Swords Not For Offensive Purposes Hemkund Sahib Trust Chairperson After Clash

Following a violent clash over a parking dispute in Chamoli district’s Karnaprayag town that left five people injured on Tuesday, the Hemkund Sahib Management Trust has underlined that the kirpans or swords carried by pilgrims are not meant for offensive purposes.

“The kirpan symbolises a Sikh’s duty to defend the weak, protect those facing oppression, and uphold righteousness,” Hemkund Sahib Management Trust chairperson NS Bindra said on Wednesday. His appeal to maintain the sanctity of the pilgrimage came after a clash erupted on Tuesday between local residents and pilgrims returning from the Hemkund Sahib shrine.

While acknowledging constitutional protections, Bindra urged devotees to exercise restraint. “Tuesday’s incident was unfortunate. Though the Constitution guarantees the right to carry a kirpan as an integral part of the profession and practice of the Sikh faith, we have appealed to young pilgrims undertaking the Hemkund Sahib yatra not to carry swords unnecessarily,” he said.

Bindra said the management has repeatedly urged devotees to keep the pilgrimage peaceful and not take the law into their own hands, even if provoked.

“If anyone faces any issue or objectionable behaviour, they should report it to the police rather than resorting to violence,” he said.

“Uttarakhand is Devbhoomi, and its atmosphere should reflect that. A religious pilgrimage should remain peaceful,” he said, underlining that such incidents should not escalate into a locals-versus-outsiders debate.

“Tuesday’s incident was unfortunate. Though the Constitution guarantees the right to carry a kirpan as an integral part of the profession and practice of the Sikh faith, we have appealed to the young Sikh pilgrims undertaking the Hemkund Sahib pilgrimage not to unnecessarily carry swords,” he said.

Bindra added that members of Nihang Sikh organisations are issued certificates by their respective groups certifying their affiliation and authorising them to carry a sword as part of their religious identity and tradition.

On Tuesday, a dispute over parking outside a hotel near the taxi stand in Karnaprayag escalated into violence when Sikh pilgrims returning from Hemkund Sahib attacked some locals with swords.

Five people, including a pilgrim, sustained injuries in the incident.

One of the injured was airlifted to a private hospital in Dehradun for treatment. The injured were identified as Prakash Rawat (26), Sudarshan Kandari (55), Gajpal Singh (50) and Harendra Singh (42), all residents of Karnaprayag, and Manpreet Singh (21), a resident of Mohali in Punjab.

Following the incident, angry residents and hotel owners blocked the Rishikesh-Badrinath highway for nearly four hours.

District magistrate Chamoli Gaurav Kumar and superintendent of police (SP) Surjit Singh Panwar assured protesters that strict action would be taken against the guilty.

Local residents also submitted a memorandum to the district administration seeking a ban on carrying sharp-edged weapons during the pilgrimage.

The police arrested four accused pilgrims in connection with the incident.

The Hemkund Sahib yatra began on May 23 this year.

Located in the Garhwal Himalayas at an altitude of about 4,632 metres (15,200 feet), Hemkund Sahib is a revered Sikh pilgrimage site surrounded by snow-clad peaks and a pristine glacial lake. It holds immense spiritual significance as the place where the tenth Sikh Guru, Guru Gobind Singh, is believed to have meditated in a previous life, as mentioned in the Bachittar Natak.