Explained | Uttarakhand Nihang Sikh Controversy

Twice this week, the Uttarakhand state administration found itself staring at a potentially volatile confrontation with the Nihang Sikhs. The first was a three-day break at Nagras Gurdwara in Rudraprayag district. The second unfolded barely two days later when hundreds of Nihang Sikhs gathered on the Uttarakhand-Himachal Pradesh border following calls for a protest march.

Police and the Nihang Singhs clash at the Himachal-Uttarakhand border as authorities halted the group’s march towards Dehradun on Thursday (June 25, 2026). (NOT Video Grab)

Both crises ended without major violence, largely because the administration relied on negotiation rather than immediate intervention. But the events also showed how quickly a local squabble can take a communal turn in the age of social media.

Parking dispute in Karnapryag

On June 16, a dispute over vehicle parking at Karnaprayag — along the route to Hemkund Sahib gurudwara, which lies at an altitude of more than 4,300 meters above sea level — reportedly escalated into a clash between Nihang Sikhs and residents.

For the police, it was a case of local disturbance of public order after which four Nihang Sikhs were arrested on the complaint of local residents.

Also read | Explanation: Who are the Nihangs?

For the Nihang Sikhs, it was now a question of dignity and religious identity as videos of them being beaten, paraded without turbans under police protection, went viral and stoked anger far beyond Uttarakhand.

They also felt that injustice was done to them as no FIR was initially filed on the complaint of the Nihang Sikhs.

With criticism mounting, the Uttarakhand government tried to contain the fallout.

The investigation was handed over to the Senior Superintendent of Police, Haridwar, who subsequently ordered a cross-reaction against the locals named in the complaints. The government also launched a separate inquiry into allegations of police misconduct against Nihang Sikhs.

Fall of Nagras

While the government thought the Karnaprayag episode was resolved, a group of Nihang Sikhs reportedly captured the terrace of Nagrasu Gurdwara Langar Sahib, located in Rudraprayag district, which shares its borders with Uttar Pradesh and Nepal.

The gurdwara management claimed that disagreements with the Nihang Sikhs started over food and accommodation, following which the police were called.

Representatives of the Nihangs offered a different account to the local media, stating that their only demand was permission to stage a peaceful protest against the alleged mistreatment of the Nihangs in Karnaprayag.

With thousands of pilgrims traversing the region every day at this time of year, the administration decided to act against forced evictions. The police, supported by Indo-Tibetan Border Police personnel, secured the area while senior Nihang leaders from Punjab dealt with people inside the shrine. After nearly three days of negotiations, the group agreed to withdraw peacefully and end the standoff on June 23.

Balancing the narrative

Although the police have maintained all along that the Karnaprayag clash and the Nagras standoff were unrelated incidents, the distinction has largely disappeared on social media. Posts claiming that Sikh pilgrims were targeted in Uttarakhand were widely circulated, prompting protests by Sikh organizations in several states and calls for nihang Sikhs to march in solidarity to Uttarakhand.

Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami called for calm and said there was no evidence to link the two incidents. He also urged people not to spread rumors that could disrupt the communal harmony and assured the pilgrims that the Char Dham Yatra was going on without interruption.

Call for March

After two alleged incidents of ill-treatment of Nihang Sikhs surfaced on social media, a nationwide call for a protest march was issued in Uttarakhand on June 25. To participate in the same, hundreds of Nihang Sikhs gathered at Paonta Sahib in Himachal Pradesh and tried to enter Uttarakhand through its capital Dehradun.

Already prepared for the march, the administration has closed key roads into the state, erected barricades and deployed heavy police force at the Kulhal border check post. Officials said controlled force was used after some protesters tried to break through the barricades.

A group of Nihang Sikhs arrived at Gurdwara Paonta Sahib from Uttarakhand after meeting the administrations over their recent clash in Chamoli district of Karnaprayag in Paonta Sahib, Sirmaur on Friday. (NOT Video Grab)

Hours of negotiations involving police officers, district officials and representatives of the Sikh community eventually calmed the situation. Most of the protesters returned to Himachal Pradesh, while a small delegation remained in Dehradun for further negotiations with the administration.

For now, the immediate crisis seems to have been resolved, but investigations into the Karnaprayag clash and the Nagrasu Gurdwara episode are still ongoing.

Published – 27 Jun 2026 11:02 IST