- Months after a warm exchange of greetings and sweets on Diwali, the BSF refused to share sweets with Pakistan Rangers on the occasion of India’s 69th Republic Day
- Sweets were, however, exchanged between the BSF and Bangladesh’s Border Guards at Fulbari post
Months after a warm exchange of greetings and sweets on Diwali, the Border Security Force (BSF) on Friday refused to share sweets with Pakistan Rangers on the occasion of India’s 69th Republic Day.
Sweets were, however, exchanged between the BSF and Bangladesh’s Border Guards at Fulbari post, reported ANI.
“Atmosphere was such that no exchange of sweets took place with Pakistan Rangers. I think in the coming time, old tradition of exchanging sweets will be revived soon,” ANI quoted BSF DG KK Sharma as saying at the Attari-Wagah border.
He added that ceasefire violations were the main issue of discussion during the flag meeting between the two sides.
“Both sides agreed that ceasefire violations should be reduced. BSF never initiates ceasefire violation,” he said.
According to prevalent tradition, the border forces of both India and Pakistan exchange sweets and greet each other on various festivals and events of national importance, like Independent Day and Republic Day. This is expected to create an atmosphere conducive to harmony and coordination between the two sides.
“Sweets and greetings are exchanged on border if there isn’t anything serious between the two nations and the practice comes to halt if there is bitterness in relations,” a BSF officer had told TOI during Diwali.
Earlier, the tradition was suspended during Diwali 2016, when the BSF decided to protest the killing of its jawans in unprovoked firing along the international border and LoC in Jammu and Kashmir by the neighbour’s forces.
A similar thing happened in August 2015, when the BSF did not exchange sweets with its Pakistani counterparts on the occasion of India’s Independence Day, following the Dinanagar terror attack.
