Fifth of June is celebrated every year
internationally as World Environment Day but it’s celebration in the year 2020
holds special significance as the world is engulfed in a struggle against
Corona Virus. Even the most powerful
nations are helpless and have succumbed to the invisible virus. During the
pandemic, when most nations implemented strict lockdowns, the planet Earth
witnessed such acute reduction in pollution which seemed to be beyond
imagination.
Many of the polluted rivers in India also saw visible
reduction in the pollution levels. This includes the river Ganga, the cleaning
of which involved spending thousands of crores of Rupees. The lockdown due to
coronavirus,revitalized the rivers. The Himalayas were visible from Punjab
again. After 40 years, the Dhauladhar range could be seen from the state. All
this pollution was self-inflicted by humans.
Followers of Guru Nanak Dev, settled across the
world had celebrated their Guru's 550th birth anniversary last year in 2019. It
was Guru Nanak DevJi who, through his Bani, gave the message of sustainability
for men to live in harmony with nature, of which still no parallel can be
found. In ‘Japu(Ji)’, the first composition ofSri Guru Granth Sahib, is present
a permanent solution for the global warming crisis. It is just a matter of time
when the world will accept this resolve. To cool down the planet, the seven
words of the first verse need to be invoked;
ਪਵਣੁ ਗੁਰੂ ਪਾਣੀ ਪਿਤਾ ਮਾਤਾ
ਧਰਤਿ ਮਹਤੁ ॥ (ਅੰਗ: 8)
‘Air is
our Guru (teacher), Water is the Father, and the Earth is the Great Mother of
all'
These seven words of Guru Sahib’s Bani
also contain the eternal truth of the universe. In these words, air, water and
earth are considered as guru, father and mother respectively. No one
living in this world is oblivious to these words. If we can’t even comprehend
such pervasive words, how can one be in communion with nature? It is not only
for the present generation to reconnect with nature but we also need to inspire
the future generations to do the same. It was Guru Nanak DevJionly,who, while
challenging the pride of Bali Kandhari gave the message that everyone
has the right over waters. This message of the Guru is implied to all those who
seek hegemonic control over water resources.
It has been more than four decades since 1974
that the environment day is being celebrated internationally. In the last 46
years, in the name of 'development,' maximum exploitation of the natural
resources occurred. Human greed has caused blind destruction of hills, forests,
rivers and other natural resources. This greed has widened the chasm between
humans and nature. As this gap keeps widening, humans keep accelerating their
activities against nature. The human greed has reached such an extent that it
has swallowed forests, mountains and rivers.
The air is shared by us all. Water is shared by
us all. The Earth we are living on is a mother to us all. No one can explain
these three things better to us than explained by Guru Nanak Dev.
The increasing temperature, known as Global
Warming, has become a challenge for the whole world. The United Nations has
been continuously asking to reduce the increasing pollution in the environment
by bringing all the countries together on a single platform. All the countries
have responded positively to this call. But the way America has withdrawn from
the Paris Agreement, it is very unfortunate. The corona virus pandemic has shown
a reduction of more than 20% of Carbon Dioxide. In India we have The Water Act
(1974) which was brought to save and take care of the natural resources of
water. But even this is not being implemented effectively.
God resides in nature. God can only be seen by
becoming one with nature, but we, claiming to be the literates of the 21st
century, with a scientific mind, are doing inhuman things and going against
nature.
Since July 2000, people have regularly done voluntary labor (KarSewa) for the holy river, Kali Bein,Sultanpur Lodhi, Punjab where Guru Nanak Dev Ji attained enlightenment. The Bein, cleaned with the collective efforts of everyone, has set a precedent. The full significance of the line from Gurbani ‘With our own hands, let us resolve our own affairs’ -
ਆਪਣ ਹਥੀ ਆਪਣਾ ਆਪੇ ਹੀ ਕਾਜੁ ਸਵਾਰੀਐ॥(ਅੰਗ: 474) - has been given by the Kar Sewa for Bein.
The Holy Kali Bein once again flows clean. The
beginning from the home of Guru Nanak Dev has given a direction for cleaning
the rivers and oceans of the whole world. The world has seen all the
rivers-oceans flowing clean, including Ganges, during the lock down. This incident
has also made it clear who is poisoning the natural sources of water and who is
not upholding their constitutional responsibilities.
Let us adopt the changing lifestyle of the world
due to corona virus. Let us stop the flow of filth in the rivers and oceans. Let
us plant more and more trees to make the Earth breathable and liveable for our
future generations. We can overcome corona virus only when we create a clean
environment on Earth.
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