Nihang-police standoff in Uttarakhand ends, group returns to Himachal after talks

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

The development brought an end to the tension that prevailed at the Kulhal checkpoint in the Vikasnagar area on Thursday night, where a large group of the Sikh sect clashed with the police, pushed through security barricades in an attempt to go towards Hemkund Sahib, a revered Sikh pilgrimage, in Uttarakhand.

However, the Nihang group joined others from their sect at Paonta Sahib Gurdwara where discussions are still on with senior officials of Uttarakhand Police and administration. According to officials, the Nihangs have called off their planned protest march in Uttarakhand related to a recent dispute at the Karnaprayag market in Chamoli and a gurdwara in Nagrasu.


Read more:Tensions at Uttarakhand border as Nihang Sikhs breach barricades, head towards Hemkund Sahib

After meeting police and district administration authorities, the group, which had gathered at the Race Course Gurdwara in Dehradun, left the premises around 3.30 am in two vehicles under police escort for their safe passage across the state border. The Paonta Sahib Gurdwara is only a few kilometres away.

On Thursday, there was a heavy police deployment in advance, following the announcement of a protest by Nihang groups to march towards the state, to prevent their entry. The entire Kulhal-Vikasnagar outpost was turned into a fortified police zone, with personnel in riot gear standing behind multi-layered metal barricades.

Dehradun Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Pramendra Dobal said police personnel had been deployed throughout near the Kulhal border since the morning. He thanked the members of the Sikh community who accepted the administration's request and agreed to return to Paonta Sahib in Himachal Pradesh.

"A few people had crossed the area (the checkpoint), and one or two vehicles had proceeded along the route. We spoke to them at length, and they, too, agreed to return," Dobal said, adding that he hoped peace, harmony, and mutual goodwill would continue.
Dehradun District Magistrate Ashish Chauhan said the situation was resolved amicably.

"Our Nihang sahibans returned to Paonta Sahib. Around 150 Nihang Sikhs already present in Paonta Sahib extended their full cooperation, bringing the situation under control," Chauhan added. The group had reportedly set out from Mohali in Punjab.

Superintendent of Police (Rural) Pankaj Gairola had earlier said that a section of the protesters breached the barricades and moved forward, prompting efforts to keep the law and order situation under control. The district administration and police officials, including the local SDM and tehsildar, reached the spot to hold talks, though initial discussions failed to yield a resolution.

When intercepted at the border, a confrontation broke out. Dozens of Nihangs, dressed in traditional blue attire and carrying swords, rods, and sharp-edged weapons, used physical force to break the barriers. The protesters declared they would not return to Punjab until four Nihang members arrested in connection with a clash with locals in Karnaprayag market were released.

On June 16 in Karnaprayag, a minor dispute between residents and another set of Nihangs escalated into violence, injuring a few locals and a member of the Nihang sect. Following the clash, police registered a case and arrested four Nihangs.
A section of the Sikh sect saw this as "one-sided" action by the administration.

A representative of the group at the spot on Thursday also said they wanted to undertake their pilgrimage peacefully. He said the group demands the withdrawal of the FIR registered against the four Nihangs, adding they do not wish for a conflict between the people of the two states and want to resolve the dispute with the locals through a compromise.

Read more:Nagrasu gurdwara crisis enters 4th day: Army deployed, drones monitoring; here's what's happening

The group had said they would remain in Uttarakhand until those arrested in the Karnaprayag incident were released.
In another related incident, around half a dozen Nihangs climbed onto the roof of the Nagarasu Gurdwara on the Badrinath Highway on June 20, allegedly blocking access to the roof while demanding the release of those arrested in the Karnaprayag clash.

The shrine was vacated peacefully on Tuesday after successful discussions between the local administration, gurdwara management, and visiting members of the sect from Punjab. 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 swift inquiry into the Karnprayag incident.