Dehradun : The standoff between Nihang Sikhs and the Uttarakhand administration at the Uttarakhand-Himachal Pradesh border ended on Thursday after several hours of talks. Most Nihang Sikhs left the area, and normal life slowly returned to Dehradun and nearby places. The first group reached the border after spending the day at Gurdwara Paonta Sahib in Himachal Pradesh.
Government officials held several rounds of talks with them and asked them to postpone their march. Heavy police forces were deployed, and barricades were set up to stop the group from entering Uttarakhand. As discussions continued, the situation gradually improved. Many Nihang Sikhs left in small groups and returned to Himachal Pradesh after roads leading to Dehradun, Rishikesh and Mussoorie were sealed. A few Nihangs stayed at Gurudwara Gobind Nagar Race Course in Dehradun, where more talks were held with government officials.
Singh said people from both sides had made statements, but the matter should not be seen as a conflict between Sikhs and the hill communities. He said all Nihang leaders agreed during the talks and assured the administration that they would return. He also praised the administration for helping resolve the situation but added that the government had made some mistakes in handling the issue.
A senior Uttarakhand Police officer told ANI that officials held several rounds of talks with the Nihangs at both the border and Gurdwara Paonta Sahib. While many agreed to stop the march, a group of around 15 to 20 people tried to cross through another barricaded route. The officer said police were closely monitoring the situation and warned that any attempt to break security arrangements would be dealt with strictly.
Drones were also used to monitor the area and maintain law and order. The current tension began because of two separate incidents that took place during the Hemkund Sahib pilgrimage. However, Uttarakhand Police have repeatedly said that the two incidents are not connected. The first incident happened on June 16 in Karnaprayag in Chamoli district.
They also questioned why police had not registered a cross FIR against local residents at the beginning. After Sikh organisations, including the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee, raised the issue, the Uttarakhand government ordered that the investigation should be supervised by the Haridwar Senior Superintendent of Police instead of Chamoli Police.
A few days later, another controversy took place at Nagrasu Gurdwara Langar Sahib in Rudraprayag district. According to the gurdwara management committee, a dispute over food arrangements and administrative issues became serious after police reached the gurdwara. The committee alleged that a group of Nihang Sikhs damaged property and then locked themselves inside the upper floors of the gurdwara.
Although the Karnaprayag clash and the Nagrasu Gurdwara standoff happened under different circumstances, many social media posts linked the two incidents and claimed they were part of a larger conflict involving Sikh pilgrims in Uttarakhand. Garhwal Range Inspector General Rajiv Swaroop rejected these claims. He said the two incidents were completely separate and there was no evidence connecting them.
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