On the India Pakistan border

From the museum, I returned to the hotel to get ready for our trip to the border. There were three other guests - Dave from Seattle, and two young French-speaking guys, one originally from Casablanca and one from Lille. We had plenty to talk about as we set off with our guide and tuk-tuk driver, Vicky.

Vicky stopped a few times during the hour-long drive to the border to explain aspects of Punjabi history. At other times, he just shouted over the traffic noise. I have to say that I missed some of what he said. What was clear, though, was his contention that all Punjabis hate Gandhi, almost as much as they hate the British! According to him, Gandhi was a weak and spineless puppet of the British, and no self-respecting, fearless warrior from Punjab could ever support his philosophy of non-violence. When I questioned him later about the presence of a huge portrait of Gandhi inside the arena at the border, he said that it was imposed on them by the national government and that the state government was not allowed to remove it.

When checking the veracity of what Vicky said, an internet search revealed that Punjabis had a love and hate relationship with Mahatma Gandhi. While the moderate Punjabis followed Gandhi's style of non-cooperation and non-violent approach towards the British rule, the radical Punjabis, though in a minority, never toed Gandhi's line. I can only assume that Vicky's family were more radical than most. I couldn't find anything online to suggest that Gandhi's portrait at the border has ever been contentious. Rather, according to Harpreet Sandhu, author, heritage promoter, artist, and former advocate general of Punjab, "The portrait is not only a sign of patriotism, but also of immense interest for the daily visitors during the retreat ceremony and above all a significant preview of the Father of the Nation from across the border."

Whatever the truth of the matter, the border ceremony that takes place at 4.30pm every day of the year is certainly a spectacle. Before it starts, women spectators dance enthusiastically to the raucous music being played through the public address system. The crowd is encouraged to cheer and chant by a very energetic soldier who runs up and down the length of the parade area. Ice cream and soft drink sellers move around the stands, urging people to buy. Children and adults alike have Indian flags painted onto their cheeks and hands. Even I succumbed and bought a flag for 30 rupees 😂. The atmosphere was incredible. The chants of 'Hindustan' were deafening.

On the other side of the gate, the Pakistani crowd was far fewer in number. There were no members of the public dancing, but the spectators ahead of the ceremony were being entertained by a solo male dancer in traditional dress.

Once the ceremony began, uniformed soldiers with whistles ensured that the crowd remained in their seats and were respectful of what they were witnessing. The rabble-rousing soldier kept up his role, though, and encouraged cheers and jeers where appropriate. As an outsider, it was a bizarre, ritualistic performance with exaggerated movements by the Indian soldiers being mirrored by the Pakistani ones on the other side of the gate. At times, the aggressive gestures and angry shouts reminded me of the All Blacks doing the haka before an international rugby match.

I found the whole thing rather baffling, but I'm glad I've seen it!

On the way back to the city, we went to a restaurant for dinner. Dave and I shared a couple of chicken dishes, a naan, and a jeera rice. It was all very good.Read more