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Sikhism &
Care of the Planet
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Sikhism & Care of the
Planet
Sikh participation and lead in topics relating to global warming and
care of Great Mother Earth (Mata Dharat Mahat), is a most
encouraging development.
On Sunday 21 January 2007, I participated in a second significant event
on behalf of the Sikh faith. The first was organised by a radical UK
Jewish group at Windsor Castle on 14 November last year. This time it
was the Peterborough Inter-Faith Council.
Global warming is the highest priority topic today and Sikh
participation in discussions at all levels is important. The ecological
and environmental damage being done by pollution and overuse of earth’s
resources, the global warming, the socio-political conflicts, terrorism
and the war on terrorism, and so on, threaten the future of our planet.
That is the background.
Building on the Sikh contribution at the Windsor Castle, further
research of Gurbani showed that Sikh teachings and institutions can
give pointers to further action in the religious and policy making
fields, while the world religions converge on human values which can be
shared by all.
Giving Guru Granth Sahib as a prime example of interfaith harmony and
consensus, world religions are encouraged to actively seek converts to
those shared values to avert religious, social and political conflicts.
The Sikh view is that religious texts should be researched and
interpreted in terms of today’s needs, to promote a more caring
attitude towards our planet and the diversity of life on it. It is
important that the political and religious message on global issues is
the same.
A point made from the Sikh side is that often the role of women in
addressing today’s global issues is ignored. We forget that mother is
the first teacher of the human child. According to Sikh teachings her
role in the human family is of prime importance. (Sabh parvaaray mahe
sresht.). In fact, Third Nanak, Guru Amardas, appointed women preachers
in the 16th Century. Education of women is important to raise awareness
of today’s global challenges at family level – from energy saving,
water saving, and “want not waste not” habits, to family planning,
leading on to population control – it all starts at family level where
the woman, the mother and the housewife, leads. Equality and education
of women should be made a global priority. On such important social
themes Sikh teachings do show the way.
Sikhi concepts, pillars of faith and tradition, do give pointers to
next steps in the evolution in our socio-political systems. The need is
to move away from short term policies and projects (e.g. to win
elections or to increase consumer base) to long term human goals to
save the planet.
©
Copyright
Gurmukh
Singh (U.K.)
E-mail: sewauk2005@yahoo.co.uk
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