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Published: April 29th 2006
Border Closing Ceremony - Indian Bleachers - Feb. 25 2006
Close to 2000 people filled bleachers on the Indian side of the border. On our final day in the Punjab, we drove west from Amristar, 35 kilometres to the India-Pakistan border, close to Attari in India and Wagha in Pakistan. The border closes to traffic from 3pm each afternoon to 10am the next morning. At sundown, there is a changing of the guard for each country and a lowering of their respective flags. At its core, this is serious business, since it involves the flags of two nations, with their two militaries moving around, in close quarters, in no man's land. But, the supplementary antics are street theatre, pure and simple.
As the sun hovers close to the horizon, military hymns are sung on both sides, with the crowds joining in, lustily; about 2000 in India, and 1000 in Pakistan, clearly visible just down the way. Two simultaneous bugle calls, each drowning out the other, signal that the performance is underway. First, lightening quick salutes, and an extremely brief handshake, are exchanged by the two commanding officers. Then, there follows, from each platoon, much quick-paced over-marching, exaggerated high stepping and flourished halting. In the at-ease position, there is outright glowering, accompanied by taunting gestures, directed at each other, faced off directly proximate to
Border Closing Ceremony - Pakistan Bleachers - Feb. 25 2006
Pakistan had fewer bleachers to fill. There seemed to be just about 1000 enthusiastic supporters filling their bleachers to capacity. the line of demarcation. There is nary a smile or wink in all of this; but the activities are so tightly choreographed and the maneuvers so synchronized, that, to my mind, there have to be joint rehearsals for this level of precision to obtain. One would-be Indian sage, standing next to me, explained seriously, that these frenetic gestures into each others faces, act out the aggression the soldiers feel toward each other; well, I suppose strenuous street theatre is preferable to a real firefight. This drill plunges wildly on for about an hour, to the delight of the two raucous crowds. Toward the end of the action, the two flags are slowly, and with breath taking simultaneity, lowered, wrapped and taken to their compounds for the night. In a final flourish of bravado, the gates are slammed shut in each others faces and the ceremony, such as it is, ends, un-ceremoniously.
For me, the most poignant of notes came in the early evening, after the military platoons departed their street stages. First a trickle of people, then several clusters, approached the tightly shut gates from both sides. They wrist waved to each other; hesitantly, then naturally. For quite some
Border Closing Ceremony - Flag waving crowd - Feb. 25 2006
Each side of the border had several large flags which were waved with great vigor. time, they remained engaged in this way, reluctant, it seemed, to leave. For my part, I recalled partitioning had forged the two countries, from one, nearly sixty years ago. There were painful splits, here in the Punjab, among family and friends. These people are folk, borders notwithstanding; it does not surprise me that, to this day, they show a tender touch of affection for each other, however fleeting. The grief, endured from partitioning in the Punjab, explains why so many Canadians of Indian heritage are from that part of the world; and why so much of our Indian Canadian cuisine is Punjabi-based. I also found, on our drive to and from the border, that the landscape of the Punjab is similar to that of Surrey and Delta on the Canadian west coast, where so many Canadians with Punjabi roots are farmers.
It was time to depart for Delhi by overnight train, in the company of two engaging young Englishmen on their way to Goa.
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