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.
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