Some Thoughts on Maintaining Unity Amongst Gursikhs

Many Gursikhs are pretty down on the prospects of Panthic Ekta (Unity). It seems like an almost unachievable task. Like most issues that seem hard to achieve at a Panthic-wide level, it is a good idea to see if smaller victories towards unity can be achieved at a more local level or even at a Jathebandi level. If there is unity amongst the Panth's Jathebandis and other local sangats, unity becomes much more achievable on a Panthic level some day. 

So what are some possible steps that can be taken for unity?

1) Maintain Gurmat Principles of Governance. 

The number one principle for governance for any Sikh sangat (eg. a Jathebandi) is that it must be run by the Punj Pyareh (five divinely inspired Gursikhs) who are under the authority of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji. These five Gursikhs must be nominated from amongst the Sangat in a transparent (non-rigged) manner. The Sangat is ultimately supreme and their will must be genuinely reflected in the selection of the Punj. The Punj can then make decisions on behalf of the sangat. At all times, the Punj are at the mercy of Guru Sahib and the sangat. The Punj may delegate authority to a Jathedar but the Punj must keep the Jathedar in check and make sure that the supremacy of the sangat remains. The Punj must also maintain the supremacy of Guru Sahib, eg. taking guidance from hukamnamas and reflecting on their message before making major decisions. 

Needless to say, most sangats likely do not reflect the above principles. For example, Harnaam Dhumma is currently the "Jathedar" of the Damdami Taksal at Mehta. I am not an expert on the Taksal but it seems as if ultimate authority is not lying where it should, eg. with Guru Sahib and with Taksali Gursikhs. According to Gurmat, the Taksal or any Sikh institution should have a Punj Pyareh of genuine non-corrupted Gursikhs to guide its affairs and to keep its Jathedar in check (and remove the Jathedar if they are not governing according to Gurmat). These Punj Pyareh would be selected at a regularly scheduled meeting of Taksali Gursikhs (diaspora Gursikhs could attend via teleconference). If this simple reform were instituted in the Taksal, Mr. Dhumma would likely be removed from his post and a non-compromised individual could be selected in his place. 

2) Implement best practices including learning from other Sangats

Many Jathebandis seem like they are stuck in the muck. They are just trudging along without giving much thoughtful consideration on how to create a sangat that is as inspiring as possible. I personally believe that it is important to see what is going on in other Jathebandis and Sangats in order to maximize parchaar and Chardi Kala in one's own Jathebandi. One's own Jathebandi may not be especially attractive or welcoming to outside sangat. One's own Jathebandi may not be successful in engaging youth in sevaa. One's own Jathebandi may have other issues as well. It is possible to learn from other Jathebandis in order to become successful in those areas. Once success is achieved then one's own Jathebandi can be an example and role-model sangat for others locally and globally. 

So what does this have to do with unity? If a Jathebandi is running successfully and is attracting sangat, there are less reasons for sangat to be divided. If there is enough Sevaa to keep everyone occupied, there is less ammunition for troublemakers to create problems. If a Sangat is running in Chardi Kala, Gursikhs will try to help maintain that Chardi Kala and will feel a pride in their sangat.

3) Seek out Unity from Gursikhs of other backgrounds

I really liked it, when a few years ago, Akhand Kirtani Jatha UK began seeking out unity with Gursikhs from other groups. Not only is this productive in setting the stage for Panthic-level unity at some point, it is also an inspiring act and any inspiring act is also helpful for unity at a more local level. If I was a member of the Akhand Kirtani Jatha in UK and I saw the people in charge seeking out unity with Taksali and Nihung Gursikhs, I would be more inspired towards working towards unity at all levels including within the Akhand Kirtani Jatha UK and also in my dealings with every type of Gursikh. The Gursikhs who run Jathebandis have the unique power to inspire in this way by seeking out these special opportunities to show us that most Sikhs are pretty much the same and that when we act in ways that harm unity, it is counterproductive and harmful to the Panth. 

How to Move Forward with Sarbat Khalsa 2016

Many Gursikhs are working diligently on organizing a more successful Sarbat Khalsa for November of this year. Considering their efforts, I thought I would share my thoughts on how I think it could be possible to organize this upcoming Sarbat Khalsa so that it is inclusive and truly representative of the entire Khalsa Panth.

So where should we start? From everything I've heard, the (former) Punj Pyareh of Sri Akal Takht Sahib are in charge of ensuring that the upcoming Sarbat Khalsa is organized properly. Their role is pivotal. They have now been given a Sevaa and it is absolutely essential that they execute their sevaa with leadership, vision and integrity. It will also require a lot of hard work from them. In order to pull this off, they would have to devote themselves full-time to this project over the next 6 months.

Much of this is based off of my previous writings on these topics but I have adapted things to suit the upcoming Sarbat Khalsa. For the upcoming Sarbat Khalsa, we do not need a perfect event but we need an event that is a significant improvement over Sarbat Khalsa 2015.

Here is how I think the Punj Pyareh should go about this...

Part 1:

It is a serious issue we have right now that we have no way of selecting legitimate representatives of different sangats in order to make decisions for the entire Panth. Sometimes, we think we can organize a Sarbat Khalsa by involving all Jathebandis but that is not a realistic option given Jathebandi politics and divisions within Jathebandis. Instead, the only realistic way to represent the entire Panth is to have representatives chosen based off of geographic zones.

I have created a draft list of zones. Most zones have one representative assigned, some have two and a couple have three representatives. The list was designed so that each representative would be representing a similar amount of Sikhs (there are differences but nothing drastic) but I have limited the number of zones to as few as possible (50) without (in my opinion) jeopardizing the effectiveness of representing all Sikhs. I have seen some proposals for much larger numbers but I strongly believe that a large number of representatives is likely to lead to the process becoming unwieldy and chaotic. When the Panth has more experience with these institutions, it may be an idea to have a larger group of Gursikhs selected.  

This list of zones is based off of existing political boundaries for the sake of simplicity (eg. Punjab districts, Indian states, and national borders). The proposed list of zones is as follows:

International Zones (10 zones)

A) UK - 2 Representatives
B) Continental Europe
C) Canada - 2 Representatives
D) USA - 2 Representatives
E) East Asia (includes Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, Philippines, China, Japan and other countries in East and Southeast Asia)
F) Middle East / Africa / Pakistan
G) Australia (includes New Zealand and Oceania)

India Zones (9 zones)

A) Delhi - 2 Representatives
B) Haryana - 2 Representatives
C) Jammu-Kashmir (Northern India)
D) Madhya Pradesh (Central India)
E) Maharashtra (Western India)
F) Uttar Pradesh-Bihar (Eastern India)
G) Uttarakhand (Southern India)

Punjab Zones (31 zones)

A) Amritsar - 3 Representatives
B) Barnala
C) Bathinda - 2 Representatives
D) Chandigarh-Mohali
E) Faridkot
F) Fatehgarh Sahib
G) Firozpur  - 2 Representatives
H) Gurdaspur - 2 Representatives
I) Hoshiarpur
J) Jalandhar
K) Kapurthala
L) Ludhiana - 3 Representatives
M) Mansa
N) Moga  - 2 Representatives
O) Muktsar
P) Patiala  - 2 Representatives
Q) Rupnagar-Shahid Bhagat Singh Nagar
R) Sahibzada Ajit Singh Nagar
S) Sangrur - 2 Representatives
T) Tarn-Taran - 2 Representatives

Part 2: 

The Akal Takht Punj Pyareh should craft a list of criteria for the representatives of the different zones. A draft list is as follows:

1) A Sikh whose personal way of life is exemplary and who possesses unimpeachable integrity.
2) A Sikh who possesses extensive knowledge of Gurbani and Sikh History.
3) A Sikh who is knowledgeable about Panthic affairs including the challenges the Panth faces with regards to the freedom of Sikh institutions.
4) A Sikh who possesses a record of extensive Panthic service including efforts in Sikhi Parchaar.
5) A Sikh who has been blessed with Khanday Batay Da Amrit and who is immersed in Gurbani and Naam.
6) A Sikh who, at a minimum, never fails to abide by the requirements of the Sikh Rehit to do their daily Nitnem Banis, wear their Kakaars, abstain from the four Bujjer Kurahits (cardinal sins) and give Dasvandh (10% of their income for charitable purposes).
7) A Sikh who earns an honest and clean living free of income derived from dishonest practices or practices that go against Sikh teachings.
8) A Sikh who possesses a special or unique skillset or set of experiences which would make him or her uniquely well-positioned for a role in the Sarbat Khalsa.

There should also be at least some quota for Kaurs otherwise we run the risk of it being 50 Singhs selected. A reasonable quota to start could be 10 or even 20%. It could be increased in the future as more Kaurs stand up for these types of positions.

Part 3: 

Nominations should be submitted online in order to make the process accessible to all. In order to nominate someone, 5 other Gursikhs must attest to that nominee's suitability according to the criteria published by the Akal Takht Punj Pyareh. One cannot nominate oneself. 

After a one-month nomination period closes, a list of all nominees would be published online for each zone. The Akal Takht Punj Pyareh would then screen out anti-Panthic elements and other unsuitable candidates by spending a month or (preferably) two vetting the nominees from each zone. After the end of the vetting period, a number of potential options could be pursued. There can be an online voting process for the remaining vetted candidates (a process I don't particularly like the idea of). There can be a sangat-driven selection meeting in each zone (overseen by the Punj Pyareh). Or to keep it simple, the Punj Pyareh could simply pick the representatives for each zone from the list of nominated individuals, after they complete their vetting process. 

Now will any of this happen? Maybe or maybe not. But the consequences of organizing another flawed and unrepresentative Sarbat Khalsa this year could be disastrous. So let's hope we see some action on how to make the Sarbat Khalsa what it should be: a gathering of the entire Khalsa Panth, through legitimately selected representatives of the worldwide sangat. 

Panthic Seva at the Local Level

When Bhai Manvir Singh came here in 2013 for Khalsa Camp, he shared some bachans of Bhai Jasbir Singh Khanne Wale, relating to Panthic Seva.

Bhai Jasbir Singh gave a simple-to-remember ੳ, ਅ and ੲ of effective Panthic Seva. 

The ੳ stands for "Ucha Sucha Jeevan" which can be translated as having high moral character and living according to Sikh principles. At the end of the day, our jeevan or way-of-life, is also the most effective form of parchaar. 

The ਅ stands for "Adhian" which can be translated as doing regular research and study about Sikhi. Sikhi is an ocean and a Sikh must always be striving to improve their jeevan over time by learning more about Sikh principles on a regular basis by studying Sikh history and the jeevans of Gurmukh souls.

The ੲ stands for "Ilaakay dee Sumbaal" which can be translated as being responsible for the well-being of your local area. It's worth noting that this bachan focuses on the local community rather than on the panth-at-large and there is certainly a lot of wisdom in that approach. Most of us are not able to influence Badal's re-election bid or other political matters in Punjab but we are able to help transform our local sangats.

So how can we take care of our local sangats, as recommended by Bhai Jasbir Singh? In this post, I am going to be focusing on the area of Youth Parchaar in BC. 

I am breaking down the thoughts into two categories of important changes: Structural and Cultural. 

Structural Changes

Structural changes are easier than cultural changes. They require hard-work but it is possible to implement these changes under the right circumstances. Some examples and ideas of structural changes to our local Youth Sangat are as follows:

1) The Creation of a “Youth Council” of 5 panthic-minded youth. This council can be selected by consensus at an annual or bi-annual meeting. Ideally, this council could guide Youth parchaar efforts in BC and intervene to preserve Ektaa among youth when needed. This council can also guide younger youth and help attach them to sevaas. This council must be representative of the sangat and must demonstrate a passion for parchaar and ektaa. This council can identify gaps that exist in the existing local parchaar and devise a gameplan to plug those gaps.

2) A monthly meeting among Youth who are interested in Sevaa. At this meeting, veechaar can be done on Panthic Issues and different youth can be attached to different sevaas. 

Cultural Changes

Changing the culture of the sangat in a local area is hard but if enough people implement these changes, it could cause a ripple effect. 

1) Many existing efforts are already being made towards parchaar. However, there is often a lack of support for one another's parchaar efforts. They are uncoordinated and in some cases, there is even an unnecessary atmosphere of competition surrounding different parchaar efforts. There should be a higher level of coordination in parchaar efforts and there should be a heartfelt effort to support all parchaar efforts even if they are "competing" with an effort that someone is already involved with. 

2) We need to create a more welcoming and inclusive atmosphere at all programs. If someone attends a local AKJ (or some other sangat) program, they should always feel welcome to do so. They should be greeted warmly and made to feel welcome. This would really help if different youth felt more welcome attending programs of different sangats. It would promote understanding and relationship-building between different youth of different backgrounds. 

3) Misunderstandings and personal issues need to be resolved more proactively. The Youth Council mentioned in the structural changes can also help with this. Too often, grudges hold back parchaar and they limit our imagination in terms of what is possible.