Beating retreat event at Attari scaled down

The ceremonial display by the Border Security Force (BSF) at the retreat ceremony along the India-Pakistan border at Attari, Hussainwala and Sadki in Punjab was scaled down on Thursday against the backdrop of the Pahalgam terror attack.

The force said in a statement that border gates will remain closed during the event and the symbolic handshake between the two forces will be suspended. “This step reflects India’s serious concern over cross-border hostilities and reaffirms that peace and provocation cannot coexist,” a BSF statement said.

The symbolic handshake between the guard commanders of BSF and Pakistan Rangers, along with the opening of the gates every evening before sunset was the highlight of the ceremony that existed since 1959 at Attari. The joint ceremony by the two forces were started at the other two points in later years.

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BSF announced the calibrated measures a day after the government announced the closure of the integrated check post (ICP) at the border in Punjab with immediate effect.

The ceremony at the border points draws several thousand people, especially at the Attari-Wagah border in Punjab. On Thursday, the Attari integrated check post was shut, with gates opening only for those with valid endorsements, enabling them to return before May 1, 2025.

Every evening, before sunset, several thousand tourists drive from nearby Amritsar and other parts of Punjab to visit the border and attend the joint beating retreat ceremony of BSF and Pakistan Rangers. Pakistan citizens too come to their side of the border.The stands nearby have a capacity of 30,000.

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The ceremony which has soldiers from the two sides engaging in a ritualistic face-off accompanied by aggressive marching, has its share of critics, who believe soldiers should not be engaging in showmanship that plays to the galleries. It is wildly popular with spectators, though.

Bhupesh Kumar, an advocate from Gujarat who attended the ceremony, said, “Though there was full display of enthusiasm and spirit of patriotism during the ceremony. However, scaling down of the ceremony left an impact on the mood of the spectators”.

On Wednesday evening, India announced a raft of punitive diplomatic measures against Pakistan, such as shutting the Attari integrated check post, suspending the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty, downgrading bilateral ties, as it hit back at Islamabad over the terror attack in Pahalgam that killed 26 tourists.