Singhu border lynching: Who are Nihang Sikh warriors?

Hours after 35-year-old Lakhbir Singh from Punjab's Taran Taran district was lynched in a horrific incident, a man wearing the blue robes of the Sikhs’ Nihang warrior, appeared before the media, claiming that he had “punished” the victim for “desecrating” a holy book.

Singh's hand was chopped off and his body bore over 10 wounds caused by sharp-edged weapons tied to a barricade at a farmers' protest site at Kundli near the Delhi-Haryana border.

In a video clip that has gone viral on social media platforms, some Nihangs are seen standing as Singh lies on the ground in a pool of blood with his chopped off left hand lying next to him. The Nihangs are also heard saying the man has been punished for desecrating a holy book of the Sikhs.

A look at the Nihang Sikh warriors

Dressed in blue robes and decorated turbans, Nihangs, said to be an order of Sikh “warrior”, are often seen carrying spears and swords. They have been revered by Sikhs for their piety and bravery since their order was founded in the 17th century by the last Sikh Guru to defend the religion, which began around 1500.

They played an important role in Punjab for over a century, including defeating Mughals and Afghan kings. British colonialists dissolved the Sikh empire in the mid-19th century and the Nihangs were reduced to ceremonial roles.

Also read: Nihang Sikh member surrenders, admits to killing man

Earlier in March, they were in the spotlight, after pictures and videos emerged of them brandishing swords and spears at policemen at Delhi's Red Fort.

The order seems to have its roots in the Sanskrit word ‘nihshank’, which loosely means courageous, unblemished, pure, and carefree, a Sikh historian told Indian Express. According to him, the origin of the order can be traced back to Guru Gobind Singh’s Khalsa in 1699 or his son Fateh Singh, who lived from 1699 to 1705.

However, sociology professor Paramjit Singh Judge told The Print that there are several theories about the origin of the Nihangs, including the one about their having been a part of the Akaal Sena and later Khalsa Fauj. "There is no concrete historical evidence of the origin of the Nihangs,” he said.

Farmers dissociate agitation from lynching incident

Farmers' leader Yogendra Yadav in a video message tried to dissociate the farmers' protest from the incident. "The leaders of SKM had earlier appealed the Nihangs that they had nothing to do with farmers protest and they should leave because it was not a religious agitation," Yadav said condemning the incident.

Around 15 Dalit outfits have submitted a memorandum to the National Commission for Scheduled Caste demanding stringent action against those who killed Lakhbir Singh. A court on Saturday remanded the accused Sarabjit Singh in police custody for seven days, with the accused pointing to the involvement of a few more people in the gruesome killing.

The farmers' protest site is located close to the Delhi-Haryana border at Singhu. The farmers have been protesting against three agriculture laws of the Centre at the site for over 10 months.

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(With agency inputs)