Nihung Singh-Punjab Police officer clash: Breakdown & Reaction

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A group of Nihung Singhs (warrior branch of the Sikh nation) were involved in a clash with police officers during an attempt to carry out Langar Seva (communal kitchen selfless service), resulting in one officer losing a hand.

The incident took place on April 12 by a vegetable market in Patiala and was caught on video. It has made international news and caused much commotion on social media, resulting in thousands of reactions and opinions being shared on the incident and the history of Nihung Sikhs, as well as the Punjab police.

According to Sikh PA sources, the Nihung Singhs (Sikh men) were at Sabzi Mandi vegetable market buying produce to prepare and serve Langar, when they were stopped by a group of police officers. One of the Nihung Singhs was allegedly in possession of a government permit, exempting the group from the rules of the current Coronavirus lockdown.

The officers accused the Nihung Singhs of taking their groceries to sell on at a profit. They barricaded the road that led out of the market. The Nihung Singhs ignored the accusations of the police and returned to their vehicle and attempted to drive away when the officers began smashing up the vehicle using their batons.

Upon being attacked, a few of the Nihung Singhs exited the vehicle and fought back. One drew his Kirpan (Sikh sword and article of faith) and chopped off the hand of one officer, ASI Harjeet Singh, with one stroke. The police officer was taken to hospital, where he had his hand reattached after a seven-hour surgery.

The Nihung Singhs then retreated to a nearby Gurdwara, where the police found them and shot one of the group. At least 11 people, including women related to the accused, have been arrested since in relation to the incident. It is unclear why family have been arrested, although many feel this is typical of the vengeful gangster-like behaviour of the Punjab Police.

During the current coronavirus pandemic, the Indian Government has enforced a nationwide lockdown. People are being told to remain at home to stop the spread of the virus, unless there is an emergency. Thousands who rely on a daily wage have lost their livelihood and currently have no income and as a result, they are reliant on Langar for their daily meals. India’s police forces have been criticised for a heavy handed approach to the lockdown, with many complaints about police using it for abuses of power.

Reactions to the incident were divided. Some argued that the Nihung Singhs should have complied with the police, whereas others pointed out Punjab Police’s history of brutality and corruption.

Baba Balbir Singh Ji, head of one faction of Buddha Dal condemned the Nihung Singhs, a call that was echoed by another Nihung Singh leader, Tarna Dal Jathedar Baba Nihal Singh Ji.

However, others have defended the Nihung Singhs, saying that the sovereign nature of the group (applicable to all Sikhs but especially Nihungs) and their warrior ideals, which India law recognises hence allowing them to carry a range of weapons, meant the police decision to attack them led to the inevitable retaliation.

As a result of the subsequent arrests, the Indian government’s laws over freedom of speech have once again been called into question, as three people – including one journalist – have been arrested for defending the acts of the Nihung Singhs on social media, and questioning the narratives put forward by the mainstream media. Reports have even suggested people have been arrested for Facebook posts on the incident which were deemed to be anti-police. When presented in court, the Singhs were presented in a humiliating way for Sikhs, as noted by human rights and aid charity Sikh Relief.

Nihung Singhs are considered to be the traditional warriors of the Sikh faith, and trace their history back to the time of the sixth Sikh Guru, Sri Guru HarGobind Sahib Ji. They claim a status that is exempt from Government rule, as the Sikh Guru made the Khalsa (the initiated Sikh armed order) a sovereign entity.

Langar refers to the centuries-long tradition in Punjab of preparing, serving and consuming food together with others, while performing devotional worship. Langar is available to everybody, even if they have no money, and is a service offered at all Gurdwaras worldwide. The practice of serving langar is entwined with rights for religious freedom, evident from the fact Sikhs are willing to put themselves at risk to carry out this seva and have even given their lives to do so.

The police in Punjab have history of corruption and brutality that is known all over the world. Hundreds of Punjab’s police officers have recently been imprisoned for killing innocent civilians in the fake encounters of the 1980s and 1990s, and many are still facing trials for crimes committed up to three decades ago, something regularly documented by groups like Punjab Disappeared and Ensaaf.

A Sikh activist in Canada has attempted to attract the attention of the UN in a video explaining why there may be adverse reaction to Punjab Police’s enforcement of the lockdown, whilst also calling for the release of the daughter-in-law/daughter of one of the accused, who was arrested for unknown reasons.

Anti-Sikh attitudes of Punjab’s police have been on display at the very top of the organisation. Earlier this year, the director-general of Punjab Police Dinkar Gupta came under fire for suggesting that patrons of Kartarpur Sahib are inclined to become terrorists. Gupta was quoted as saying that the Kartarpur Corridor “offers a potential that you send somebody in the morning as an ordinary chap and by the evening he comes back as a trained terrorist”. Gupta has since apologised for the remark.

Even as recently as just a few days ago, many people condemned the violent treatment by police of members of the public breaching curfew, when videos went viral on social media of officers beating civilians with sticks when out in public. It is clear that Punjab’s police forces still have a lot to do in order to rebuild trust in the eyes of the international community.

The case against the Nihung Singhs continues. As it does, local media have accused Punjab of enforcing a crackdown following the incident which has included the arrest of media figures that are highlighting the history and current actions of the Punjab Police which has led to distrust and animosity towards them.

Sikh PA will be providing updates on this situation as they come in.

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