Hostility still guards the border

By Rina Saeed Khan

LAHORE: President Musharraf and Indian premier Vajpayee might be enjoying a new thaw in their relationship, but it appears that the soldiers stationed at Wagah border are just not reading the newspapers. The belligerent flag lowering ceremony at Wagah, a comic display of Nazi era goose-stepping and chest beating one-upmanship shows no sign of, well, becoming friendlier.

The ceremony, which takes place at sunset daily and draws big crowds on both sides of the border, continues to revel in India-Pakistan rivalry and antagonistic ritual. The Pakistani crowd, assembled on a raised seating area, is unabashed in its patriotic zeal, with certain members of the male audience dressed in green and waving huge flags. “I’ve been coming here every day for the past eight years,” said one Mr Sadiq, dressed in a cowboy hat and jeans, with a green Pakistan shirt on top. And no one actually pays him to do this.

To the crowd’s delight and chants of “Pakistan zindabad” he struts up and down the main road leading to India, whipping the crowd into frenzy. The metal gates marking the crossover point are shut firmly, but on the other side one can see an equally large Indian crowd assembled on the bleachers. It’s almost like a large stadium, packed with spectators and split in half by an electric fence and a gate – the only difference between the similar looking shallu- and jean-clad crowds on both sides are the colour of their flags. And the fact that the Indian men and women are allowed to sit together – there’s strict segregation on our side.

The Indian crowd looks mostly like families out on a picnic – but then with a mixed crowd, it’s harder to pick out the mentally challenged. A huge speaker is blasting Indian film songs. But when the chanting starts, the crowd quickly becomes competitive. They start yelling something about being a proud Hindu nation, but are quickly drowned out by the macho, male Pakistani crowd. With all the cheering and sloganeering going on, one almost expects the cricket team to come bounding out from some changing room. Instead, a shout goes out and incredibly tall, huge soldiers come marching down on the Pakistani side.

The male crowd on the Pakistan side burst into applause, with testosterone charged yells in Urdu of what can only be translated as, “there go our sons of lions”. The women start giggling into their duppattas. The soldiers – I was told later that only the tallest and most handsome are recruited for this posting – goose-step, salute, high kick and then do this funny hands-on-their-waist and puffed out chest number. They glare at the Indians, who are in the mean time doing a similar routine – only they seem a bit shorter and thinner. “They don’t eat meat you know, that’s why they’re not as fit,” says the spectator in front.

The gates are opened and the two crowds can finally have a good look at one another. There are people sitting on the Indian side of the road, just next to the gates. Only a white line on the road divides us now. A couple of college students on the Pakistan decide to wave to the Indians in a gesture of goodwill. An entire section of the Indian crowd starts waving back. Within seconds a Pakistani Ranger marches up to students and tells them that waving at the Indians is forbidden and threatens to chuck them out if they don’t stop.

The flags come down with both sides competing furiously to lower their flag and wrap it up ahead of the other. At one point they attempt to hit one another in the face with the rope that is constantly being thrown up in a flourish.

There is a quick, almost furtive handshake once that’s done – with both soldiers studiously looking in the other direction, of course. No smile, no hug and definitely no waving. Lots of salutes, however, and then, the Indian crowd, which seemed so close – literally a few steps away – recedes into the background as the gates are pulled shut. The ceremony is over and there’s not much else to do so everyone leaves. So much for the India-Pakistan détente – at Wagah, the concept does not exist!

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