In a moment charged with patriotism, resolve and devotion, the warrior saints of Punjab—the Nihangs have once again declared their unwavering commitment to the defence of Bharat. On May 10, while speaking to media Jathedar Balbir Singh, head of the Nihang organisations, gave a clarion call that, “The fauj of Guru Gobind Singh Ji—Nihangs are all ready. All Nihangs are eager to defend Punjab and Bharat. The Nihang army is ready for any sacrifice.”
Notably, the history is now repeating itself. From the Mughal onslaughts to the dark days of Partition, Punjab has always stood as Bharat’s first line of defence. The soil of Punjab has been drenched not only with sweat but also with the blood of martyrs.
Shaken by Operation Sindoor, under which the Indian Defence Forces targeted and destroyed nine terror camps across Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK) in retaliation for the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, Pakistan attempted to strike multiple military targets in Northern and Western India, including Amritsar, home to Sikhism’s sacred Golden Temple, on the intervening night of May 7 and 8.
In a statement on May 8, the Defence Ministry said, “On the night of 07–08 May 2025, Pakistan attempted to engage a number of military targets in Northern and Western India, including Awantipora, Srinagar, Jammu, Pathankot, Amritsar, Kapurthala, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Adampur, Bhatinda, Chandigarh, Nal, Phalodi, Uttarlai, and Bhuj, using drones and missiles. These were neutralised by the Integrated Counter-UAS Grid and Air Defence systems. Debris from these attacks is now being recovered from multiple locations, confirming Pakistani aggression.”
According to reports, at least two of the artillery rockets (and possibly some drones) intercepted yesterday were on a trajectory to hit the Golden Temple.
Not only that, on May 7, Pakistan launched a targeted attack on the Sikh community in Poonch, shelling a Gurdwara and several homes of Sikh residents, revealing the enemy’s intention to strike at the spiritual core of Indian society.
In another instance of cross-border violence, another Gurdwara was hit during Pakistan’s post-midnight shelling in a border village of Poonch, Jammu and Kashmir (J&K), on Friday (May 9). The unprovoked firing involved mortars and heavy-caliber artillery, causing damage to the boundary wall of the Dera Sant Pura Nangali Sahib Gurdwara.
These cowardly acts, meant to provoke unrest and demoralise the nation, have had the opposite effect. As in Chandigarh in an inspiring display of patriotism, thousands of residents gathered in response to a local call for civil defence volunteers, pledging themselves to protect the country shoulder to shoulder with the forces.
The atmosphere was charged with emotion, as chants of “Pakistan Murdabad” echoed through the air, not in anger alone, but with a solemn promise to stand by the nation during these uncertain times.
Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri has firmly condemned Pakistan’s actions, highlighting the targeting of Sikh communities and rejecting Pakistan’s false propaganda of Indian attacks on religious sites.
The resolve of the Nihangs as well as of residents of Chandigarh is not isolated, it is the pulse of the every Indian right now.
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