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Punjab, Himachal govts step in to tide over tensions caused by recent tiffs

As alleged Khalistan symbols, entry fee for two-wheelers, attacks on buses provoke attacks, state govts take swift action

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Kumar Sukhu spoke to his Punjab counterpart Bhagwant Mann last week and promised action against the miscreants involved in vandalising the buses carrying alleged pro-Khalistan remarks.

Leaders belonging to Punjab and Himachal Pradesh are trying to ensure that recent skirmishes involving residents of the two bordering states do not escalate, rousing latent tensions on both sides arising from their division.

The first such incident happened on March 10 when a few motorcyclists from Punjab got into an argument with local residents in the Bhunter area of Manali over entry fee for two-wheelers. Then, a video went viral of motorcyclists from Punjab driving rashly at Rambagh chowk of Manali.

On March 12, a Manali resident, Aman Sood, got into an argument with some motorcyclists from Punjab for sporting flags with “pictures of Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale” on their vehicles. The motorcyclists countered that the flags they had put on their two-wheelers had the Nishan Sahib and were not “Khalistani”.

Six days later, a Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) bus came under attack in Kharar in Punjab, with two people arrested. Soon after, four Himachal Pradesh buses parked at the Amritsar bus stand were vandalised and posters of Bhindranwale were pasted on many of them.

Himachal announced a halt on HRTC buses on 20 routes in Punjab. It also said that HRTC buses would not do night stay in Punjab.

Mohinder Chawla, a member of the Kullu Gurdwara Management Committee, regretted the incidents “promoted by a handful of miscreants” and stressed that the two states had managed to put these behind. Talking about the peace committee meetings held in Kullu and Manali to cool matters, Chawla said: “By and large, everyone in Punjab and Himachal Pradesh wants peace… We are sure that calm will be maintained now.”

While Himachal has a Congress government and the ruling party in Punjab is the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), both have met each other half-way to bring down tempers. Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Kumar Sukhu spoke to his Punjab counterpart Bhagwant Mann last week and promised action against the miscreants involved in vandalising the buses carrying alleged pro-Khalistan remarks. The Punjab government, for its part, took swift action to nab the culprits in Kharar, within 24 hours of the first bus damage incident.

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Though BJP leaders in Himachal attacked Sukhu over the issue, in Punjab, the party that is trying to emerge as a “pro-Hindu” alternative to the Congress is also trying to ensure that matters don’t blow up.

Vineet Joshi, the Punjab BJP’s media advisor, said, “The task that should have been done by the Punjab and Himachal governments has been undertaken by Nihang Baba Harjit Singh Rasulpur. He met with Aman Sood and spoke with him.”

Part of the larger Punjab province before Independence, Himachal was first announced as a Union Territory in April 1948, and later as a full-fledged state on January 25, 1971. Punjabi is the predominant language in parts of Una, Hamirpur and Bilaspur in Himachal, while residents of the two states frequent each other for work.

Himachal also remains the closest popular tourist destination for Punjab, and visitors from the latter form a bulk of Himachal’s tourists. Among the popular destinations is the historical Manikaran Sahib Gurdwara along with Baru Sahib and Poanta Sahib gurdwaras. In 2023, when floods hit Himachal, gurdwaras across the state opened their doors to stranded tourists, with Manikaran housing several of them for days together.

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But, some disputes between the two states since their division continue to linger. Punjab owns a 110 MW hydropower plant in Joginder Nagar, Mandi district, and Himachal has been seeking its transfer to the state. Himachal has also been demanding greater control of the Bhakra Beas Management Board, which manages Bhakra-Nangal and Beas river projects, claiming it gets limited benefits out of them. The tax imposed on entry of vehicles into Himachal also creates conflicts, like seen recently.

A member of the Kullu gurdwara management committee, who did not want to be identified, said: “Himachal Pradesh thrives on tourism and we live in harmony here… We have tried to clear the confusion among locals about the flags on motorcycles, telling them they depicted only the Nishan Sahib. Tourist season is on now, and we hope peace prevails.”

While also calling for harmony between Punjab and Himachal, Akal Takht Jathedar Kuldeep Singh Gargaj condemned the tearing of alleged Khalistani flags, asking the SGPC and Himachal government to address these incidents.

Akali Dal spokesperson Daljeet Singh Cheema blamed the incidents in Himachal on “a sustained misinformation and hatred campaign against the Sikh community by anti-social elements and agencies”. “Their sole aim is to disturb peace and communal harmony for ulterior political motives.”