Attari-Wagah handshake suspended, social media says ‘good riddance’

After the Pahalgam terror attack, BSF has suspended the iconic handshake at Attari, Hussainiwala & Sadki borders.

Transcript

00:00This handshake is off the table. Good riddance!

00:03On 24th April 2025, the Border Security Force announced that the ceremony at Atari,

00:08along with Hosseiniwala and Sadki borders in Punjab, will continue but in a scaled-down format.

00:14Gates will remain shut, but there will be no handshake between the commanders.

00:18The BSF called it a calibrated decision that reflects India's serious concerns over cross-border hostilities.

00:24In their words, peace and provocation cannot coexist.

00:27But the move has sparked more than just diplomatic ripples.

00:30For years, many have questioned the relevance of the ceremony itself.

00:35The daily retreat drill, a performance of high kicks, pumped fists and head-thrusting choreography,

00:40has often been called aggressive theatre.

00:43Critics say it's nationalistic posturing masquerading as patriotism.

00:47Even on social media, many call the scale-down good riddance.

00:51And behind the sharp movements and crowd-pulling choreography lies physical cost.

00:55Media reports over many years have shown how BSF personnel performing at the border

01:00often suffer from chronic heel damage, knee injuries and ligament stress

01:04due to the extreme physical demands of the show.

01:06Some soldiers have even been rotated out due to long-term injury concerns.

01:10But 2025 wasn't the first time the ceremony was halted.

01:14During the COVID-19 pandemic, the gates stayed shut for nearly two years.

01:17When it resumed, the ceremonial ritual was slowly reintroduced without spectators

01:21and eventually scaled back up.

01:23But this time, the reason to suspend the fanfare was more geopolitical than medical.

01:28There's also an economic side to the fallout.

01:30As the Atari gates stay closed, the trade between India and Afghanistan has halted.

01:35Every day, 40 to 45 Afghan trucks used to cross over carrying dry fruits, apples and medicinal herbs.

01:40With Pakistan now denying land access to Afghan trucks headed for India,

01:44the cross-border corridor has gone silent.

01:46And with that, livelihoods on both sides are disrupted.

01:50The ceremony has always been more than just performance.

01:52It's been tourism, symbolism and spectacle rolled into one.

01:56But it's also been a daily paradox.

01:58Two nations locked in conflict, shaking hands at sunset.

02:02With that handshake gone, some see clarity, others see yet another sign of deepening mistrust.

02:07Is it time India rethinks this tradition altogether?

02:10Or does it still serve a purpose in today's world?

02:12What do you think?

02:13Let us know in the comments below.