High drama and tension prevailed at the Himachal Pradesh-Uttarakhand border on Thursday night after a large group of Nihang Sikhs clashed with the police, pushed through security barricades at the Kulhal checkpoint in Vikasnagar area here, and proceeded towards Hemkund Sahib.
Visuals from the spot showed the entire Kulhal-Vikasnagar border resembling a virtual fortress, with a heavy deployment of police personnel in riot gear standing behind multi-layered metal barricades.
Police deployment had been made in advance following an announcement by Nihang groups to march towards the state amid simmering tensions linked to a recent dispute at the Karnaprayag and Nagrasu gurdwaras.
The group is said to have set out from Punjab’s Mohali. To prevent their entry, the Uttarakhand administration converted the entire Kulhal outpost area into a heavily fortified police zone.
Superintendent of Police (Rural) Pankaj Gairola told PTI that a section of the protesters breached the barricades and moved forward. “We are trying to maintain the law and order situation," Gairola said.
District administration and police officials, including the local SDM and Tehsildar, reached the spot to hold talks with the group. However, the discussions failed to yield result.
When intercepted at the Kulhal 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 and advance.
The protesters declared they would not return to Punjab until four Nihang members arrested in connection with the Karnaprayag incident were released.
Speaking to reporters at the spot, a representative of the group said that they wanted to undertake their pilgrimage peacefully while reciting prayers.
“We intend to resolve the dispute with locals through a compromise rather than conflict," he added, claiming that police officers assured them that bail for the detained individuals would be processed within a few days.
The group maintained they would remain in Uttarakhand until their members were released to accompany them back to Punjab.
On June 16 in Karnaprayag, a minor dispute between residents and another set of Nihangs escalated into violence. The Nihangs allegedly brandished swords, injuring a few locals, while one Nihang Sikh was also hurt.
Following the clash, police registered a case and arrested four Nihangs. A section of the Sikh community accused the administration of “one-sided" action.
