EcoSikh’s mission to revive Punjab state bird ‘baaj’ to take wing
EcoSikh also announced that it will plant 350 sacred Forests to honour Guru Teg Bahadur’s 350th martyrdom anniversary using the miyawaki method that regenerates biodiversity in degraded lands
EcoSikh, a US-based global non-governmental organisation, on Tuesday unveiled a plan for the revival of northern goshawk bird (baaj) – a raptor associated with Guru Gobind Singh.
The plan will be implemented in collaboration with the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS), a Mumbai-based 140-year-old organisation. “The idea is to rehabilitate baaj, the official bird of Punjab and the other falcon breed, the Shaheen baaj.
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. However, it is unfortunate that the symbol of the great Guru and Punjab’s official state bird has now vanished from the state due to habitat loss, illegal trade, and pollutants”. He was talking to the media at Chandigarh Press Club.
He said 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.
“EcoSikh has signed a collaborative plan with the 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,” he added.
At the press meet, EcoSikh also announced that it will plant 350 sacred Forests to honour Guru Teg Bahadur’s 350th martyrdom anniversary using the miyawaki method that regenerates biodiversity in degraded lands.
Dr Supreet Kaur, president of EcoSikh India, said, “We are committed to planting 350 new sacred forests to pay tribute to Guru Teg Bahadur. Each forest will serve as a living classroom restoring biodiversity and honoring Sikh gurus’ timeless relationship with nature.”
