“Awareness and interaction between India and Pakistan helped hatred to cool down”, Abdul Samad, one member of the parade party tells me, “and with that, former style and gesticulation of the parade also changed. It used to be very aggressive a couple of years ago. Now both governments realize that antagonism must calm down.”
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A NEIGHBOURLY SHOW…
OF PRIDE
AND PREJUDICE·
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by Umair Ghani
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Pakistani flags on our side and the Indians’ on their side flutter above a densely barbed wire. This wire fades into long distance forming an immense curve along the border that lies on both sides of Wahga. Visitors to the show are watchfully escorted to concrete pavilions where flag-lowering ceremony is about to begin. Foreign visitors are allotted front rows on either side of the metalled road. The Iron gates separating the border are also painted in Pakistan, India flags. These gates are tightly closed and guarded. Crowd roars . . .
Gradually swelling, the crowd chants slogans and dances on high-pitched patriotic songs. Young men and women carrying national flags run up and down the road. Moderate spectators stand high on multi tiered pavilions and wave gestures of friendship and goodwill to the people on the other side of the fence. Atmosphere is charged with powerful expressions of nationalism as all wait for final parade to begin, a commanding expression of national pride and rivalry between the two countries.
“Awareness and interaction between India and Pakistan helped hatred to cool down”, Abdul Samad, one member of the parade party tells me, “and with that, former style and gesticulation of the parade also changed. It used to be very aggressive a couple of years ago. Now both governments realize that antagonism must calm down.”
The Indian sentiments in Mridula Kapur’s article “Sundown Madness” narrate a slightly hostile account of this magnificent activity from the other side of the border, “…the striking feature of the occasion was not the smart drill, but the attempt to outdo each other in showing their anger and contempt against each other. Soldiers raised their boots to show the soles to others across the border, chests were puffed out and touched others’ when they came face to face, and feet were stamped so hard that the road must require weekly repairs!” Quite aggressive, one agrees, but if viewed in wake of pulling crowds for entertainment and a mere display of nationalism, it may not seem as intimidating as Kapur portrays it. Mridula further comments, “Ordinary men and women were turned into ferocious warriors wanting to rush to the defense of their respective countries. Faces flushed, the people behaved as if in a tantric trance. Each shout of command, louder than the previous, further enhanced the atmosphere of hatred.”
But despite this entire huffing and puffing, and banging boots for display of assertive gestures, the flames of anger and contempt have mostly been extinguished. Only fumes of smoldering aggression and national pride whirl in the charged atmosphere, forcing people of India and Pakistan to celebrate freedom in their very own distinctive way. And this signifies the gist of this regular activity at the border, as Esben Agersnap, a Danish writer quotes,” what makes this ceremony so special is the highly ritualized aggression displayed by the soldiers of both sides – with huge crowds cheering them on as both sides try to drown out the other side by playing loud patriotic pro-Pakistani or pro-Hindustani songs! Here the soldiers have just begun pulling down their respective flags.”
Lowering down flags at borders is a military routine, and why not in style when you have so much to show the world. Soldiers gracefully attired, in black and khaki, wear rich colored turbans above their heads and broad chests laden with silver and bronze medallions. Throwing ropes high in the air, saluting their respective flags, and as the sun goes down in the west; they wrap fluttering flags in grand manner. Holding in up next to their hearts, they bring it back to their posts and the ceremony comes to end. People on both sides rush to the iron gates and greet each other by blowing kisses in the air. Yet Mirdula Kapur remains skeptic about this daily ritual at the border, “Finally it was over. The crowd fell silent, drained of energy. What it left behind in the minds was sure to last a long time. What was the purpose of the entire proceeding? It bred nothing but intolerance between two neighbors who could surely do without more animosity. Artificial borders separate two peoples who have been brothers till recently and daily events like these are only helping those wanting the relations to remain sour.”
Sweet or sour, the impression it leaves behind is sure to last long, with a flare of national pride and awareness that we must guard our freedom at every cost, while also showing respect to the sovereignty of our neighbor.
Photo credit: Asif Ayaz
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Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are the sole responsibility of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the ‘Wonders of Pakistan’. The contents of this article too are the sole responsibility of the author(s). WoP will not be responsible or liable for any inaccurate or incorrect statements contained in this post.
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Wonders of Pakistan 
I have been to watch the ceremony and do agree that the raw energy and aggression that goes into it could actually be replaced by the natural grace, discipline and precision that otherwise characterise parades by the armed forces of any country and not just India or Pakistan. I, for one, would enjoy watching the ceremony even more, if that were to happen. 🙂
Well Siddu Ji,
I have been wondering about the very reason for holding this ceremony at all and what I could find is that perhaps it stems from the very psyche of Punjabis, to show each other that weeee… are part of the Charhdi kla’. But in any case these shows do depict a sense of rivalry and this rivalry I believe should be translated into a rivalry between two competitors striving to achieve an objective, two teams playing a friendly match. One team loses and other wins. Such games need to be played between India and Pakistan instead of brutal wars. Wars have never brought any solution.
History tells us that in such wars mostly the warring parties too, after loosing so many lives, property and habitat, ultimately come around a negotiating table. So instead of fighting wars, both countries should compete each other in productivity, compete in values and compete in every arena possible but just compete, no war.
This subcontinent had enough of wars but now it needs peace and I personally believe both neighbours should enter an era of piece and this Wahga border too be declared border of peace, however show must go on (lahoo garm rakhne ka hae ik bahana).
P.S. I however, do not agree what Mridula Kapur says. We want to be friends of India but not at the cost of doing away with our Pakistaniat.
I agree that there should be no wars and that both countries should concentrate on improving the lot of their common citizenry, so that there can be peace and prosperity all around. 🙂
I hope a day will come when we can travel to each other’s places, to meet up, without any visa restrictions and would have to carry no documents other than, perhaps, a photo-identification like a driving licence.
I am not sure where this rivalry will end.
I also once witnessed the ceremony at Wagha. This bizarre event needs to be replaced by an exchange of olive twig between the border officials of both India and Pakistan. Such gesture would definitely augur well for peace between the two. The vale of Kashmir is a heavenly paradise; let it be a paradise to be shared by all, Indians, Pakistanis and the Kashmiris.
War is not the solution. Cooperation between the two neighbours would definitely lead to peace and prosperity in the region thus reviving the glorious ancient civilizations which prospered once in the subcontinent.
On April 21, 2011 at 9:55 pm Dr. A. K. Tewari said: |Edit This
Mazhab hai agar Noori, hai mazhab-e- Insaani
Hindu na Muslaman hai,
Hai Sikh, na Isaai,
Sabhi tau hain asl main
. …Noori hi Noori
Because God is himself a noor or light and hence all of us are but a reflection of that light
Mazhab hai agar Noori, hai mazhab-e- Insaani
Hindu na Muslaman hai,
Hai Sikh na Isaai,
Sabhi tau hain asl main
. …Noori hi Noori
………….ANIL