AMRITSAR: In a goodwill gesture, Border Security Force (BSF) and Pakistan Army exchanged sweets and greetings at the Attari-Wagah border on India's 73rd Republic Day on Wednesday.
The officials of the BSF and Pak Rangers exchanged sweets and pleasantries.
The exchange of sweets was suspended in the last two years because of the COVID-19 pandemic whereas earlier in 2018, the BSF skipped the tradition on January 26 over growing incidents of ceasefire violations across the Line of Control (LoC) and the International Border.
Even in 2019, both border guarding forces of India and Pakistan did not exchange sweets and greetings on the occasion of Eid along the Attari-Wagah border as the Pakistan chose to skip the friendlier gesture at the border after the special status give to Jammu and Kashmir was revoked
Similarly, after the surgical strike in October 2016, the BSF did not offer sweets to Pakistan Rangers. Because of the Covid pandemic, the flag lowering ceremony or Beating Retreat border ceremony have been suspended at Attari-Wagah border.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid homage to the fallen soldiers at the newly built National War Memorial (NWM) today morning in New Delhi, prior to participating in the 73rd Republic Day celebrations.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, MoS Defence Ajay Bhatt, Defence Secretary, Ajay Kumar, and the Chiefs of the Indian Armed Forces, i.e, Army, Air Force, and Navy, were also present on this occasion.
The Inter services Guards was formed by 7 Soldiers from each service. This year, the guards were commanded by a Naval Officer, Lt Cdr Amit Kumar Rathi. The Contingent commander was Sqn Ldr Akash Gangas.
When the Prime Minister laid the wreath, the Inter services guards presented 'Salami Shastra' followed by 'Shok Shastra'. Simultaneously, the buglers sounded the 'Last Post'. Later, PM Modi and other dignitaries will head to the saluting dais at Rajpath to witness the Republic Day parade.
The celebrations this year are special as Republic Day falls in the 75th year of Independence, being celebrated as 'Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav' across the country. To mark the occasion, the Ministry of Defence has conceptualized a series of new events during the main parade on Rajpath on January 26 and the 'Beating the Retreat' ceremony at Vijay Chowk on January 29.
It has been decided that the Republic Day celebrations will now be week-long from January 23-30 every year. This year, the celebrations commenced on January 23, the birth anniversary of great freedom fighter Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, and culminate on January, 30 which is observed as Martyrs' Day.
(With inputs from IANS)