New Delhi: The traditional Beating Retreat ceremonies at the Attari-Wagah border in Amritsar and Hussainiwala border in Ferozepur will resume on Tuesday, but with significant changes reflecting the ongoing tension between India and Pakistan.
This resumption marks a scaled-down version of the ceremony, omitting key elements of the pre-existing protocol in response to the recent Pahalgam terror attack and fresh hostilities between the countries.
This resumption makes a scaled-down version of the ceremony, omitting key elements of the pre-existing protocol in response to the recent Pahalagam terror attack in which 25 tourists and one Kashmiri were killed.
The ceremonies, commencing at 6 pm, will notably feature closed border gates, eliminating the customary handshake between Border Security Force (BSF) jawans and Pakistani Rangers. According to the Jalandhar headquartered Punjab frontier of the force, the ceremonies will be open only for media persons and the public can participate from Wednesday. This departure from the established protocol, according to BSF IG of the Punjab Frontier Atul Fulzele, serves as a clear signal amid continued strained relations.
The Beating Retreat ceremony, a tradition dating back to 1959, has historically involved the opening of border gates by both sides, followed by a symbolic handshake. However, the Pahalgam attack, which killed 26 civilians, prompted the BSF to temporarily suspend this part of the ritual as a display of firmness against cross-border terrorism.
This development comes after a period of heightened tension between India and Pakistan, triggered by Operation Sindoor, India’s precision airstrikes targeting terror camps across the Line of Control. Pakistan’s subsequent retaliatory actions further exacerbated the situation.
Even as the Beating Retreat ceremonies resume in a modified version, the Indian military remains vigilant. Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan and Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi recently conducted a review of the India-Pakistan border situation in Rajasthan and Kutch, examining the air defence systems deployed under Operation Sindoor.
