The Nihangs

What is a Nihang? Nihangs are the traditional remnants of the holy militia of Guru Gobind Singh (1666-1707) who dress in their ancient dark-blue uniforms and carry their traditional arms, mainly a spear, a sword and a quoits as emblems of their inner dedication to the Sikh religion. For the last three centuries, they have lived a semi-monastic dedicated life, in this style, even under the British rule and they lead peaceful and disciplined lives.

Even during the Sikh hegemony and sovereignty in the north of India, they were never known to have committed an act of unprovoked violence or wanton killing. Their spirit of public-service, their deathless daring and matchless bravery in battle, has invariably won unqualified praise and approbation from friends and foes, in the past. Nihangs are not outlandish outlaws and anti-social desperados, as a section of the Urdu & Hindi Jullundur Press paints them.

Amongst those killed on the 13th April, 1978 at Amritsar, there was found not a single nihang, unless every citizen who does not keep a shingled and bared head, wears dark coloured dust-concealing Indian garb, does not wear a loose dhoti, nor shaves his beard, is to be castigated as a nihang and condemned as a potential criminal in our free India. Who are these killers of the Sikhs, almost reverently referred to as nirankaris, the 'worshippers of the formless God', is, however, another story.