AMRITSAR: To lay down the procedural system for the post of the jathedar, a 17-member committee of eminent scholars and well known academicians having deep faith in Sikh ideology and principles has been constituted on Wednesday.

In a joint statement Manjit Singh Calcutta, Bhai Mohkam Singh, Harchranjit Singh Dhami, Kanwarpal Singh and Gurdeep Singh Bhatinda (all coordinators) said this drafting committee has been constituted to draft a Panthic code to ensure the smooth and judicious working of all Takht jathedar's.

Elaborating its terms of reference they said this committee would deliberate on qualification, appointment, working conditions, tenure, operational conditions and removal of the Takht Jathedar's.

They said once the draft would be ready, it will be circulated amongst the Sikh institutions and groups world over for ratification. The formation of this committee was decided at the Sikh conclave organized by Dal Khalsa on March 9 at Amritsar to prepare a document on the overall working sphere of the jathedar of the Akal Takht Sahib and other Takhts. 

All suggestions and opinions will be considered and incorporated.  To build an opinion and consensus a series of get-together will be arranged in different parts of state and country to deliberate and examine the various facets of the post of jathedar. The entire exercise will be concluded by March 14, 2009.

They said Bhag Singh Ankhi, secretary Chief Khalsa Deevan and Dr Balwant Singh Dhillon from GNDU has been appointed convenor and co-convenor respectively of the committee. We took extra care to include apolitical persons to keep the committee above any political conflict.

Reiterating that Akal Takht Sahib was the highest Sikh seat of spiritual and temporal authority, they said the concepts of Sandesh, Gurmata and Hukamnama have become hazed over the years because of the manner in which edicts have been handed over in recent years.

Ironically, right now the post of the jathedar is in the midst of controversies.  

"Our fundamental objective is to correct the fault line and make the post of the jathedar independent from all political and administrative constraints. 
 
Members of the drafting committee includes Dr. Kharak Singh (Chandigarh), Dr. Balkar Singh (Patiala), Former Vice-Chancellor Prithipal Singh Kapur (Ludhiana), H.S. Phoolka (Senior Advocate, Delhi), Principal Prabhjot Kaur (Patiala), Waryam Singh (SGPC, Amritsar), S Saran Singh former IAS, Director Jagdish Singh (Amritsar), Prof. Gurbax Singh, Principal (retd) Surjit Singh Gandhi, Dr. Jaswant Singh Neki, former PGI Director, Prof Sukhdayal Singh (Punjabi University), Roop Singh (SGPC), Naraien Singh (Gurdaspur), Principal Harsimran Singh (Anandpur Sahib) beside Bhag Singh Ankhi and Dr. B S Dhillon.