By Shishir Prashant 
PrashantNews
A group Nihangs on Tuesday left Nagrasu Gurdwara on their motorcycles in Uttarakhand’s Rudraprayag district putting an end to the 4-days long standoff.
The breakthrough came after a delegation of the Sikh community from Punjab and Paonta Sahib arrived at the Gurdwara and initiated discussions with Nihangs. Following hours-long negotiations, the remaining Nihang pilgrims descended from the gurdwara rooftop and peacefully departed for their respective destinations, an official statement said.
The standoff began on Saturday after 6-7 Nihangs entered the Gurdwara and demanded the release of their four associates who had been arrested at Karanprayag following a brawl with local people recently.
While the standoff ended peacefully, officials did not clarify whether any action would be taken against the Nihang over the incident and what will happen to their demands if any.
According to officials, Nihangs had entered into a heated argument with Gurdwara officials and later moved to the rooftop of the gurdwara building blocking its passage. Following the incident, district and police authorities maintained a close watch on the situation and took necessary measures to prevent any untoward incident.
Rudraprayag District Magistrate Vishal Mishra said the administration had been continuously monitoring the situation since the standoff began and had coordinated with all stakeholders to ensure a peaceful resolution. He said the administrative and police teams remained deployed in the area to maintain law and order and ensure the uninterrupted movement of pilgrims undertaking the Char Dham and Hemkund Sahib pilgrimages.
Mishra said a detailed inquiry report is being prepared to assess the circumstances and causes of the dispute in a fair and impartial manner. He reiterated that the administration’s primary objective is to ensure the smooth and peaceful conduct of both the Hemkund Sahib Yatra and the Char Dham Yatra.
Superintendent of Police Niharika Tomar said police officials had remained in constant communication with the Nihang pilgrims. While some pilgrims had already come down over the past two days, the remaining group agreed to leave peacefully after mediation by the Sikh leaders from Punjab.
Baba Gaggar who was the chief negotiator said the issue was resolved through cordial discussions and appreciated the cooperation extended by the administration and police.
Officials have urged the people to rely only on verified information and avoid spreading rumours, while maintaining communal harmony and religious goodwill.
The efforts of all concerned parties must be appreciated for peaceful end of a misunderstanding. This incident could have been escalated into a violent turmoil. But thanks to fruitful negotiations by police, civil administration and Nihangs. With increasing traffic in hills due to pilmgrims going to chardham yatra and Hemkunth sahib, local peoples are disturbed. But this period also improves economy of all the cities and villages enroute. Both pilgrims and local people should show solidarity for a common cause.
Indians are peace loving people and they want harmonious relations.