Its been almost 5 years since I visited Pakistan facilitating a school exchange trip. But even before that I had been curious to watch the parade at Wagah.
I became a big critic of the Wagah border ceremony ever since I watched it. But always wanted to watch it from the Pakistani side. Did that sitting on the Pakistani side with the crowd cheering for Pakistan. Have written about it here:
http://pakistanmusings.blogspot.in/2011/03/tamasha-at-wagah-pakistani-side.html
This article is about the ideas that generated in my mind and remain unfulfilled till day.
I call the Wagah border ceremony a tamasha aimed at reinforcing the enemity between the two nations. People reach there for the thrill and the larger Indian discourse of Pakistan as the enemy is reinforced there. Though after the ceremony what remains is not enemity but curiousity to peep into the other side of the border as if something special is happening there on the other side.
Must admit that the genesis of my Lahore trip was the romance to be on the other side of the border and a students exchange seemed like the most apt medium to do so...considering the visa restrictions on both the sides. That romance is existent in numerous Indians and Pakistanis as I know from my interactions.
And perhaps the Wagah parade is no justice for that romance. But no matter how hard the two nations try, they cannot kill this romance with the enforced patriotism at the Wagah border ceremony. Its good that we have a fevi kwik ad that adds to the fun.
My ideas for an alternative to the parade are numerous.
1. One thing is clear that we have to respect the border and the boundary line. A great place where that happens is sports on the court, whether its the boundary line in cricket or its the volley ball net. How about a volley ball match between Indian and Pakistani border guards every evening with a net on the Indo Pak border? We respect the net and sometime India wins and sometimes Pakistan. People from both sides come to enjoy the match every evening.
2. Considering that Punjabi is spoken on both the sides. It could also be a concert every evening there, with people enjoying music from both the sides. The Wagah ceremony happens everyday no matter whats happening in the diplomatic circuit...so why not a concert?
3. An idea that I had long time back was to have something like a series of phone booths ala American Prisons. Booths with a glass wall in between and audio device so that people can talk to each other.
If we have 20-30 booths there, we could allow Indian and Pakistani people to see each other, talk to each other and know about each other without breaking the border line.
There were a series of pics posted earlier on facebook sharing the boundary lines between Germany and France and Belgium- Germany. Just a road perhaps. While it may take some time for India and Pakistan to reach that stage but the above ideas can be a good start.
India and Bhutan have a very simple border just like Europe.
So, how about the Wagah Volley.
P.S - I have wish to facilitate an Indo-Pak exchange with people from different section of the society. A housewife, a businessman, a tea vendor, a beggar, an army man, a doctor, a driver and so on. That will be quite an exchange impacting the relations in public memory. Unfortunately as of now its only limited to students, religious visits and business visits. How about people from every walk of life?
I became a big critic of the Wagah border ceremony ever since I watched it. But always wanted to watch it from the Pakistani side. Did that sitting on the Pakistani side with the crowd cheering for Pakistan. Have written about it here:
http://pakistanmusings.blogspot.in/2011/03/tamasha-at-wagah-pakistani-side.html
This article is about the ideas that generated in my mind and remain unfulfilled till day.
I call the Wagah border ceremony a tamasha aimed at reinforcing the enemity between the two nations. People reach there for the thrill and the larger Indian discourse of Pakistan as the enemy is reinforced there. Though after the ceremony what remains is not enemity but curiousity to peep into the other side of the border as if something special is happening there on the other side.
Must admit that the genesis of my Lahore trip was the romance to be on the other side of the border and a students exchange seemed like the most apt medium to do so...considering the visa restrictions on both the sides. That romance is existent in numerous Indians and Pakistanis as I know from my interactions.
And perhaps the Wagah parade is no justice for that romance. But no matter how hard the two nations try, they cannot kill this romance with the enforced patriotism at the Wagah border ceremony. Its good that we have a fevi kwik ad that adds to the fun.
My ideas for an alternative to the parade are numerous.
1. One thing is clear that we have to respect the border and the boundary line. A great place where that happens is sports on the court, whether its the boundary line in cricket or its the volley ball net. How about a volley ball match between Indian and Pakistani border guards every evening with a net on the Indo Pak border? We respect the net and sometime India wins and sometimes Pakistan. People from both sides come to enjoy the match every evening.
2. Considering that Punjabi is spoken on both the sides. It could also be a concert every evening there, with people enjoying music from both the sides. The Wagah ceremony happens everyday no matter whats happening in the diplomatic circuit...so why not a concert?
3. An idea that I had long time back was to have something like a series of phone booths ala American Prisons. Booths with a glass wall in between and audio device so that people can talk to each other.
If we have 20-30 booths there, we could allow Indian and Pakistani people to see each other, talk to each other and know about each other without breaking the border line.
There were a series of pics posted earlier on facebook sharing the boundary lines between Germany and France and Belgium- Germany. Just a road perhaps. While it may take some time for India and Pakistan to reach that stage but the above ideas can be a good start.
India and Bhutan have a very simple border just like Europe.
So, how about the Wagah Volley.
P.S - I have wish to facilitate an Indo-Pak exchange with people from different section of the society. A housewife, a businessman, a tea vendor, a beggar, an army man, a doctor, a driver and so on. That will be quite an exchange impacting the relations in public memory. Unfortunately as of now its only limited to students, religious visits and business visits. How about people from every walk of life?
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