he is buoyant in spirits and intends to continue with his projects for transformation in Harlem.

Nearer Home

I must also share with you the quiet, little contribution to reduce environmental degradation in this neighborhood by Sikh Gurdwara in Southington, CT. They worked to install a solar power backup when constructing the new building that now meets most of their power needs. This is the sanctuary where we sought solace and peace during our stay in CT till 2005.  

CONCLUDING REMARKS

In the end let me say that we are all in it together. If you do not see visible presence of Sikhs in your midst, it is possibly because some of our young and potential Prabhjots are still wrestling with their choices. Once their minds are made, our small numbers will surely get made up by the proverbial commitment and enthusiasm associated with Sikhs.

My sense is that the Sikh involvement with environmental issues in the US will likely continue be reflected in manner and measures that we have seen. I do not see them leading major lobbying initiatives on environmental causes because their hands are already full with several other issues but they can be expected to become more active partners. It is also likely that the Sikh Diaspora involvement with the imminent ecological problems in Punjab will continue. That may be just as well because we are dealing with a set of problems that really is not constrained by geographical boundaries. The environmental problems are real and we all need to work together to create a more secure and sustainable world. In this quest religious groups and religious leaderships including Sikhs have a stake and room for a constructive role and involvement.

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Camp, New Delhi

October 4, 2013

About the Author: Nirmal Singh, Former Business Executive; was Principal, COO, CF&AO of a healthcare services provider in Connecticut. Earlier Management Educator and Consultant; Professor, Chair Operations Management & Dean [Consultancy], Administrative Staff College of India and consultant to the UN and several multilateral organizations & Fortune 500 companies.

A past President of Connecticut Sikh Association, he has been working for several years on sharing information about Sikh faith, culture and values with the larger American Community. He is associated with several educational, inter-faith and multicultural activities & initiatives to promote wider understanding about Sikhs and Sikhism.

Recipient of Indus Award – 2004 awarded to “luminaries in the New England’s South Asian community who shine at what they do,” the citation saying “through activism and writing, he is helping in his way, to tip the scale of religious tolerance toward healing, inclusion and understanding.” He has been profiled among Community Profiles at Sikh Foundation and Sikh Wiki.

Several of his articles have been published in the Sikh Review, Sikh Studies and Comparative Religion, Abstract of Sikh studies and mainstream media. Author of five books on Sikhism, Sikhs and Sikh issues, he lives in New Cumberland, PA and can be reached through Email [email protected].