After Pahalgam Attack, India Likely To Suspend Beating Retreat Ceremony At Attari Border

India is apt to rumor general orders to suspend nan long-standing Beating Retreat ceremonial astatine nan Attari separator successful Punjab's Amritsar, India Today reported citing sources. Immediate shutting down of nan Attari land-transit larboard was among nan galore measures announced aft a gathering of Prime Minister Narendra Modi-chaired Cabinet Committee connected Security (CCS). 

The improvement comes aft Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri announced connected Wednesday that nan integrated checkpost astatine Attari will beryllium closed pinch contiguous effect. "Those who person crossed complete pinch valid endorsements whitethorn return done that way earlier 1st May 2025," he added.

Local edifice owners adjacent Attari separator person backed nan Centre's determination to adjacent nan border. 

“We invited PM Modi government’s decision. We are Indians and it is bully that action is taken. We consciousness that this connection was necessary. Whatever happened successful Pahalgam was shocking," 1 of nan section edifice owners told India Today. 

Since 1959, Beating Retreat ceremonial has taken spot astatine nan separator each twelvemonth and is performed jointly by India's Border Security Force (BSF) and Pakistan Rangers. This, however, is not nan first clip that nan ceremonial has been suspended. 

As portion of this ceremony, soldiers from some sides execute synchronised drills and little flags earlier sunset. It features serene gestures for illustration handshakes and flagpole tallness contests. The ceremonial draws astir 50,000 visitors daily, particularly from October to March. 

Before this, nan ritual has been suspended 2 times -- aft nan 2014 Wagah termination bombing and nan seizure of Indian Air Force aviator Abhinandan Varthaman successful 2019. Moreover, nan Wagah separator has been a captious waste and acquisition way betwixt India and Pakistan.

India's exports to Pakistan specified arsenic soybean, chickenhearted feed, vegetables, reddish chillies, integrative dana, and integrative yarn spell done this route. Many traders, peculiarly successful Punjab, trust connected nan waste and acquisition way for regular aliases play shipments of basal commodities. 

In 2023-24, nan onshore larboard waste and acquisition via nan separator stood astatine ₹3,886.53 crore and comprised 6,871 cargo movements arsenic good 71,563 rider crossings, arsenic per The Times of India. 

(With inputs from Jitendra Singh, Mir Fareed)

Published on: Apr 24, 2025 12:26 PM IST