A battle without weapons that fuels India–Pakistan nationalism

4 comments

1. SS: The daily Wagah–Attari Border Ceremony, as analyzed by Saqlain Rizwe in *The Interpreter* (Lowy Institute), transforms a routine military ritual into a theatrical spectacle of nationalism, where synchronized stomps and raised fists turn an ordinary sunset into a battlefield of symbols. Indian and Pakistani soldiers engage in an exaggerated display of dominance, their rigid movements mirroring the deeply entrenched hostility between the two nations. The frenzied crowds, echoing slogans of national pride, become willing participants in this performance, where every cheer and chant subtly reinforces a rivalry that has simmered since Partition. As Rizwe argues, what masquerades as patriotic pageantry is, in effect, a ritualized reenactment of enmity, ensuring that the adversarial relationship remains not just a historical footnote but a daily affirmation of division. Instead of fostering introspection, the ceremony injects an uncritical, visceral nationalism into spectators, leaving them not with a nuanced understanding of history, but a sharpened sense of superiority over the other side.

2. Just like india china stick to no-guns policy on the borders, in asia they don’t want wars.

3. The stupid dance at Attari Wagah border needs to end. Indian soldiers/border police dance with Pakistanis while their comrades are being killed by Pakistan every day.

   More than nationalism, this ceremony attracts tourism and revenue to the region thats why it hasn’t been shut down.

4. I may be mistaken but I read that there are regular training sessions between them both

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