The standoff between a group of Nihang Sikhs and the administration at the Himachal Pradesh-Uttarakhand border ended on Friday after several rounds of talks. The group agreed to return to Paonta Sahib in Himachal Pradesh.
The development eased tensions at the Kulhal checkpoint in Vikasnagar, where the Nihangs had clashed with police on Thursday night and crossed security barricades while trying to proceed towards Hemkund Sahib, a revered Sikh pilgrimage site in Uttarakhand.
After returning, the Nihangs joined other members of their community at Paonta Sahib Gurdwara. Senior officials of the Uttarakhand Police and district administration continued discussions with them there.
Officials said the group has withdrawn its proposed protest march in Uttarakhand over the recent dispute at Karnaprayag market in Chamoli district and the gurdwara at Nagrasu.
Following a meeting with police and district officials, the group left the Race Course Gurdwara in Dehradun at around 3.30 am. They travelled in two vehicles under police escort to the Himachal Pradesh border. Paonta Sahib Gurdwara is located a short distance from the border.
Police had made elaborate security arrangements on Thursday after Nihang groups announced their march towards Uttarakhand. The Kulhal-Vikasnagar border checkpost was heavily barricaded, with police personnel in riot gear deployed to prevent their entry.
Dehradun Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Pramendra Dobal said police remained deployed at the Kulhal border throughout the day. He thanked members of the Sikh community for cooperating with the administration and agreeing to return to Paonta Sahib.
"Some people had crossed the checkpoint and one or two vehicles had moved ahead. We spoke with them, and they also agreed to return," Dobal said. He expressed hope that peace and harmony would continue.
Dehradun District Magistrate Ashish Chauhan said the issue was resolved peacefully. "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 said.
Officials said the group had started its journey from Mohali in Punjab.
Earlier, Superintendent of Police (Rural) Pankaj Gairola had said some protesters broke through the barricades and moved ahead, prompting police to step up efforts to maintain law and order.
Senior police and civil administration officials, including the SDM and tehsildar, reached the border to hold discussions. However, the first round of talks did not produce any agreement.
When police stopped the group at the border, a confrontation broke out. Several Nihangs, dressed in traditional blue robes and carrying swords, rods and other sharp-edged weapons, forced their way through the barricades.
The protesters had said they would not return to Punjab until four Nihang Sikhs arrested in connection with the Karnaprayag clash were released. The dispute began on June 16 when a minor argument between local residents and another group of Nihangs in Karnaprayag turned violent. Several locals and one Nihang Sikh were injured. Police later registered a case and arrested four Nihangs.
Some members of the Sikh community alleged that the police action was one-sided.
A representative of the group said they wanted to undertake the Hemkund Sahib pilgrimage peacefully. He demanded that the FIR against the four arrested Nihangs be withdrawn. He also said the group wanted to resolve the dispute through dialogue and did not want conflict between the people of the two states.
Before the talks, the group had maintained that it would stay in Uttarakhand until the arrested Nihangs were released. In a related development, around six Nihangs climbed onto the roof of the Nagrasu Gurdwara on the Badrinath Highway on June 20. They allegedly blocked access to the roof while demanding the release of the arrested Nihangs.
The standoff at the gurdwara ended peacefully on Tuesday after discussions between the local administration, the gurdwara management and visiting members of the Nihang community from Punjab.
On Wednesday, a five-member Nihang delegation met Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami and later held talks with the state's Director General of Police (DGP). They sought a speedy inquiry into the Karnaprayag incident.
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