The nearly 72-hour standoff between a group of Nihang Sikhs camped atop a gurdwara in Nagrasu of Rudraprayag district and the district administration ended on Tuesday after the four remaining members of the group vacated the premises and left for Punjab, officials said. The development came after a jatha (delegation) of Nihang Sikhs from Punjab reached the gurdwara and persuaded them to come down.
“The administration and the police were engaged in a dialogue with them to resolve the situation peacefully, and to ensure that the Char Dham and Hemkund Sahib Yatras were not affected,” said district magistrate Vishal Mishra. He appealed to people not to pay heed to rumours and to maintain communal harmony.
Rudraprayag superintendent of police Neeharika Tomar claimed that the Nagrasu incident was unrelated to the Karnaprayag clash. “The gurdwara was not under any kind of occupation, and religious activities, including ardas and langar, continued smoothly throughout the period at the gurdwara,” she said.
“Over the last two days, three Nihangs had come down safely, and today, a visiting delegation from Punjab mediated a final resolution. The matter would be investigated,” SP Tomar said.
Videos circulating on social media showed Nihangs leaving the Nagarasu gurdwara premises on their motorcycles, with police personnel facilitating their orderly exit.
Around half a dozen Nihangs, armed with swords and spears, had stormed the Nagarasu gurdwara, situated between Rudraprayag and Gauchar on the Badrinath highway, on the evening of June 20. They climbed onto the roof and blocked the entrance to the terrace. According to officials, the dispute began when a group of Nihangs demanded accommodation for upcoming demonstrations, which the gurdwara management could not fully provide due to limited capacity. The situation escalated into an altercation, following which the group occupied the higher floors. During the confrontation, the Nihangs climbed onto the roof and the topmost floor of the gurdwara. Despite the administration’s appeals, they refused to vacate the premises.
Gurdwara manager Sardar Beant Singh claimed on Sunday that the Nihangs held a person hostage for some time before releasing him.
Speaking to the media after the breakthrough, Baba Gargaj Singh, a member of the five-member Punjab delegation which included representatives from Takht Sri Damdama Sahib, Jalandhar, and Sri Anandpur Sahib, said, “These youths acted out of an aggressive mindset. They are our children. We used dialogue to resolve the matter, after which they relented, sought blessings and left.” He emphasised that weapons in the Sikh tradition are meant strictly for self-defence and protecting the weak, not for intimidation.
Gurdwara manager Sardar Beant Singh said the management requested authorities not to press criminal charges or detain the protesting youths.
The standoff followed an earlier incident on June 16 in Karnaprayag, where a minor dispute between local residents and another set of Nihangs escalated into violence, resulting in the arrest of four Nihangs.
Probe underway into Karnaprayag clash: Dhami
Uttarakhand chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said an impartial probe was underway into the June 16 clash between locals and Nihang Sikh pilgrims in Karnaprayag of Chamoli district. “Action has already been taken against those found responsible during the investigation and strict action will continue based on the facts that emerge,” he said.
He also said strict action would be taken against those spreading misleading information on social media and attempting to divide society.
Meanwhile, a delegation of the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) met chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami and sought action against Chamoli police personnel, accusing them of taking “one-sided action”. DSGMC president Harmeet Singh Kalka said the CM assured the delegation of an impartial probe while informing that the investigation was transferred to Haridwar district.
