BSF restarts Beating Retreat ceremony at Attari-Wagah, Hussainiwala, Sadiqi joint check-posts after 12 days

Amidst belligerent gesturing by forces of the border guards of both India and Pakistan, the Retreat ceremony was viewed by spectators after a gap of 12 days at the Attari-Wagah, Hussainiwala and Sadiqi joint check-posts on Tuesday.

Officials of the border guards of the two countries did not shake hands nor open the gates on the zero line at Wagah. They took down their national flags without opening the doors on their sides.

The border guards of both countries displayed aggressive gestures through faces, eyes, hands and by forcefully stomping their feet. Jawans and officers of the Border Security Force (BSF) were full of courage and exuded confidence.

Female personnel of the BSF also displayed martial skills. Before the commencement of the ceremony, a contingent of the BSF, which included two males and the rest women, smartly displayed their control over rifles and acrobatic moves, earning applause from spectators.

Hussainiwala

The lush green fields of Hussainiwala once again resonated with the thunderous tapping of feet by the BSF sentinels, who outsmarted their Pakistani counterparts — the Rangers — during the Retreat ceremony.

The smartly dressed BSF jawans in their spic and span “Khaki” attire filled the ceremony with “josh” as the slogans of “Bharat Mata Ki Jai” echoed in the air. Though the turnout was thin on the Indian side today as not many visitors were permitted, the BSF officials said the retreat ceremony would be opened to the public from tomorrow. Owing to the precautionary measures, the gates on both sides remained closed, and the BSF-Rangers did not cross the zero line for the flag-lowering ceremony, whereas usually, they enter each other’s territory.

MS Bisht, Deputy Commandant of the 155 battalion, said once the situation normalised, the jawans would start moving across the zero line as per the standard drill, adding that there would be no restriction for the people to witness the retreat from tomorrow.

Rajesh Kumar (40), a banker from Chandigarh who had come to Hussainiwala to witness the ceremony, said the purpose was to laud the efforts of the BSF sentinels who, in sync with their motto “Duty until Death”, safeguarded the territorial sovereignty during the last fortnight and defeated the nefarious designs of the enemy.

Sadiqi

The Retreat ceremony resumed again at the Joint Check Post (JCP) Sadiqi International border in Fazilka district when the BSF jawans and Pakistani Rangers jointly conducted the ceremony of lowering the national flags of their respective countries. The ceremony started at 6 pm and continued for 25 minutes. The flag was lowered simultaneously with full ceremonies.

The BSF jawans and Pakistani Rangers, like previous times, showed theatrical standoffs, involving synchronised stomps, high kicks, flexing of muscles, and staring at each other. The residents showered flowers on the BSF jawans for their bravery and raised the slogans of “Bharat Mata Ki Jai” and “Vande Matram”. Nearly 50 persons were present at the time of the ceremony on the Indian side, while only six persons had turned up on the Pakistani side.

Punjab