Uttarakhand border clash: Who are the Nihang Sikhs and why did they protest?

High drama and tension prevailed at the Himachal Pradesh-Uttarakhand border on Thursday evening after a large group of Nihang Sikhs clashed with the police and pushed through security barricades at the Kulhal checkpost in Vikasnagar area of Dehradun.

Visuals from the spot, according to PTI, showed the entire Kulhal-Vikasnagar border resembling a virtual fortress with heavy deployment of riot police personnel behind multi-layer metal barricades.

A nearly two-hour meeting between the administration, police officials and Nihang Sikh representatives at Paonta Sahib Gurdwara failed to resolve.

Read also | Four ‘Nihang’ men attack Shiv Sena leader with swords on busy Punjab road

After hours of standoff between a group of Nihangs and the administration at the Himachal Pradesh-Uttarakhand border, the group returned to Paonta Sahib in Himachal Pradesh in the early hours of Friday after talks with the authorities.

Who are Nihang Sinks? What was happening on the Himachal Pradesh-Uttarakhand border on Thursday night? Here’s everything you need to know:

Who are the Nihang Sikhs?

The Nihangs or Nihang Sikhs are an elite and historically significant warrior group within the Sikh community, known for their martial traditions, distinctive dress (Khalsa Swaroop) and adherence to a specific code of conduct.

They traditionally wear blue robes, which reflect the color associated with warriors and martyrdom in the Sikh tradition, the organization explained on its website. They usually carry a range of weapons, including a kirpan (small sword), a barcha (spear) and a tegha (broadsword).

Dehradun, June 25 (ANI): Police and Nihang Singhs clashed on the Himachal-Uttarakhand border as authorities stopped the group’s march towards Dehradun in Dehradun on Thursday. (NOT Video Grab)(NOT Video Grab)

Their turbans or Dumala are unique, often towering and adorned with various shastars (weapons), including small daggers, chakrams (metal throwing discs) and swords. They also adorn their turbans with the Farla, a small flag at the top that signifies their high status in the Sikh warrior tradition.

The Nihangs are historically charged with the defense of the Sikh faith, sovereignty and martial ethos, an article in STM diaries.

Read also | Punjab: Clashes erupt between Nihang Sikhs and police at Kapurthala gurudwara.

The paper adds that the Nihangs emerged prominently during the time of Guru Gobind Singh and became the leading defenders of Sikhism during a period of sustained conflict under Mughal, Afghan and later British rule.

The Nihang lifestyle is closely related to the Khalsa code of conduct as prescribed by Guru Gobind Singh Ji.

What happened on the Himachal-Uttarakhand border on Thursday?

A large group of the Sikh sect clashed with police on Thursday evening as they tried to march towards Hemkund Sahib, a revered Sikh pilgrimage site, in Uttarakhand.

Officials told ANI that around 200 Nihang Sikhs were traveling from Chandigarh to Uttarakhand via Himachal Pradesh.

According to officials, the Nihangs were planning a protest march in Uttarakhand related to the recent dispute at Karnaprayag market in Chamoli and a gurdwara in Nagras.

After the protest was announced, police were pre-deployed at the Himachal-Uttarakhand border to prevent their entry.

The Nihangs were stopped by the police and the district administration at the Kulhal checkpost after barricades were erected there.

Earlier, Superintendent of Police (Rural) Pankaj Gairola claimed that a section of protesters broke the barricades and advanced, prompting efforts to keep the law and order situation under control.

When they were detained at the border, a confrontation broke out. Dozens of Nihangs, dressed in traditional blue attire and carrying swords, sticks and sharp-edged weapons, used physical force to break the barriers, ANI reported.

The protesters said they would not return to Punjab until the release of four Nihang members arrested in connection with the clash with locals in the Karnaprayag market.

Why did the Nihangs protest?

On June 16, a minor dispute broke out between residents and another group of Nihangs in Karnaprayag. It turned violent, injuring several locals and a member of the Nihang sect. After the clash, the police registered a case and arrested four Nihangas, ANI reported.

A section of the Sikh sect considered it a “unilateral” action by the administration.

A representative of the group at the spot on Thursday told ANI that they want to perform their pilgrimage peacefully.

He said the group demanded withdrawal of the FIRs registered against the four Nihangs, adding that they did not want a conflict between the people of the two states and wanted to resolve the dispute with the locals through compromise.

The group said they will remain in Uttarakhand until those arrested in the Karnaprayag incident are released.

Police crackdown ends in Uttarakhand

The district administration and police officials, including local SDMs and tehsildars, reached the spot near the Kulhal border to hold talks, though initial discussions yielded no resolution.

The protest ended early Friday morning. After meeting the police and district authorities, the group, which had assembled at the Gurdwara racecourse in Dehradun, left the premises around 3.30 am in two vehicles under police escort to cross the state border safely. Paonta Sahib Gurdwara is just a few kilometers away.

Dehradun Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Pramendra Dobal thanked members of the Sikh community who accepted the administration’s request and agreed to return to Paonta Sahib in Himachal Pradesh.

Dehradun District Magistrate Ashish Chauhan said the situation was resolved amicably.

“Our Nihang Sahibs have returned to Paonta Sahib. About 150 Nihang Sikhs who are already in Paonta Sahib have fully cooperated and brought the situation under control,” Chauhan added.

On Wednesday, a five-member delegation of Nihang Sikhs met Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami at his official residence and later called on the Director General of Police (DGP) at the police headquarters here to demand a speedy inquiry into the Karnprayag incident.

Nagarasu Gurdwara incident

In another related incident, about half a dozen Nihangs climbed onto the roof of Nagarasu Gurdwara on Badrinath Highway on June 20, allegedly blocking access to the roof and demanding the release of those arrested in the Karnaprayag clash.

According to officials, the dispute started when a group of Nihangs demanded accommodation for an upcoming demonstration, which the gurdwara management could not fully provide due to limited capacity.

The situation escalated into an argument, after which the group occupied the upper floors. During the confrontation, the Nihangs climbed onto the roof and top floor of the gurdwara. Despite calls from the administration, they refused to vacate the premises.

After a standoff of nearly 72 hours at the Nagarasu gurdwara in Uttarakhand’s Rudraprayag, the shrine was peacefully vacated on Tuesday following successful discussions between the local administration, gurdwara management and visiting members of the sect from Punjab.

(With inputs from ANI, PTI)