SHIROMANI AKALI DAL
NANHI CHHAAN SET TO COOL SOCIAL LANDSCAPE
• Harsimrat launches fifth phase from Takht Sri Keshgarh Sahib
Sri Anandpur Sahib, March 9
From Sri Harmandar Sahib to Takhat Sri Keshgarh Sahib, the movement
known as Nanhi Chhaan appears set to expand into a cooling shade
across the entire social and religious landscape of the region.
This is the dominant impression that emerged from this historic
town today as the traditional Holla Mohalla festivities acquired
a new social and environmentalist dimension. Thousands flocked the
launch of the fifth phase of Ms. Harsimrat Kaur Badal’s pioneering
drive in this direction with an enthusiasm bordering on religious
fervour.

Distributing saplings and sentiment alike, Ms. Badal
said that the Nannhi Chhaan was determined to transform social attitudes
of the region by actively campaigning against female foeticide as
well as against mindless destruction of trees. “Twenty lakh
(20 lakh ) saplings would be distributed by the end of 2009 and
each sapling would symbolize the message of the Gurus against sex-discrimination,”
declared Ms. Badal

The spontaneity and magnitude of popular response
that Harsimrat Kaur Badal received against the backdrop of one of
the landmark occasions of Sikh history moved her to push the horizons
of her movement as she said, “By the end of 2011, we will
lit up every corner in every home with the message which the Gurus
left for us as a legacy. And the message is clear, sharp and unequivocal.
Disservice to Nature and disrespect to womankind, which is manifest
in our disregard for the girl child, are acts of sacrilege against
God. We intend to bring about a revolution in social attitudes.
This is the minimum we owe to the Gurus whom we claim to adore,”
declared she, adding that Sikh religion is the most powerful declaration
that spiritualism and social reality do not exist in isolation of
each other. Present on the occasion were the chief of the supreme
Sikh religous body, the SGPC, Jathedar Avtar Singh and the head
of the Takhat sri Keshgarh Sahib at the birth place of the Khalsa,
Jathedar Tarlochan Singh, besides Senior leadership of the Shiromani
Akali Dal and the members of the SGPC.

Ms. Badal called for an attitudinal change towards
the girl child and said that the Nanhi Chhaan movement would work
towards transforming the collective psyche of society in this regard.
She called upon religious, social and voluntary organizations to
play a proactive role in bringing about a change in social attitudes
towards the girl child as well as towards environment. “No
less a spiritual soul than Guru Nanak Dev ji taught us that religion
without social relevance is a meaningless ritual. We owe it to our
Gurus to live up to this legacy,” said Ms. Badal quoting soulful
passages from Gurbani on Nature and the place of woman in universe.

Ms. Badal was addressing a massive gathering while
launching the fifth phase of Nanhi Chaan jointly organized by the
Nanhi Chaan and Sri Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee here at Takht
Sri Keshgarh Sahib on the sacred occasion of Hola Mohalla here.
Sardarni Harsimrat Kaur Badal said that Punjab was the progressive
state not only in the country but across the globe also. But, said
Ms. Badal, she lamented that the rising trend of female foeticide
in Punjab had brought a bad name to the entire community of Punjabis
and this slur on the fair name of development and prosperity of
state must be wiped out with concerted efforts. She said;, “The
concept of Nanhi Chaan is aimed at bringing awareness amongst the
masses against the malady of female foeticide,”.
It may be recalled that the campaign of 'Nanhi Chhaan'
was initially launched at Sri Harmandir sahib (Golden Temple), Amritsar
in August 2008 by distributing saplings as 'Buta Parshad' to newly
wedded, expecting women and parents of newly born daughter with
an objective to create awareness among people about twin issues
of protecting the girl child and environment. The campaign 'Nanhi
Chhaan' also involves giving saplings to women devotees coming to
the holiest Sikh shrines to plant them in their homes with a pledge
to help save the girl child and also the environment during various
historical days and celebrations besides it is a permanent feature
at Golden Temple and Gurudwara Damdama Sahib, Talwandi Sabo.
Mrs. Harsimrat Kaur Badal pointed out that so far
1.25 lac saplings had been distributed from Amritsar, 62,000 from
Talwandi sabo, 50,000 from Fatehgarh Sahib and 92,000 from Muktsar.
She said 'Nanhi Chhaan' was now focusing on involving every religion
to propagate the philosophy and object of the organization with
outmost dedication and firm commitment. She said the Nanhi Chaan
programme had evoked a tremendous response from the people of Punjab
and she hoped that it would soon reverse the trend of adverse sex
ratio in the state. She cautioned that if things continued this
way, boys won't get brides leading to major social crisis in the
society.
Mrs. Badal asked the Punjab Government to open girls’
schools in the vicinity of every village, facilitating the education
and empowerment of girl child. She also underscored the need for
imparting vocational training of girl child to increase her employability
in the job market and also imparting enabling skills to help her
start self-employment ventures.
Mrs. Badal also informed that the similar programees had already
been organized at Takht Sri Damdama Sahib, Talwandi Sabo (Bathinda)
on September 19, 2008 dedicated to Guruta Gaddi Diwas Celebrations.
Likewise, another ‘Nanhi Chaan’ programme was organized
at Fatehgarh Sahib on December 24, 2008 dedicated to the Martyrdom
day of Mata Gujri Ji and younger Sahibjadas of Sri Guru Gobind Singh
Ji-Baba Fateh Singh and Baba Zorawar Singh. The Fourth programme
in the series was orgaised at Muktsar on January 11, 2009 in observance
of Maggi Mela dedicated to the Martyrdom of Mai Bhag Kaur and 40
Muktas (liberated once) and She said that today it was the fifth
phase of the Nanhi Chaan here at Takht Sri Keshgarh Sahib on the
occasion of Holla Mohalla. She said it was expected about 1.50 lac
saplings would be distributed among the people as a part of the
campaign. She also pointed out that SGPC would soon establish four
permanent nurseries at Golden Temple Amritsar, Fatehgarh Sahib,
Takht Sri Damdama Sahib, Talwandi Sabo (Bathinda) and Takht Sri
Keshgarh Sahib, Sri Anandpur Sahib to plant saplings for the said
campaign. She said that 20 lac saplings were likely to be distributed
by the end of 2009 by organizing these programmes to bring social
awakening against female foeticide and the importance of safe and
balanced environment.
Mrs. Badal further said that it was the need of hour
to organize a series of seminars, symposiums and declamation contests
on the theme of female foeticide and clean environment in the educational
institutions at School, College and University level to change the
mindset of boys and girls at the tender age about these socio-economic
problems.

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