We visited Amritsar during the Easter weekend. We visited the two main attractions, the golden temple and the wagah border.
As our bus winded through Punjab I could see names of villages and towns that I only heard for all the wrong reasons in the violent 80s. Now Punjab is a big part of the India growth story. A bollywood flick was being shown on the bus, which I thought was incongruous with the times. It was about a dare devil act of the Indian commandos saving passengers kidnapped by Pakistan based terrorists and taken to Pakistan side of Kashmir. It shows the kind of patriotic fluff that gets fed on both sides of the border.
As a non-believer, the visit to the golden temple was more historic than religious. I had expected heavy rush and pushing and shoving that I experienced in other temples but it was pleasant. You can see the devotion and commitment from the staff rarely seen. If only we have as much devotion to our standard operating procedures at work :-)
We visited the circus called the Wagah border the next day. What happens at the Berlin wall of Asia every evening is complicated to explain. It is theater put on by two groups on either side of the border trying to outdo each other and indulging in showmanship. You could hear the music blaring out on both sides trying to literally drown the sounds from the other side. The emotions build up slowly as the crowds gather for the start of the flag ceremony. I am sure crowds on both sides have the same degree of certitude about their country, their philosophy and about their future though events of the last few years must cast some doubts on the Pakistan side. The show if you can call that is purely one way, in the sense that each group is trying to show that they enjoy their show better. There had been efforts to tone down the hostility of the ceremony but I still found it very aggressive and hostile. It was nice to see many women solders being deployed on the Indian side ( I can't confirm if the Pakistan does the same as I couldn't see what goes on the other side). I am sure it tones down the hostility some what. All the songs were patriotic and Bollywood's popular numbers started coming towards the end. It was a nice touch to let the women dance on the Indian side to the Bollywood numbers. It does tone down the hostile atmosphere and makes for a more happy atmoshpere. The BSF officer who orchestrated the show can find alternative career in TV reality shows :-)
I have a few suggestions to tone down the hostility further. First limit the crowds. There are thousands on each side, particularly on the Indian side. Simply make people pay for the show and they will reduce in numbers. Second cut down the sloganeering. I guess some of it is inevitable but it is far too much at this point. Third, can we listen to the same music on both sides? Can the BSF and the Pakistani rangers sit down and agree to listen to a set of songs that may be appreciated by the both the groups? I am sure "Jai Ho" will be enjoyed by the Pakistani crowd and there will be some songs that Indians would like to listen from the other side. It is just cacophony at this point. And finally, can we do away with songs with any religious content? Or at least very religious content like Bhagavadgita and the like?
Of course, it would be perfect to be able to take a stroll across to Lahore for a day, after all it is only 23 Kms from the border!
