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Sukhbir Badal attacked by Nihangs at Nanded gurdwara; second attack

Sukhbir Badal attacked by Nihangs at Nanded gurdwara; second attack
Sukhbir Badal attacked: Who are the Nihang Sikhs of Punjab? · indianexpress.com

A very important Sikh leader in India, Sukhbir Singh Badal, was attacked by a group of people at a Sikh holy place called a gurdwara.

The attackers are called Nihang Sikhs, a special group of Sikh warriors who wear blue clothes and carry old-fashioned weapons like swords.

The police caught the people who attacked him.

This was not the first time he was attacked — the same group targeted him in December 2024 at the Golden Temple in Amritsar.

Nihang Sikhs have existed for hundreds of years, since the time of Guru Gobind Singh, who created the Khalsa in 1699.

They are known for being very brave and for always being ready to fight.

There are many different groups of Nihangs in Punjab, so nobody knows exactly how many there are.

People can become Nihangs if they follow Sikh traditions, such as keeping their hair long and praying every day.

Key facts

Person attacked
Sukhbir Singh Badal, former Deputy CM of Punjab
Attackers
Four Nihangs, one wielding a weapon
Location
Gurdwara Mata Sahib, Nanded, Maharashtra
Status of attackers
Taken into custody
Previous attack
December 2024 at the Golden Temple, Amritsar
MP present
Harsimrat Kaur Badal
Nihang order origin
Tracing to the Khalsa's creation by Guru Gobind Singh in 1699
Main Nihang factions
Baba Budha Dal, Tarna Dal, Baba Bidhi Chand Dal

Quotes

Dr Balwant Singh Dhillon

Sikh historian

“Etymologically the word nihang in Persian means an alligator, sword and pen, but the characteristics of Nihangs seem to stem more from the Sanskrit word nihshank which means without fear, unblemished, pure, carefree and indifferent to worldly gains and comfort.”
indianexpress.com
“Any person irrespective of caste, creed or religion can be included provided he has unshorn hair as per the Sikh traditions at the time of entering the sect.”
indianexpress.com

Sources

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