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Attari-Wagah handshake suspended, social media says ‘good riddance’
India Today
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4/25/2025
After the Pahalgam terror attack, BSF has suspended the iconic handshake at Attari, Hussainiwala & Sadki borders.
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00:00
This handshake is off the table. Good riddance!
00:03
On 24th April 2025, the Border Security Force announced that the ceremony at Atari,
00:08
along with Hosseiniwala and Sadki borders in Punjab, will continue but in a scaled-down format.
00:14
Gates will remain shut, but there will be no handshake between the commanders.
00:18
The BSF called it a calibrated decision that reflects India's serious concerns over cross-border hostilities.
00:24
In their words, peace and provocation cannot coexist.
00:27
But the move has sparked more than just diplomatic ripples.
00:30
For years, many have questioned the relevance of the ceremony itself.
00:35
The daily retreat drill, a performance of high kicks, pumped fists and head-thrusting choreography,
00:40
has often been called aggressive theatre.
00:43
Critics say it's nationalistic posturing masquerading as patriotism.
00:47
Even on social media, many call the scale-down good riddance.
00:51
And behind the sharp movements and crowd-pulling choreography lies physical cost.
00:55
Media reports over many years have shown how BSF personnel performing at the border
01:00
often suffer from chronic heel damage, knee injuries and ligament stress
01:04
due to the extreme physical demands of the show.
01:06
Some soldiers have even been rotated out due to long-term injury concerns.
01:10
But 2025 wasn't the first time the ceremony was halted.
01:14
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the gates stayed shut for nearly two years.
01:17
When it resumed, the ceremonial ritual was slowly reintroduced without spectators
01:21
and eventually scaled back up.
01:23
But this time, the reason to suspend the fanfare was more geopolitical than medical.
01:28
There's also an economic side to the fallout.
01:30
As the Atari gates stay closed, the trade between India and Afghanistan has halted.
01:35
Every day, 40 to 45 Afghan trucks used to cross over carrying dry fruits, apples and medicinal herbs.
01:40
With Pakistan now denying land access to Afghan trucks headed for India,
01:44
the cross-border corridor has gone silent.
01:46
And with that, livelihoods on both sides are disrupted.
01:50
The ceremony has always been more than just performance.
01:52
It's been tourism, symbolism and spectacle rolled into one.
01:56
But it's also been a daily paradox.
01:58
Two nations locked in conflict, shaking hands at sunset.
02:02
With that handshake gone, some see clarity, others see yet another sign of deepening mistrust.
02:07
Is it time India rethinks this tradition altogether?
02:10
Or does it still serve a purpose in today's world?
02:12
What do you think?
02:13
Let us know in the comments below.
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