Beadbi Incident Response: Mitigating Our Failure to Prevent

Phases for Clarity

Even though beadbi is predominantly associated with the exact moment of an incident, it is actually a much longer process. That is why we need a wider perspective that considers the following three major failures of beadbi:

1. Failure to Prevent
2. Failure to Respond
3. Failure to Improve (causing repeated beadbi)

Since all of them are sequential, we can understand beadbi as a process with a timeline. Therefore, it is also possible to represent our mitigation efforts in three corresponding phases:

1. Prevention Phase
2. Incident Management Phase
3. Improvement Phase

By contextualizing our analysis of beadbi in this manner, we can not only proceed with clarity but also form a self-optimizing loop, where we focus on constant improvement and transform our failures into opportunities for future strength.

Structured Progress

To take a comprehensive approach, we need to evaluate all Categories of Beadbi for each phase of beadbi. Currently, our focus is on working through Physical Attack Beadbi and for its prevention phase, we have the following two solutions:

• Saroop Protection: a structured framework for implementing security of Guru Granth Sahib Ji
• Gatka-Based Pehredaar Framework: a re-alignment of Gatka to its historical purpose by making Saroop Protection its primary purpose.

However, we also need to evaluate what to do when they fail to prevent an attack on Guru Sahib Ji. This analysis will also help us recognize that prevention is the only arena where we actually win, so that is where we get the most effective outcome for the Panth.

From Regional to Global Responsibility

Now, before going to technical aspects, let’s recognize a major shift that occurs when we enter the second phase of beadbi. Given that during the prevention phase, we can’t predict where an incident is going to take place, we have no other option than implementing prevention everywhere. That is why, due to this structural condition, preventative responsibility is best managed at the regional level. However, the moment an incident is reported, all regions know the exact location of beadbi. With this location awareness, we do not have the same uncertainty of the prior phase.

Therefore, we can no longer say that the responsibility of incident response is limited only to a single region. This gives us clarity on two aspects: the responsibility for preventing failure still remains mostly within a single region, but the duty of response falls on all Sikhs around the world—especially given how fast global travel is today.

Stages of Incident Management

A major challenge of incident response is that it requires a lot of logistical coordination in a really short amount of time—another reason why a response with global support from multiple regions is the most effective approach.

In contrast with the preventative phase, organized in layers where each one increases the preventative capacity of the other, the phase of Incident Management is best structured in distinct stages instead.

Of the three, we’ll firstly focus on Immediate Response, since the prior stage prepares for it and the last one depends on it.

Response Time and Coverage

Since time and speed are key factors in response, we need to have clarity on two aspects: coverage maps and performance evaluation.

Since our response speed will depend on routes available through existing travel infrastructure, we’ll need to have response coverage maps for various locations and related ETA ranges. This would also help us identify the number of service zones that we’ll need to build our capacity for.

Then, we also need a way to evaluate our response speed in getting to the incident site. For practical purposes, we can have a simplified performance classification with assigned durations: optimal, acceptable, slow, and failed.

The Stage of Immediate Response

Since at the moment of an incident, multiple protocols need to be activated as soon as possible, we could group protocols together as specialized components dedicated to specific areas of expertise.

While in-depth and specialized discussions are needed for each of them, particularly for forensics, right now we’ll do a general overview to understand how all components can work together for an effective response.

Before we proceed, it’s also important to clarify that while previous sections provide us with a general framework on how to approach beadbi, the following sections are mostly illustrative and require field validation and improvement before reliable use.

Incident Preparedness

Now let’s explore how we can prepare in advance and speed up execution of response components. If we have some on-location resources already set up before any beadbi incident takes place, we can reduce last-minute friction and avoid unnecessary resource depletion later, particularly due to premium costs associated with expedited logistics.

Among those listed earlier, most components can be partially prepared early on, especially Legal Authorizations, Scene Security, and Response Packages. However, considering that this readiness is going to take time, for now, our response should expect no preparation on the site.

Beadbi Responders

To ensure that our response capability is reliable, we need to have trained personnel specialized in a specific set of protocols. To have a swift initial response, we should have dedicated Beadbi Responders who focus on the following priorities:

• Ensuring scene integrity: protecting evidence from tampering and contamination.
• Establishing a perimeter: securing the incident site with a single access point.
• Initiating access logs: tracking all personnel accessing the perimeter.

By executing these protocols similar to those of crime scenes, Beadbi Responders can enable collection of forensic evidence that maintains integrity for higher credibility and increased chance of legal admissibility.

Beadbi Forensics

In our Panthic discussions, we have disregarded forensics almost every single time. Not just that, but we have blindly accepted all short-circuit and mental-health justifications—with no fire scene analysis or any evaluation for insanity defense by forensic psychologists.

That is why forensics must now become a core part of our incident response. To achieve high evidence credibility, we should adopt the procedures compatible with internationally recognized standards.

Crime scene inspections follow standard procedures such as ISO 17020 for inspection, ISO 17025 for forensic lab processing. There are also best practice guidelines published by forensic organizations such as ENFSI.

While there is also a need to develop Panthic Standards for aspects unique to our internal needs, such as those involving Satkaar throughout the forensic process, here is a general summary of standard procedures that we should incorporate to increase international credibility of evidence:

By adopting them, along with incorporating Satkaar Protocols, we can ensure that our response builds a strong foundation for subsequent follow-up stages after the on-site work is completed. With such an organized response, we also show respect to Guru Sahib Ji.

Beadbi Investigators

While responders can secure the incident site, and forensic professionals can work on collecting evidence, we also need to have neutral and objective individuals to start the investigative process. That is exactly why we need a dedicated role of a Beadbi Investigator, who can be dispatched to every incident.

While our primary context of analysis is Physical Attack Beadbi, this role is also relevant across all Categories of Beadbi. When forensics are involved in any category, investigators can provide valuable input to ensure no critical evidence is left behind. In addition, they also create a working hypothesis and update it as more facts emerge on-site.

To investigate beadbi, a minimum of one investigator is absolutely needed, but additional investigators from other regions should work together, both during the immediate response and for all subsequent follow-up stages.

Since the prevalent approach to issues in our community dismisses healing our Panthic Trauma, the pool of emotionally resilient candidates needed for a professional and impartial execution of beadbi related protocols is going to be a challenge that we need to find a solution for.

Response Centers

Since we need immediate coordination of multiple layers to respond to incidents, stable and focused coordination becomes critical for effectiveness. That is why we should have dedicated Beadbi Response Centers to take that role and provide strategic decision-making at all stages of beadbi response.

Once the reporting criteria are met for beadbi, an alert should go to all centers, and then a single center should be chosen to take on responsibility for response, likely the center that is regional to the incident site.

With this semi-centralized structure, other regions can assist the assigned center in dispatching response teams and related components, such as those involving logistics, legal, and finance. This also enables procedural oversight by multiple regions to ensure high credibility throughout the process, including cross-replication of live on-site data and video logs.

Response Funding

Since we can’t have a reliable response execution without funding, we need to have a structure that enables a multi-tiered approach:

• General Operational Fund: for ongoing development of response capability
• Incident-Response Pool: available immediately to dispatch a response
• Emergency Reserve: contingency if response fund runs out

However, it should be noted that funds dedicated to preventative efforts yield the most benefit to the community. That’s why we need to structure our incident response funds to incentivize implementing preventative guidelines in the following ways:

• Pre-incident funds with a vesting schedule tied to gradual implementation of preventative protocols.
• Emergency post-incident funds, with repayment requirements or waiver upon developing acceptable preventative capacity.

While specialized and in-depth work is needed, overall concepts are likely going to be similar. However, we must not let funding hold us back as we might not even need it to get started, as we’ll see in the following section.

Gradual Implementation

With clarity on what an adequate response should look like, we should also identify clear milestones that are achievable for our journey ahead. In fact, with this approach, we can take many initial steps without needing any significant resources. This especially applies to the following milestones:

Before any worry about funding, we should focus on reaching these milestones, especially the initial region-specific research.

Gurdwara Management

It may come naturally to us to make demands on those involved in the management, but almost all beadbi-related frameworks start with the Sangat. This is why formal integration with Gurdwara management should be considered a later-stage milestone. While arguments can be made for a different approach, the best outcome for the Panth requires focus on what matters: building local Sangat capacity, both for beadbi prevention and response.

While this may seem counterintuitive in the contemporary context, it is the most reliable way to ensure success. If Sangat already proves the concept and shows operational viability by developing a reliable talent and resource base, the management is more likely to be supportive and open to change.

While this is an oversimplification since there are more dynamics involved in practice, the key point remains valid: Sangat preparation comes first, and attempts to offload all responsibility onto the management are a recipe for unnecessary conflict and failure. However, this does not apply to lightweight collaborative efforts, especially those for categories that have limited logistical load.

Panthic Instruments

When regions get through the initial milestones of developing response capability, the value of having a Panth-focused organizational framework becomes critical. That is exactly where Panthic Instruments can help, as they are custom-designed tools that ensure we work together as organized units while maintaining fiduciary duty towards the Panth.

By using these instruments that incorporate the Distributed and Localized model, we can facilitate cross-regional exchanges: those ahead in the process can share insights to increase operational quality and help new regions that are just getting started.

Within this structure, Beadbi Responders, Forensic Teams, Investigative Units, and others can all organize as specialized Panthic Entities, and participate in a shared learning culture focused on constant improvement.

Preventing Internal Risks

While we focus on response, we also need to minimize our internal risks. In particular, we must protect the integrity of our response process by preventing weaponization of beadbi, both from individual and factional rivalry. Therefore, to deter and counter such patterns, we need to implement accountability and transparency through the following safeguards:

• Decentralized oversight by multiple regions.
• Standardized protocols applicable to all.
• Appeal and review process.
• Accountability for fair process by all involved personnel.
• Limited authority only to the extent needed for response purposes.

From Neglect to Responsibility

We have ended up being indifferent to numerous Saroops of the same Guru who gave up everything for us. This is a major reason why we are in a perpetual state of crisis as a Panth. While we mostly think of beadbi as a single event, it’s always a double beadbi: first as a failure to prevent, and then as a failure to respond. This points to a general lack of clarity about what we are doing wrong in the Panth.

However, right now, in this moment, we must get a clear perspective and decide to change our destiny: by falling at the feet of our Guru Sahib Ji and apologizing. It is only then, that we can rise up and build a different future: by choosing one precise thing to do for the Panth—something we can stay relentlessly committed to.