Rudraprayag (Uttarakhand) [India], June 23 : The four-day-long standoff at the Gurdwara in Nagarasu, located in Uttarakhand's Rudraprayag district, finally came to an end on Tuesday after successful negotiations between all parties involved.
The Nihang Sikhs, who had been stationed on the fourth floor and rooftop of the Gurdwara, came down following talks, bringing relief to the administration.
The Nihang Sikhs had been staying on the fourth floor and rooftop of the Nagarasu Gurdwara since June 20. During this period, police and administrative officials remained in constant contact with them, while efforts to resolve the situation through dialogue continued.
On Tuesday, a delegation of Nihang Sikh representatives from Punjab held discussions with the aggrieved Nihang Sikhs. After several rounds of talks, the atmosphere turned positive, and at around 2:30 pm, the Nihang Sikhs agreed to come down from the fourth floor.
Throughout the entire episode, teams from the police, administration, and security agencies remained deployed at the site. Extensive security arrangements had been put in place to prevent any untoward incident.
Following their decision to come down, the administration expressed relief and, under tight security, the Nihang Sikhs were escorted to their destination. With this, the four-day-long standoff ended peacefully.
Speaking on the resolution of the dispute, Giani Gurjeet Singh said a peaceful settlement was reached after intervention by religious leaders.
"Baba Harnam Singh Ji Khalsa, the head of Damdami Taksal, had specifically sent a group of five of us here to calm the situation that had deteriorated. We spoke cordially with the administration, and they coordinated very well. We reasoned amicably with the three to four individuals who had caused the commotion, and they are now being sent back to Punjab peacefully. I extend my heartfelt thanks to the Uttarakhand government and the local administration," he told ANI.
Giani Gurpreet Singh also confirmed that the matter had been resolved and normal activities would continue.
"The dispute is now fully resolved...The langar (community kitchen) will continue as before," he told ANI.
Baba Beant Singh, granthi of Gurdwara Nagrasu, said, "Whatever the issue was, it has been resolved today. Respected figures from Damdama Sahib, Punjab, arrived; everyone reasoned with the group and brought them down. They were treated with respect and sent back; they were not arrested, nor was there any physical altercation...The matter has now completely calmed down."
Furthermore, Uttarakhand Police confirmed that the matter was resolved through dialogue after mediation by a Punjab delegation.
Rudraprayag SP Niharika Tomar said, "At 3:40 PM, we received information regarding a dispute between the sevadars of the Gurudwara and some visiting Nihang Sikh pilgrims. Upon arriving at the scene and gathering details, we learned that some of the Nihang Sikh pilgrims had gone up to the Gurudwara's roof and blocked the access route. Our inquiries confirmed that the dispute was indeed between these two groups. The management committee, the administration, and the police were in constant dialogue with them."
She further said that a Punjab delegation arrived on Tuesday and mediated between the gurdwara management committee and the Nihang Sikh pilgrims, leading to a resolution of the dispute. She added that all pilgrims have now come down and police are collecting full details of the incident.
"Over the past two days, three Nihang pilgrims had come down; we obtained their details and gathered full information regarding the issue. Furthermore, a delegation from Punjab arrived today and mediated between the two parties--the Gurudwara management committee and the Nihang Sikh pilgrims--successfully resolving the dispute. All the Nihang Sikh pilgrims have now come down, and we are currently gathering full details about the matter," she said.
Tomar further said an inquiry has been initiated into the matter, and appropriate action will be taken based on the findings.
"We are investigating the nature of the dispute and the sequence of events, and a fair inquiry will be conducted. Appropriate action will be taken based on the facts that emerge," she added.