The Indian Border Security Force (BSF) has proposed a Wagah-like show along the Indo-Bangla border at the Northeast Indian state of Meghalaya.
The Wagah border ceremony is a flag-lowering ceremony held at the Indo-Pak border at Punjab by the Border Security Force and Pakistan Rangers to showcase the two nation’s fraternity. This ceremony has been held every day before sunset since 1959.
Soldiers from both sides are seen doing an elaborate dance-like drill before closing the border gates.
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An official said that this show with the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) at two border outposts (BOPs) of Meghalaya would be done on much friendlier terms than the one at the Indo-Pak border at Punjab.
A Pakistani Ranger (L) and an Indian Border Security Force (BSF) soldier perform during the daily beating of the retreat ceremony aon the India-Pakistan Border at Wagah on February 20, 2017
AFP“Two BOPs - Dawki in West Jaintia Hills and Kilapara in West Garo Hills for border tourism in Meghalaya have been identified and we have sent a proposal of Rs1 Crore each to the Tourism Ministry for the aforesaid purpose. Now we are waiting for their approval,” Meghalaya frontier BSF Inspector General PK Dubey told the Dhaka Tribune.
Dubey added that they will try a joint retreat ceremony in the evening where flag hoisting will be done jointly by the BSF and BGB. The idea is to showcase the BOPs and letting tourists have a first-hand view and information about the border.
Another Wagah-like border show has been proposed for the Agartala-Akhaura border and New Delhi has earmarked Rs18 crore for the plan, according to Tripura Tourism Minister Ratan Bhowmik.
The Wagah ceremony has an aggressive tone and is considered a display of intense military rivalry between the two nations.
However, due to the cordial relations between India and Bangladesh, the daily border ceremony would be done on a much warmer manner with zero hostilities, officials said.
In addition, instead of flag-lowering the Indo-Bangla border ceremony would involve flag-hoisting.
