BSF women constables at Wagah Border

I recently came across a discussion board on a website where the subject of discussion was the ceremonial lowering of guard at the International Border in Wagah.The panelists were thrashing the ceremony as a mindless and jingoistic dramatisation of the animosity between the two nations and not in line with the peace overtures that are sought between the two nations.In trying to sound as strategic analysts i was getting convinced that these guys had never been to Wagah at sunset.

A couple of kilometres from the IB one can see the hundreds of Punjab registered trucks lined up on both sides of the highways carrying potatoes,onions,foodgrain and fruit waiting to clear their customs formalities and crossover to deliver essential commodities into Pakistan.As you near the gate partly cleared paddy fields  make make-shift car parking and snack stalls for the swarming crowd of tourists who come to witness this 30 minute celebration of nationalism.

Entry is free and the best spots are for the ones who can race to it, so the crowd gathers up at the gates and enthusiatically run to the seating gallery to catch a good spot.Within minutes the seating gallery which accomodates about 10-15000 people is filled with a separate enclosure for women.Both enclosures are always filled up to the brim.Speakers mounted on top of the BSF quarter guard belt out new-age hit patriotic songs from bollywood with the most rousing participation for "Chak De India".Only women are allowed to dance to these numbers on the International Highway and an impromptu party begins just a few metres away from no-man's land.The girls and women from as far as Kerala or Bengal join up to shake their leg while the rest of the crowd cheers them and sings along. A BSF cheerleader brings an Indian flag and girls in pairs wait in turn to run with the tricolour to the gate.The cheerleader also lays out the rules for cheering which strictly forbids anything against Pakistan.

Meanwhile on the other-side of the gate the subdued people of a rogue nation slowly trickle in to their gallery. A less than enthusiastic crowd with sparse concentrations of black burqa clad women in between is in stark contrast to the colourful and robust-spirited women on the Indian side.A Pakistan Rangers cheerleader desperately tries to whip up the crowd but their cries are drowned by the rousing cheers of the crowd on the Indian side.

To the credit of the people on both the sides and the control by the BSF as well the Rangers the crowd settles down as the retreat is about to begin.There is cheer from both sides as the BSF pilots smartly march and even louder cheers when they slam their feet from a high-heel lifting drill.There is great respect when the bugle sounds and the flags are lowered in synchronisation. The icing on the cake is when people warmly applaud as the Indian and Paki flags cross each other almost giving a visual impression of two flags being separated.People continue standing until the folded flag is safely into the quarter-guard.The gates are then slammed shut and this brings to an end the ceremony.


seen from the pakistani side.notice the large indian crowd.

Ritualistic it may be, but it is definitely one of those moments in life which makes you proud of the land that you are in.Despite all our flaws and all our racial differences within the country standing shoulder to shoulder to fellow Indians at Wagah is a joy for all that India can offer to its people and all that Pakistan can aspire to offer its people.

And now this token ceremony of unity in diversity adds another feather to it's cap by inducting women constables to take part in the ceremony.BSF women have already been patrolling the border fences but this will be an inspiration on a daily basis to the viewing public to take women more seriously in India.The burqa clad women on the Pakistani side must have also cheered for these women pilots when they marched up smartly to the gate.The day may not be far when a lady constable of the BSF squares up to a mean-looking Paki Ranger and stares him in the eye and slams the gate shut on him.Ritualistic it may be, but it beholds the fact that we are on a new beginning and that peace will reign only when the border trade and traffic is manned by women personnel on both sides.

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