Ceremony that brings Pakistan and India;historical enemies together

By Shamlal Puri
India and Pakistan have historically been political enemies. Yet, out of this discord comes a carefully choreographed ceremony at Wagha, the boundary between the two nations.

 Athe sun sets over Punjab in northern India, hundreds of excited men, women and children head for the border town of Attari, 30 kilometres from Amritsar, the ancestral home of hundreds of East African residents.

This is not a daily exodus of Indians into Pakistan; they are about to witness a unique sunset flag lowering ceremony. The event has been taking place daily since 1959 at the boundary between the two countries.

To the Indians, the road crossing to Pakistan is Attari. But its Pakistani name, Wagha, is more popular globally. The crossing lies on the Grand Trunk Road connecting the two neighbours.

Wagha Village was divided during the 1947 partition: The eastern half is in India, while the western half is in Pakistan.

Prime Positions

The Wagha border, which is 27 kilometres from Lahore, is often called the ‘Berlin Wall of Asia’. Many East African Asians trace their ancestry to Lahore.

Visitors from Pakistan see a sign saying “India, The Largest Democracy in the World, Welcomes You.”

There is a ramshackle Indian Customs booth and a Confiscated Goods Warehouse at the border. Trespassers are warned to stay away.

I enter the large brown concrete entrance encrypted with the words Swarn Jayanti Dwar, and adorned with a large portrait of a smiling Mahatma Gandhi looking across the border into Pakistan.

I am let into the viewing stands on the Indian side. More than 6,000 local and foreign tourists are jostling for prime positions in the stands, which are full to capacity. School children are waving small Indian flags, singing and dancing.

I stand close to a heavy metal gate looking into Pakistan. The gates dividing the two nations are a couple of metres apart.

Looking down at the Indians from the huge white concrete entrance into Pakistan is a portrait of Mohamed Ali Jinnah, the country’s founding father. Around 1,000 Pakistanis are joyously waving their national flag.

Indians are doling out patriotic slogans, reciprocated by Pakistanis across the border.

A Pakistani official says sardonically within earshot, “These days, there are fewer Indians attending this ceremony. Is that all they could attract from their population of 1.2 billion? We have a smaller population and yet we have mustered so many here.”

I look at the seating areas on the Pakistan side — a third of which are empty — and draw my own conclusions.

Dividing Line

A white line runs across the road up to the heavy metal gates, which are set two metres apart, indicating no-man’s land.

High-ranking military officers in full regalia stand on their respective sides. Diplomacy is in full swing as the border gates on both sides open briefly. The officers salute each other, then the gates are shut.

Six burly men from the Indian Border Security Guards dressed in their finery — olive and khaki uniforms, colourful red peacock-style headgear and white elbow-length gloves — get ready for the parade.

A voice on the loudspeakers instills patriotism in the Indians. The multitude of excited voices reverberates into the sky. Not to be outdone, the Pakistanis also launch their own outburst of slogans.

On their side, Pakistani Sutlej Rangers, in their dark green uniforms and turbans, get into position for their drill.

The military parade starts at 4.30pm.

One infantryman stands at attention on each side. Border guards on both sides display their synchronised marching in twos, and a friendly competition ensues, with each side trying to outdo the other with their high stepping and foot stomping.

There is fist clenching, foot thumping, finger wagging and taunts couched in military jargon. They salute the top officers on their side.

Military commands are bellowed continuously as guards march towards the gates. The energy levels are amazing.

Soldiers from both sides march to the white lines on their sides, as the gates remain shut.

Once the military parade is over, the entrances are opened. A wild cheer emanates from both sides of the border.

Fierce Looks

The guards marched up to the white line in their own land, making sure no one strays into the other’s territory. As they face one another across the border, their fists are clenched and their feet stamping hard, followed by high-kicks and a belligerent eye-ball-to-eyeball confrontation. The crowds cheer every warlike strut and goose-step.

Two soldiers approach each other, exchange fierce looks and give mimicked threats. Then they smile, shake hands and simultaneously begin to lower the Indian and Pakistani flags fixed on high poles at the gates.

The noise in the open-air theatre is transformed into pin drop silence as hushed spectators look on in awe.

Additional military manoeuvres take place until they are simultaneously lowered and retrieved. Finally, the gates between the two countries are slammed shut until the following morning.