Quite apart from the fact that the flag-lowering ‘ceremony’ that Pakistan and India put on at Wagah every evening is belligerent and anger-laden and quite disgusting, what also upsets me very much as an ex-soldier is the fact that the exaggerated movements go against every single rule contained in The Manual of Drill (bequeathed to us by the British), that the uniformed Services of both countries are supposed to follow.

To explain, two examples: while coming to a halt, the knee is not supposed to rise above belt-height with the toe of the boot pointed at the ground. At Wagah, soldiers of both sides lift their feet straight up into the air and seem to be kicking their opposite number in the teeth with their boots, just missing their target.

For another, whilst marching, the hand is supposed to stop at shoulder height, arm thrust straight out, but in the case of Wagah the hand is flung above the head making the soldier look ridiculous. Then there are the angry glares and venomous stares aimed at each other, faces contorted with put-on rage, the soldiers strutting arms akimbo, like fighting roosters. All the while that this despicable spectacle is going on, Pakistanis sitting in stands on our side of the border and Indians sitting in stands on the other side raise blood-curdling slogans, jingoistic songs playing at high volume in the background.

And when it comes to closing the gates at the zero-line after the flags have been taken down, they are smashed shut with such force and vehemence that I am sure they need replacing every month if not every ten days!

I must add here that the force with which the young soldiers on both sides bang their feet on the ground trying to outdo one another, must surely be physically damaging, resulting in extreme ankle and knee pain as they grow older. Reports are that this is indeed true and it is up to the commanders on both sides to look into this matter at the earliest.

On another tack, India and Pakistan are not the best of friends as we well know, what with one country suspicious of the other’s intentions and incidents of firing along the Line of Control (LoC) every so often. So this type of idiotic ‘show’ can hardly be helpful towards making our relations better. Indeed, it inculcates hate and rancour among those that watch the ‘ceremony’, particularly the young and the impressionable.

More than anything else, both Pakistan and India show themselves to be infantile, nay puerile, countries not sure of themselves. I have myself seen foreign tourists (mainly on the Indian side for we hardly have any at all) snigger and scorn fully while they take photographs of this fake tamasha to show the folks back home.

I say ‘fake’ because having crossed the border on foot on several occasions, I have seen our Rangers and Indian Border Security Force (BSF) personnel being perfectly civil to one another during the rest of the day. This abhorrent spectacle is just put on to provide cheap thrills to the public. Bad show indeed.

I do think it is time both countries grew up, fully 67 years being enough! It is time that we behaved in a civilised manner to one another and accorded our flags the respect that they deserve. By all means sound the Retreat at the lowering of the flags; by all means have a short parade to mark the closing of the border, the drill movements strictly following regulations. And do please shut the gates softly, as behooves grown-up, self-assured countries, shake hands with the other side exchanging gentle smiles and wish each other well.

Read also: Wahga border: Arena for gladiators