Attari border shows

Only in this part of the world is the mundane everyday routine elevated to a grand spectator sport! At every other land border crossing anywhere else in the world, the gates are closed without a whimper and the officials go home at the proscribed time and the sunsets peacefully. But here, at the one border crossing between these two national rivals of India and Pakistan, it is an event that has pasted beyond strange into the realms of bizarre and absurd. They even have a VIP section! Nevermind the grandstands for the thousands that attend!

Every action is mirrored, every footstep and command is echo'ed and there is much scowling and posturing between both sets of border guards conducting the ceremonies to ensure that neither nation ends the day with even a smidgen of superiority. It seems that the only time that Joe Citizen Indians and Pakistanis can have "a go" at each other (without risking all out nuclear warfare) is here; and on the cricket field.

But any competition needs to be measured to ensure objectivity. So in the interests of presenting a fair assessment of this spectacle, we have broken this bizarre ceremony into its constituents. The only thing that separates India from Pakistan, at this point anyway, is a chain link fence.

Facilities

Stands - To ensure that you had maximum involvement of your spectators, you need to ensure that they can actually see the event itself without having to strain whatsoever. The Indians don't get off to a good start as they seem to have had some stands designed that give some of the crowd elevation, but not a lot else. The four stands that line the road leading to the gate, are not well placed and don't take into account the number of spectators and their comfort. Some Indians just cheered when the rest of India cheered because they couldn't see a thing! Pakistan, on the other hand seemed to. Whereas the Indian facilities are designed to be easily made and functional (read cheap), the Pakistani's seem to have made a far greater effort. The top of the Pakistani's grandstands have little design motifs sadly missing on the Indian side. While India's stands lined the road, Pakistan's were a bowl shape and everybody had a view.

Pakistan 1; India 0

Parking and control - Free for all. Park it where you can! For about 2km from the actually border post, the road is lined with buses, cars, taxi's, auto rickshaws, cycle rickshaws and the inevitable chai and popcorn (what is a spectacle without popcorn? Come on!) stands and the roadside restos and never mind the 2000 odd people trying to get to a place where they can see everything. It was mayhem when we arrived and even more when we left! There was absolutely no control! Not once did you see a single traffic police, or other uniform, in sight! Considering how the Pakistani crowds behaved before and during the ceremony, I would suspect they were orderly and disciplined, but this is not verifiable.

Pakistan 0; India 0

Number and sighting of flags - Looking down the road, which is only two car widths wide, there are two bricks walls that are used to ensure that the border gates have something to hang off. On the left hand side wall sits the Indian flagpole and on the Pakistani side sits theirs. But if you look further down the road, you will notice that the stands on the Pakistani side make a bowl and the road passes beneath it. But it is above the road that you notice a balcony and above the balcony, you notice another flagpole. Looking back on the Indian equivalent, you notice a few things. First that the flagpole is lower than the Pakistani's; it sits on top of wall where somebody would have to clamber up to get the flag in a very undignified manner and it is made to be functional. The Pakistani's flag is easily reached and easily pulled down at the appropriate time. While the two main flags are pulled down at EXACTLY the same time, the balcony flag of Pakistan is too. The Indian flag remains hanging limply.

Pakistan 1; India 0

Crowds

Security and control - Considering that this event happens EVERY single day and that thousands turn up EVERY single day, you would suspect that officialdom and the uniforms would have crowd control and security so well organized that you would not even know they had it under control (after all, this is not a unique event and they have NO experience!). Sadly, the uniforms and officials seem to bumble their way through the initial stages with lots of talking, shouting, hand gestures and whistling (uniform+whistle+angry look = authority). Even during the ceremony, with people standing up and down obstructing other people's views, there was lots of talking, shouting, hand gestures and whistling. A better designed arena should lead to better security and crowd control, but sadly not. But with excellent organization, leadership and management, poor facilities should not create a problem, but India lacks in these aspects. Pakistan didn't seem to have these problems.

Pakistan 1; India 0

Crowd number - India takes this one hands down. There must have been, at the very least, about 1500 people on the Indian side. Surprisingly, the majority of spectators were almost all Indians. Chatting to many Indians leading up the event, they seemed to have come from afar to see this. Indian domestic tourism seems strong! India's domestic tourism market will always remain strong in relation to its newly emerging middle class from a population of just over 1billion people! Pakistan's international tourism image is very badly damaged by the perceived terrorism threat. But with the spate of bombings in India's major cities, India's image is also threatened. But this is a local's event!

India 1; Pakistan 0

Crowd separation - India separates its females from its males here. It seems that females need to be kept safe from the hands and eyes and comments of their male counterparts. Pakistan definitely did not have this. There is no excuse for male chauvinism of any kind.

Pakistan 1; India 0

Crowd fervor and passion -A bigger crowd does not necessarily mean a more passionate one. But in this case, the Indian crowd was a steaming, pulsating, cauldron of passion. When we arrived, a whole group of girls and women were dancing in the road between the stands and the crowds were been irked on to cheer, shout and clap (the men were happy to have unremitted oogle time and clapping and cheering are a cheap price to pay for such pleasures!) The girls became more passionate as the start time neared and old crones were up in the streets gyrating and doing the conga! All the while music was pumping loudly through the speakers and the cheerleader was extremely enthusiastic! Even old grannies were "cutting up a little rug" before the heaving crowds. It was awesome to see and feel!

Just before the start time the crow was encouraged with a variety of calls. All of which they bellowed back enthusiastically! When things seemed to get a little "slow" or quiet they would begin again. There were even spontaneous outbreaks of call and responding from people in the crowd!

"Long live India!"; "India our motherland!" and "India forever!"

So passionate are the Indians about India, they stood or sat wherever they could find space. Walls, kerbs and trees did the trick.

Pakistan, although enthusiastic with its flag waving and shouts, seemed a little stilted and boring compared to the Indian's! At the very end of the ceremony, the crowds surge onto the road to have their pictures taken with members of the drill party! Only here would border guards be considered picture worthy!

India 1; Pakistan 0

DRILL PARTIES

Uniform -The purpose of any uniform is add to whatever objective you are trying to achieve. Here, at a spectacle like this, the uniforms should be resplendent, dignified and intimidating (after all, each side is trying to intimidate each other!). Those in the uniforms should complement the uniforms and add something extra!

The Indians seemed to wear what they had been wearing that day. White puttees, a coloured belt and matching cravat and turban with something that looks like a slice of a wafer you sometimes get with ice cream didn't really do the Indians justice. Yes, they were tall, mustached and fiercely looking, but the Pakistanis had big bushy beards, thick black eye brows and very dark eyes. Whereas the Indians were tall and imposing, the Pakistanis were tall and broad shouldered. Their wafer head gear thingies actually make them seem less peacock like than the Indians. I would hate to meet the Pakistanis in a dark alley. They would have no problem doing what needed to be doing, but the Indians would probably make a deal!

Pakistan 1; India 0

Discipline and drill - Since the stage is set, the crowds are excited and the VIPs all happily in place, the spectacle is about to begin. Behind a section of the crowd who are in front of the guardhouse, you see the drill party begin to assemble for the event. Last minute checks of uniforms and headgear, all lined up and the microphone is placed to the mouth of the guard commander who shouts……

"Guuuuuuuuuuuuaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrdddddddddddddddddddd………."(just before the Pakistani guard commander does) and they are off.

There is plenty of leg swinging, feet stomping, arm swinging, fierce faces and double quick time marching up and down the road and to and from the border; lots of saluting with officers and plenty of posturing and headshaking with their counterparts on the Pakistani side and all accompanied by shouted commands and the cheers and shouts of the surrounding crowd that last for 25 minutes. This is truly an international spectacle!

But sadly, the discipline is lacking in the drill party. Fidgeting, scratching, looking around are the obvious ones. Poorly executing commands are tried to be rectified by the high foot stomps and high arm swinging and double quick time marching. To the practice eye, this drill party and its discipline is weak. For where we were, the Pakistani drill party seemed far more professional, slick and disciplined! On any parade ground, enthusiasm does not cover up poor performance. British soldiers they are not!

Pakistan 1; India 0

Total - Pakistan 6; India 2

Pakistan takes it by a country mile, but the Indians make up for it in pure passion and belief that INDIA IS GREAT!