Indian and Pakistani border guards have done away with the “insulting display of thumbs” as part of the marching drill exhibited during the daily ceremonial retreat at the Attari-Wagah Border.
Believe it or not, but both India’s Border Security Force and the Pakistan Rangers have been cocking thumbs at each other over the past six decades as part of their carefully choreographed and synchronised routine, watched by thousands on either side.
The hour-long sunset retreat ceremony which ends with the lowering of national flags and the final clanging of steel gates being slammed shut is preceded with a vigorous parade, including high kicks and lusty boot stomping, menacing glares and flared nostrils.
But now after nearly three years of cajoling, the Rangers have conceded the BSF’s request to exclude the particularly offending thumb gesture wherein troopers dramatically extended the right arm, clenched the fist and held up the thumb.
“We have finally agreed to reduce much of the aggressive posturing that had been part of the retreat ceremony up until now,” the BSF’s inspector-general in charge of the Punjab Frontier, Mr Himmat Singh, told this newspaper.
A spokesman of the Pakistan Rangers at Lahore, Mr Nadim Raza, has also been quoted as saying, “We will only change the fist gesture — no thumb would be shown and aggressive looks will be replaced with a handshake and a smile.”
The official admitted the “toning down of aggressive gestures” has been done on a request from The BSF. “We have decided to respond,” he said. a senior BSF officer in Amritsar said, “There is as yet no decision on including our women troopers in the parade.”
According to him, besides serving to maintain security around the female spectators who come to witness the retreat, just two women troopers have been positioned on either side of the Indian gate at the commencement of the parade.