Wagah

Wagah (Punjabi: ਵਾਘਾ, Hindi: वाघा, Urdu: واہگہ) is the only road border crossing between Pakistan and India [1], and lies on the Grand Trunk Road between the cities of Lahore, Pakistan and Amritsar, India. Wagah itself is a village through which the controversial Radcliffe Line was drawn. The village was divided by independence in 1947. Today, the eastern half of the village remains in the Republic of India while the western half is in Pakistan.

Contents

Border

Main article: Wagah border ceremony

The Wagah border, often called the "Berlin wall of Asia",[2] is a border crossing on the India–Pakistan Border where each evening there is a retreat ceremony called 'lowering of the flags',[3] which has been held since 1959.[4] At that time there is an energetic parade by the Border Security Force (B.S.F) of India and the Pakistan Rangers soldiers. It may appear slightly aggressive and even hostile to foreigners but in fact the paraders are imitating the pride and anger.[1][5][6] Troops of each country put on a show in their uniforms with their colorful turbans.[7] Border officials from the two countries sometimes walk over to the offices on the other side for day to day affairs. The happenings at this border post have been a barometer of the India-Pakistan relations over the years.[1]

Samjhauta Express, the train service between Lahore and Delhi, plies twice a week from Attari railway station, 5 km from Wagah. The National Highway of India starts from Wagah Border, and is the transit point for the Delhi–Lahore Bus service operating within the Punjab between Amritsar and Lahore, which was started in 2004 as relations between the two countries improved.[8]

History

During British rule the village was part of the Lahore Division of British Punjab.[9] In 1947 the division, like the village, was split between India and Pakistan.

Since independence in 1947, porters have been carrying goods across the Wagah border. This was the only road link between the two nations between the closure of the border crossing at Ganda Singh Wala / Hussainiwala in the 1970s and the opening of Aman Setu in Kashmir for the start of the Srinagar–Muzaffarabad Bus in 1999.

On August 14–15, 2001, the respective Independence days of Pakistan and India, the candle-lighting ceremony at the Wagah border, in which 40,000 Pakistani citizens and 15,000 Indian citizens took part, was seen as a reflection of the changing public mood over India-Pakistan reconciliation;[10][11] such candlelight vigils and the yearly 'Midnight Peace Festivals' were also reported in subsequent years.[12][13][14]

There have been many calls for the opening up of Wagah border to promote Indo-Pak trade through increased transport between India and Pakistan.[15] In March 2005, a delegation of the Indian Border Security Force met the Pakistan Rangers at the Wagah border to discuss the border issue after three years since the 2001–2002 India–Pakistan standoff.[16]

In May 2005, Pakistan allowed the import of five specified food items, free of tax via Wagah border to tide over shortages in the domestic market;[17] eventually, in an unprecedented move, on 1 October 2006, trucks carrying goods crossed the Wagah border for the first time since the independence of Pakistan and India over 60 years ago.[18] The 1,400 Pakistani and 1,300 Indian porters employed till then were employed in unloading lorries and trucks, with this the bi-lateral arrangement which accounted for $1.3 billion (£650 million) a year in trade in 2007 and was expected to exceed $10 billion by 2010.[19] The trade has further improved since then through the Wagah post, despite the ups and downs of Indo-Pakistani relations.[20]

With over 8000 people visiting the border on an average day just on the Indian side,[21] governments have started developing Wagah as a tourist destination, improving tourist and custom facilities.[22] The Indian government plans to develop a global tourist complex at the Wagah-Attari border, which lies 30 km away from Amritsar.[23][24]

As the relations between the two nations improved, the joint talks to tone down the sunset ceremony were held between BSF and Pakistan rangers, and the two later started "reorienting" their personnel involved in the ceremony,[25] effects of which were seen by November 2006, when the evening ceremony at the border was considerably less aggressive than in previous decades on both sides.[26][27]

In July 2010, as part of a move initiated by India, both countries agreed to tone down the aggressiveness exhibited by soldiers during the gate closing ceremony[28] because the soldiers hurt their feet and knees performing the goose-stepping every day.

References

  1. ^ a b c "Mixed feelings on India-Pakistan border". BBC News. 14 August 2007. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/6945626.stm. 
  2. ^ Percy, Steve (12 June 2000). "Through Asia's Berlin Wall". New Statesman. http://www.newstatesman.com/200006120023. 
  3. ^ Thorold, Crispin (13 March 2004). "Batting for unity in Pakistan". BBC News. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/from_our_own_correspondent/3502152.stm. 
  4. ^ "Wagah border ceremony aggression toned down". BBC News. 22 July 2010. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-10722514. 
  5. ^ Chakraverti, Sauvik (17 April 2005). "Shadow Lines: Let's Have Free Trade, Wagah Border Be Damned". The Times of India. http://www1.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1080402.cms. 
  6. ^ Kapur, Mridula (February 2001). "Sundown 'Madness' at Wagah". The South Asian Life & Times. http://www.the-south-asian.com/Feb2001/Wagah%20Sunset.htm. 
  7. ^ "Wagah Border". University of Alberta. http://www.ualberta.ca/~rnoor/wagah_border.html. 
  8. ^ "Manmohan looks forward to trade ties with Pakistan via Wagah". PakTribune. 28 September 2006. http://www.paktribune.com/news/index.shtml?155538. 
  9. ^ "Lahore District". The Imperial Gazetteer of India (Clarendon Press, Oxford) 16: 99. 1908. http://dsal.uchicago.edu/reference/gazetteer/pager.html?objectid=DS405.1.I34_V16_105.gif. 
  10. ^ "On the edge of peace". Frontline 18 (18). 1–14 September 2001. http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/fline/fl1818/18181040.htm. 
  11. ^ Jolly, Asit (15 August 2003). "Historic independence celebrations". BBC News. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/3152811.stm. 
  12. ^ Rana, Yudhvir (16 August 2003). "Lone candle flickers for peace at Wagah". The Times of India. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/132685.cms. "The peaceniks, who had gathered at Wagah land border for the 10th Midnight Peace Festival organised by Hind Pak Dosti Manch and Folklore Research Academy, forgot to carry their candles to the zero line." 
  13. ^ Rana, Yudhvir (16 August 2002). "Peace activists light candles at Wagah". The Times of India. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/19204011.cms. 
  14. ^ Rana, Yudhvir (16 August 2008). "Candlelight vigil held at Wagah". The Times of India. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Cities/Chandigarh/Candlelight_vigil_held_at_Wagah/articleshow/3369797.cms. 
  15. ^ "Gill urges opening of Wagah border for trade". The Times of India. Press Trust of India. 20 November 2005. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1301951.cms. 
  16. ^ "Border guards meet after three years". Dawn. 25 March 2004. http://www.dawn.com/2004/03/25/nat19.htm. 
  17. ^ Reddy, B. Muralidhar (28 July 2005). "Will opening Wagah border boost trade ties?". The Hindu (Chennai, India). http://www.hindu.com/2005/07/28/stories/2005072813071500.htm. 
  18. ^ Ramesh, Randeep (2 October 2007). "Goods vehicles cross India-Pakistan border for first time in 60 years". Tehran Times. http://www.tehrantimes.com/index_View.asp?code=154212. 
  19. ^ Page, Jeremy (28 September 2007). "Porters become excess baggage on border". The Times (London). http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article2547634.ece. 
  20. ^ "Cross-border trade at Wagah continues". Daily Times. 26 December 2008. http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2008\12\26\story_26-12-2008_pg5_6. "The custom officials deputed at Wagah border said some 60 trucks of potato and tomato arrived, which were released after custom clearance. 'Lahore based importers have imported various items from India including potato, onions and tomato which were cleared by the customs officials,' they said." 
  21. ^ A, Divya (4 January 2009). "Wargames at Wagah". The Times of India. Times News Network. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Sunday_TOI/Wargames_at_Wagah/articleshow/3932153.cms. "Usually, about 8,000 people visit every day." 
  22. ^ Dhawan, Himanshi (27 April 2006). "Centre plans to make Wagah a tourist hot spot". The Times of India. Times News Network. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1506662.cms. 
  23. ^ Israni, Naveena (25 Dec 2008). "Three wonders: Chandigarh,Jallianwala Bagh & Wagah Border". The Economic Times. http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/Features/ET_Travel/Three_wonders_ChandigarhJallianwala_Bagh__Wagah_Border/articleshow/msid-3888629,curpg-2.cms. 
  24. ^ "Now, a global tourist resort at Wagah-Attari border". The Economic Times. 7 October 2008. http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/News/News_By_Industry/Services/Travel/Now_a_global_tourist_resort_at_Wagah-Attari_border_/articleshow/3570596.cms. 
  25. ^ "Wagah sunset parade set for friendly turn". The Telegraph. 5 April 2004. http://www.telegraphindia.com/1040405/asp/nation/story_3088207.asp. 
  26. ^ Rana, Yudhvir (8 November 2006). "BSF tones down shrill drill at Wagah border". The Times of India. Times News Network. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/361127.cms. 
  27. ^ "Wagah ceremony postures changed". The Hindu (Chennai, India). 9 November 2006. http://www.hindu.com/2006/11/09/stories/2006110905650100.htm. 
  28. ^ Nelson, Dean (22 July 2010). "India ends goose-stepping ceremony". Telegraph (London). http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/india/7902742/India-ends-goose-stepping-ceremony-after-soldiers-knee-injuries.html. 

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