No exchange of Diwali sweets between India, Pak due to LoC tensions

Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Oct 20: There was no exchange of sweets on the Line of Control (LoC) as well as International Border (IB) between Indo-Pak troops on the occasion of Diwali festival yesterday in view of escalated tensions on the LoC in Poonch and Rajouri districts, where Pakistan has repeatedly been engaged in violation of ceasefire.
Sources said neither Army nor BSF exchanged sweets with their Pakistani counterparts on LoC and International Border (IB) respectively due to strained relations between the two countries in view of constant mortar shelling and firing on the LoC in which number of security personnel and civilians have been killed and injured while civilian property has suffered extensive damage. Pakistan has also sustained heavy losses in retaliatory firing by the Indian troops.
“The Indo-Pak troops didn’t exchange sweets and greeting on the occasion of Diwali festival yesterday including Chakan-Da-Bagh in Poonch district, where main functions used to be held on such occasions,” sources said.
In other parts of the LoC also in Rajouri and Poonch districts, the two sides didn’t exchange sweets and greeting on Diwali yesterday.
On the International Border too, the BSF and Rangers didn’t exchange sweets.
Major function on the IB is held at Octroi Post in Suchetgarh sector while small functions of sweets exchange between the two sides take place at other posts on the border. However, yesterday, nu such function was held anywhere, sources said.
According to sources, though the International Border in all three districts of Jammu, Samba and Kathua has been calm for the past few days after exchange of heavy mortar shelling and firing at Arnia, RS Pura and Ramgarh sectors, the acrimony persisted between the two sides and, therefore, exchange of sweets and greetings wasn’t held.
It may be mentioned here that during the past few months, Pakistani troops have regularly been violating ceasefire on the LoC in Poonch and Rajouri districts, which was being replied with by the Indian side very effectively and befittingly.
The BSF, however, exchanged sweets with Pakistan Rangers on the occasion of Diwali festival at Attari-Wagah border in Amritsar district of Punjab yesterday.
BSF Commandant Sudeep Kumar met his counterpart of Pakistan Ranger’s Wing Commander Bilal Ahmed at Zero Line along Attari-Wagah Border in Amritsar and greeted them on Diwali.
The officers of BSF and Pakistani Rangers exchanged pleasantries and greeted each other on Diwali. Officers of border guarding forces of both countries traditionally exchange sweets and greet each other on various religious festivals besides national events including Independent Day and Republic Day.
The prevalent border tradition is followed to maintain harmony on the border and for coordination between two forces for better border management in Amritsar.
“Sweets and greetings are exchanged on border if there isn’t anything much serious between two nations and the practice comes to halt if there is too bitterness in relations,” sources said.
Last year, the BSF didn’t exchange sweets with Pakistan Rangers at Attari-Wagah border following heightened tension between India and Pakistan after Indian Army conducted surgical strikes in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). Similarly, in 2015, there was no exchange of sweets and pleasantries on occasion of Eid festival after Pak Rangers didn’t turn up to exchange greetings on occasion of Eid ul Zuha in October 2014.

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