Wagah

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The evening flag lowering ceremony at the India-Pakistan International Border near Wagah.

Wagah (Punjabi: ਵਾਘਾ, Hindi: वाघा, Urdu: واہگہ) is the only road border crossing between India and Pakistan, and lies on the Grand Trunk Road between the cities of Amritsar, India and Lahore, Pakistan. 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 India whilst the western half is in Pakistan.

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[edit] Wagah border

The Wagah border often called the "Berlin wall of Asia",[1] is a ceremonial border on India–Pakistan Border, where each evening, there is a retreat ceremony called 'lowering of the flags'.[2] At that time there is a very energetic and thrilling parade by the Border Security Force (B.S.F), India and the Pakistan Rangers soldiers. It may appear slightly aggressive and even hostile to foreigners,[3][4][5] but it really is just spectacular entertainment for the crowds with grandstands having been built on both sides. Troops of each country put on quite an entertaining show in their uniforms with their colorful turbans.[6] 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.[3]

Samjhauta Express, the train service between Lahore and Delhi, plies twice a week from Attari railway station, 5 km from Wagah. The National Highway 1 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 was started in 2004, as relations between the two countries improve.[7]

[edit] History

During British rule the village was part of the Lahore Division of British Punjab.[8] In 1947 the division like the village was split between India and Pakistan.

Porters carrying goods across Wagah border

For the past 60 years since independence in 1947, porters have been carrying goods across the Wagah border, which had been the only road link between the two nations, before 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,[9][10] such candlelight vigils and the yearly 'Midnight Peace Festivals' were also reported in subsequent years.[11][12][13]

There have been many calls for the opening up of Wagah border to promote Indo-Pak trade through increased transport between India and Pakistan.[14] 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.[15]

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,[16] 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,[17] the 1,400 Pakistani and 1,300 Indian porters employed till then were employed in unloading lorries and trucks, with this the bi-lateral which stood as $1.3 billion (£650 million) a year in 2007, was expected to exceed $10 billion by 2010,[18] the trade has further improved since then through the Wagah post, despite the ups and downs of Indo-Pak relations.[19]

Audience at the evening ceremony, Wagah border (November 2008).

With over 8000 people visiting the border on an average day just on the Indian side,[20] governments have started developing Wagah as a tourist destination in the coming years, improving tourist and custom facilities.[21] Indian government plans to develop a global tourist complex at Wagah-Attari border, which lies 30 km away from Amritsar.[22][23]

As the relations between the two nations improved, the joint talks to tone down the sunset ceremony were held between BSF and Pakistan rangers, the two later started "reorienting" their personnel involved in the ceremony,[24] and effects of which were seen by November 2006, when the evening ceremony at the border was considerably less aggressive than the previous decades, at both ends.[25][26]

[edit] References

Search Wikinews Wikinews has related news: Flag-lowering ceremony at Wagah border becomes more peaceful
  1. ^ Percy, Steve (12 June 2000). "Through Asia's Berlin Wall". New Statesman. http://www.newstatesman.com/200006120023. 
  2. ^ 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. 
  3. ^ a b "Mixed feelings on India-Pakistan border". BBC News. 14 August 2007. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/6945626.stm. 
  4. ^ 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. 
  5. ^ Kapur, Mridula (February 2001). "Sundown 'Madness' at Wagah". The South Asian Life & Times. http://www.the-south-asian.com/Feb2001/Wagah%20Sunset.htm. 
  6. ^ "Wagah Border". University of Alberta. http://www.ualberta.ca/~rnoor/wagah_border.html. 
  7. ^ "Manmohan looks forward to trade ties with Pakistan via Wagah". PakTribune. 28 September 2006. http://www.paktribune.com/news/index.shtml?155538. 
  8. ^ "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. 
  9. ^ "On the edge of peace". Frontline 18 (18). 1–14 September 2001. http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/fline/fl1818/18181040.htm. 
  10. ^ Jolly, Asit (15 August 2003). "Historic independence celebrations". BBC News. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/3152811.stm. 
  11. ^ 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." 
  12. ^ Rana, Yudhvir (16 August 2002). "Peace activists light candles at Wagah". The Times of India. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/19204011.cms. 
  13. ^ 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. 
  14. ^ "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. 
  15. ^ "Border guards meet after three years". Dawn. 25 March 2004. http://www.dawn.com/2004/03/25/nat19.htm. 
  16. ^ Reddy, B. Muralidhar (28 July 2005). "Will opening Wagah border boost trade ties?". The Hindu. http://www.hindu.com/2005/07/28/stories/2005072813071500.htm. 
  17. ^ 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. 
  18. ^ Page, Jeremy (28 September 2007). "Porters become excess baggage on border". The Times. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article2547634.ece. 
  19. ^ "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." 
  20. ^ 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." 
  21. ^ 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. 
  22. ^ 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. 
  23. ^ "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. 
  24. ^ "Wagah sunset parade set for friendly turn". The Telegraph. 5 April 2004. http://www.telegraphindia.com/1040405/asp/nation/story_3088207.asp. 
  25. ^ 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. 
  26. ^ "Wagah ceremony postures changed". The Hindu. 9 November 2006. http://www.thehindu.com/2006/11/09/stories/2006110905650100.htm. 

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Coordinates: 31°36′16.9″N 74°34′22.5″E / 31.604694°N 74.572917°E / 31.604694; 74.572917

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